Flower festival in the Netherlands

The annual flower parade Bloemencorso Bollenstreek is not only the main flower festival in the Netherlands, but also an event on a global scale. To visit it, tourists from different countries of the world come to the coast of the North Sea every April.

Flower sculptures

How can you not feel that spring has already come when huge compositions on moving wagons pass in front of you! Purple and pink hyacinths, yellow daffodils and, of course, tulips of different shades chase away the grayness inherent in cloudy Dutch weather from the streets. You can see Vikings’ flower boats and horse-drawn carriages, elephants and dinosaurs, fish and birds, as well as familiar fairy-tale characters, and you will be in a good mood. The traditional number of flower platforms is 20. But they are also accompanied by a variety of vehicles decorated with flowers – from cars to buses. The whole procession stretches for a good kilometer. Last year, about a million people wanted to participate in this event.

The Netherlands Flower Parade starts on Friday, April 17 in Noordwijk and ends on Sunday evening, April 19 in Haarlem. And on the way it passes through the cities of Vorhout, Sassenheim, Lisse, Hillegom, Binnebruck and Hemstede. The Netherlands Flower Parade route has a total length of 42 km.

The full map will eventually be available in my “Tulips” guide.

The holiday is coming!

In 2026, the main day of the parade on April 18 from 9:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. will approach the famous Keukenhof Garden, where a huge stationary exhibition of primroses and their compositions will be held at this time. Some lovers of spring flora combine two pleasures: they walk in the park, then go out to see the flower parade in the Netherlands in April, after which they return to the park. Already by 21:30 the procession will reach Harlem. The parade arrives in this city in the dark, but thanks to the well-thought-out lighting, the compositions look very impressive. They move through the streets to the sound of music and the welcoming shouts of the audience. In Haarlem, platforms are idle until 10:00 p.m. on Saturday. Folk festivities with live music and gatherings in cafes will take place around them. Then the Flower Parade of Holland will say goodbye to its spectators until next year.

Subtleties of the process

Actually, interesting events within the framework of the Bloemencorso Bollenstreek will begin in the process of its preparation, which will take three days (Decoration days), from April 15 to 16. Thus, the dates of the Flower Parade in Holland, taking into account the preparatory activities, are 12.04 – 19.04.26. For three days, in the village of Noordwijkhaut, the work of creating flower compositions from millions of flowers will be boiling, which everyone is allowed to watch. To do this, you need to purchase an entrance ticket to the decoration hall through the parade’s official website. By the way, everyone can take part in the preparation of the parade by signing up as a volunteer. You will be guided by an experienced florist who will introduce you to the basics of “staking” technology – attaching flowers to a papier-mâché base using special needles.

And so, at 9:00 p.m. on April 16, after the completion of these works, the illumination of thousands of lights will be turned on, which will illuminate the flower platforms passing from the decoration hall to the place where the parade will start the next morning.

ROUTE ON SATURDAY, April 18

Noordwijk

From 08:00 to 09:00 the parade is lined up on the street
Huis ter Duinstraat – Nieuwe Zeeweg – Duinweg.

Via de Grent above Koningin Wilhelmina Boulevard,
Vuurtorenplein – Quarles van Uffordstraat – TRIBUNE 09.26

Via Quarles van Uffordstraat to the Van Panhuysstraat roundabout.
From Van Panhuysstraat to
Weteringkade roundabout. From Weteringkade to Zeestraat roundabout 09.53.

Roundabout from Heilige Geestveg to
Hooweg viaduct N206 – Van Berkelweg 10.26

Van Berkelweg to Leidsewart (marching bands leave)

Vorhout

Leidsevaart – Entrance KTS (joining marching bands) 10.53
Herenstraat – Supermarket Plus – TRIBUNE 11.03
Herenstraat – railway crossing – TRIBUNA
Oostoutlaan  11.08

Sassenheim

Rijksstraatweg 59 (Verschoor Cranes) – TRIBUNE 12.01
Warmonderweg (A44) 12.09
BREAK – The floats line up along the Hoofdstraat
The parade leaves Partycentrum De Oude Tol at 14:00
Severny roundabout Sassenheim 2:21 p.m

Lisse

Hereweg – 3e Poellaan – TRIBUNE 14.28
2e Poellaan – Roundabout De Engel 14.53
Heereweg – De Loft – TRIBUNE 15.09
Heereweg – Town Hall – Roundabout 15.23
Town Hall Lisse (TV cameras)
via ‘t Vierkant to Westelijke Randweg 15.27
Keukenhof 15.44

Hillegom

16.30 Leidsestraat – Arnaudbrug (joining of marching bands)
17.05 Hoofdstraat 18 – TRIBUNE
17.14 Via Versteinstraat to Haarlemmerstraat

Bennebrook

18.02 Rijksstraatweg
18.14 Traffic lights Zvarteveg
18.27 Break – parking parade along Rijksstraatweg – Prinsenlaan
19.40 Departure from Linnaeushof

Harlem

21.04 Heerenweg – Vestelijke Randweg (N208) Crossing
21.18 Via Wagenweg to Hautplein
21.30 Hautplein
21.40 Via Gastuyssingel and Kampervest
21.46 Turfmarkt
21.49 Gedemte-Ude-Gracht

best wishes

Tetiana guide