Festival calendar
Festival
New Year's Eve in the Netherlands
Also called Oud en Nieuw, Oudejaarsavond.
Oud en Nieuw is the only window in the Dutch year when consumer fireworks are legal, and between six in the evening and two in the morning the streets are genuinely loud. Amsterdam has restricted areas and a growing list of firework-free zones; several cities now run a central display instead.
For a family with small children or elderly parents this is a night to plan rather than wander into. For a couple it is the easiest night of the year to do something on the water.
What we arrange
- A private boat for the evening, booked well ahead — these go early
- Indian catering on board or at home
- A quiet alternative away from the fireworks, for older parents
- Oliebollen and mithai, which is the combination people actually want
Sourcing takes about 45 days for this one, so tell us by .
Dates
- New Year's Eve 2026 — Thursday, 31 December 2026
- New Year's Eve 2027 — Friday, 31 December 2027
- New Year's Eve 2028 — Sunday, 31 December 2028
What this usually becomes
Also coming up
- Karva Chauth 2026Thursday, 29 October 2026 — A day-long fast that ends when the moon is sighted — which in November here is not guaranteed.
- Dhanteras 2026Friday, 6 November 2026 — The day you buy metal. Two days before Diwali, and the start of the five days.
- Diwali 2026Sunday, 8 November 2026 — Five days, one main night, and Dutch fireworks law that catches everyone out the first year.
- Places we can arrange thisWhere a puja, a dinner or a photoshoot actually works, with the practical detail that decides it.
Planning New Year's Eve?
Tell us how many people and where. We'll tell you what's possible on the date, and what it costs.
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