Father’s Day in Amsterdam, Vaderdag in Dutch, is on the third Sunday of June, so the next one is Sunday 20 June 2027 and the one after that is Sunday 18 June 2028.
It is not a public holiday, so the day runs like any other Sunday, and in Amsterdam that means many shops, restaurants and attractions are open.
When is Father’s Day in the Netherlands?
Vaderdag always falls on the third Sunday of June.
In 2027 that is Sunday 20 June, and in 2028 it is Sunday 18 June.
This year’s Vaderdag was on Sunday 21 June 2026.
Because the rule is a weekday rule rather than a fixed date, Vaderdag can fall anywhere between 15 and 21 June.
The Netherlands first celebrated Father’s Day in October, from 1937.
In 1948 the Dutch association of menswear retailers moved it to the third Sunday of June, following the American date, because October sat too close to Sinterklaas and Christmas.
The idea itself is said to have come from Sonora Smart Dodd in Washington State in the United States, who wanted to honour her widowed father.
And Mother’s Day?
Moederdag is on the second Sunday of May, which is Sunday 9 May in 2027 and Sunday 14 May in 2028.
It reached the Netherlands in 1916 through the Salvation Army and caught on from 1924, when a horticultural society promoted it to sell more flowers, and flowers are still the classic gift.
Is Father’s Day a day off?
No.
Vaderdag is not on the Dutch government’s list of official holidays, which are New Year’s Day, Good Friday, Easter, King’s Day, Liberation Day, Ascension Day, Whitsun and Christmas.
Because it always falls on a Sunday, shops simply follow their normal Sunday hours.
Amsterdam has allowed shops to open every Sunday since February 2010, although not every shop chooses to, especially in neighbourhood shopping streets, so check before you go to buy a last-minute present.
Ideas for Father’s Day in Amsterdam
A steak dinner
A steak is a classic Father’s Day treat, and there is plenty of choice.
Our directory lists 56 places that Google classes as a steak house or chophouse, from Argentinian grills around the Leidseplein to neighbourhood restaurants in Zuid and Nieuw-West.
Our guide to steakhouses in Amsterdam picks out where to go, area by area.
A brewery visit
Brouwerij ‘t IJ is an independent Amsterdam brewery, opened in October 1985 in a former bathhouse called Funen, next to the De Gooyer windmill on the Funenkade.
Its tasting room, Proeflokaal de Molen, sits under the windmill, and four of its regular beers, Natte, Zatte, Columbus and Struis, are certified organic.
The brewery says you can reach the windmill by bike, by tram line 7 or 14, by boat or by car; note that the tasting room is not wheelchair accessible because the toilets are in the basement.
Brewery tours can be booked by email through the brewery’s website, and it also runs a second bar, ‘t Blauwe Theehuis, in the Vondelpark.
At ‘t Blauwe Theehuis you can simply walk in with a group of up to ten people, without a reservation, which makes it an easy choice if Dad would rather spend the afternoon in the park.
For larger groups at the windmill, the brewery takes reservations through Café Struis.
For the big-brand version, the Heineken Experience is in the original Heineken brewery from 1867 at Stadhouderskade 78.
The self-guided tour takes about 90 minutes and costs 24.95 euros, including a beer at the end, and nobody under 18 is allowed in, even with a parent.
On Sundays it is open from 10:30 to 19:30, with last entry at 17:15.
Our guide to Dutch beer and drink culture explains what to order.
A boat trip
A June Sunday is a good day to see the city from the water.
If the children are coming too, see our family-friendly boat tours in Amsterdam.
Football
For a football fan, a stadium tour makes a good day out.
The Johan Cruijff ArenA, home of Ajax and the largest stadium in the Netherlands, offers guided, self-guided and VIP stadium tours, and Kids Days for younger fans.
The arena also has a virtual reality experience, and when Ajax plays at home you can book a matchday tour together with a match ticket.
If you drive, our guide to parking at the Johan Cruijff ArenA covers the options.
A museum
For a quieter day, pick a museum; our guide to Amsterdam’s museums and attractions helps you pick one, and the Museumkaart calculator tells you whether a museum pass would pay for itself.
What is on for Vaderdag 2027?
No Father’s Day events for June 2027 have been announced yet.
Check our What’s On calendar in the weeks before 20 June 2027 for markets, concerts and family events that weekend.
More dates in the Amsterdam year: Halloween, Chinese New Year, International Women’s Day, the public holidays calendar and What’s On in Amsterdam.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is Father’s Day 2027 in the Netherlands?
Vaderdag 2027 is on Sunday 20 June 2027, the third Sunday of June.
When is Father’s Day 2028?
Vaderdag 2028 falls on Sunday 18 June 2028.
Is Father’s Day a public holiday in the Netherlands?
No, it is not an official holiday; it always falls on a Sunday, so normal Sunday opening hours apply.
Are shops open on Father’s Day in Amsterdam?
Shops in Amsterdam are allowed to open every Sunday, so many are open on Vaderdag, but not every shop does, so check the hours of the one you want.
When is Mother’s Day in the Netherlands?
Moederdag is on the second Sunday of May, which is Sunday 9 May in 2027 and Sunday 14 May in 2028.
Sources
- Vaderdag (Wikipedia)
- Moederdag (Wikipedia)
- Rijksoverheid: official holidays
- Gemeente Amsterdam Onderzoek: Sunday shopping
- Brouwerij ‘t IJ
- Heineken Experience
- Johan Cruijff ArenA stadium tours
Photo: A father lifting his baby outdoors by mehmet daduk, Pexels licence, via Pexels.
