Watch my video here: National Tulip Day 2026.
National Tulip Day 2026. On Saturday, January 17, 2026, it was finally here: the 14th edition of the National Tulip Day in Amsterdam. Since 2012, this day has been celebrated every year on the third Saturday of January and marks the start of the (cut) tulip season. As always, the celebration took place on Museumplein in Amsterdam. More than 200,000 tulips could be picked for free. The theme this year was United in Bloom! and it was clearly felt.
Tulips connect people. They evoke emotions and form a universal language that everyone understands. From this day on, tulips are available everywhere again, and it suddenly feels as if spring is gently approaching. National Tulip Day is organized by Tulip Promotion Netherlands (TPN), an association of Dutch tulip growers who work together to promote the tulip. The volunteers were easy to recognize by their orange jackets.
In this blog, I take you along to National Tulip Day and share my experience of this colorful and joyful day on Museumplein.
Early in line
The official opening of the picking garden was at 1:00 PM, but anyone hoping to get tulips had to arrive early. We got there at 11:30 AM, and by then a long line had already formed, zigzagging between fences and ribbons. After the opening of the picking garden, the waiting time was about an hour.
Fortunately, the atmosphere was cheerful. A brass band played lively music in between, and we struck up a conversation with a few lovely ladies in the queue. Before long, we were singing Amsterdam songs while waiting. At first, we didn’t get much further than “When spring comes, I’ll bring you… tulips from Amsterdam!” and of course “On the canals of Amsterdam…”. The rest of the lyrics had to be searched online. Time flew by, and before we knew it, it was 1:00 PM.
Opening of National Tulip Day 2026
The opening was announced spectacularly with a loud fireworks display, ending in a colorful fountain of fireworks, just as colorful as the tulips themselves. You would expect everyone to calmly follow the line once the gates opened, but nothing could be further from the truth. As soon as access was granted, people rushed forward en masse. Ribbons were ducked under, and you were literally swept along and squeezed by the crowd. This was not a very pleasant experience.
Groups of people were allowed in one by one to pick tulips, after which the next group had to wait. Despite the hustle and bustle, everything was fairly well organized.
Picking tulips
Everyone received a paper bag and was allowed to pick 10 tulips. This way, as many people as possible had the chance to enjoy the moment. The tulip fields that were set up looked beautiful. You could choose from yellow, pink, purple, red, and white tulips. And the best part: you picked the tulips with the bulb still attached.
I personally really enjoyed that. Normally, when you buy tulips, they’ve already been cut from the bulb, but with the bulb attached, it feels extra special.
A small tip:
- Cut tulips should be cut diagonally and placed in water, optionally wrapped in paper at first so they stay nicely upright.
- Tulips with bulbs should be placed in a shallow layer of water, just enough for the roots. Don’t submerge the entire bulb, as this can cause mold. Tulips with bulbs often last longer because they can still draw nutrients from the bulb.
A touch of spring
Museumplein was a beautiful sight. The ice-skating rink was still there, the sun was shining, and it was surprisingly mild for a winter day. It almost felt like spring. Everywhere you looked, people were walking around with small bouquets of colorful tulips. You could instantly tell who had attended the opening. It literally added color to the city, right in the middle of winter, when you normally don’t see many flowers.
National Tulip Day remains a special event. A festive start to the tulip season, full of color, cheer, and a preview of spring. From now on, tulips will be widely available in shops again and every time you see them, you’ll think back to that one moment on Museumplein.
