King’s Day, the unmissable event for the Dutch is almost here. For the uninitiated, it is a national holiday celebrated by everyone as it marks the birth of King Willem-Alexander. Last year, King’s Day was celebrated in Amersfoort and the King called it “amazing party”. Usually, the day and the previous eve are joyous with people crowding up at the live music festivals, markets, boat parties, and more fun.
However, King’s Day 2020 (April 27) is going to be quite different with a stark difference in the celebrations. Given the social distancing measures taken by the government to curb the COVID-19 spread, the King’s Day celebration will not hit the streets. The streets that should pack strides of people dressed in orange are going to be empty, but worry not, if you’re excited and ready to party, there are a host of online events, radio, and internet to keep you entertained.
What’s more noticeable is that Café De Blaffende Vis located in Amsterdam that is known for putting up a giant picture of the Royal Family members as a part of the King’s Day celebrations has taken the online path for the same. The cafe will put a giant picture of a member of the Royal Family online due to the COVID-19 outbreak that demands people to stay at home.
Further, also some European tech startups will help you celebrate King’s Day 2020 right at the comfort of your home.
WOOV
WOOV is one of the useful tech startups when it comes to King’s Day celebrations. The app lets people locate the most happening parties, vents, etc. in on the occasion in Amsterdam. Given that the celebrations are going to be online this year on account of the coronavirus pandemic outbreak, the Amsterdam-based startup will let people access live music festivals online. It reimagines and redefines the way people get together during the global crisis. This startup will make the digital festivals available to the entire community of music fans and creators across the world and will make the celebration more immersive.
Chefs Online
As you stay at home during the lockdown wondering how to spend time, you can use it wisely by refining your culinary skills. Well, Chefs Online will bring chefs together and makes cooking great fun. This King’s Day, make your carrot walnut pie and a carrot walnut cake at home with orange icing with the help of the online cooking workshop with the help of this Amsterdam based startup. Participants can join for free and get a list with the necessary ingredients and a login code so that they can video stream in advance.
While cooking could be fun, shopping the necessary ingredients might be tedious. Understanding this, Chefs Online helps people pick up ingredients from them or deliver the same to their doorsteps with safety measures during COVID-19 outbreak.
SparkOptimus
SparkOptimus, an Amsterdam-based management consulting firm works with a focus on digital strategy. It provides digital strategy consulting services that will help organisations to realise new tech-driven growth. This year, the company has joined hands with the Royal Dutch Association of Orange Clubs to celebrate King’s Day 2020. They have initiated a dedicated website that will let people celebrate the King’s birthday with online activities.
Via this website, people will be able to experience King’s Day online, visualise activities at home, support each other, and donate. This initiative lets people experience the orange feeling together online, carry out activities from home, and share the same with others.
Vrroom
Paris-based Virtual Reality developer Vrroom will be hosting the first-ever King’s Day VR Festival in the Netherlands. Given that the King’s Day 2020 will be very different due to the lockdown restrictions to curb COVID-19 spread, the startup will host a VR party that can be attended by 30,000 attendees. It has been announced that the proceeds of ticket sales will be donated to the Food Bank. The King’s Day VR festival will be hosted from 8 PM to 11 PM on April 27 and the tickets will be priced starting from €7.5. And, the music festival will include performances by DJ Jochem Hemerling, Kwamgo, Vangrail, and a mystery guest.
Tickets for the virtual Kingsday festival, KingsdayVR, are free for everyone who wants to visit the event. The tickets are made available to partygoers at home and abroad by former footballer Wesley Sneijder.
Further, Berlin-based startup ArtNight and its vertical ShakeNight have pivoted overnight from offline to online. As they were forced to cancel thousands of events all over Europe, they introduced online workshops with painting-kits and also offered to deliver cocktail-sets to your doorsteps.
So if you live in Amsterdam, and are missing the canal boat parties this year, just relax, wear orange, accessorise yourself and celebrate your quarantined King’s Day with the help of this list.
And if you’re a startup not in the list, write to us now at [email protected], we will add you right away.
This article is produced in collaboration with StartupAmsterdam. Read more about our partnering opportunities.
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