What the Volendammer Kermis Is
The Volendammer Kermis is the biggest event in the Volendam calendar: five days of fairground rides, harbourside music and street celebration in late August, and the one week of the year when the village is unmistakably running for its own residents rather than for visiting coaches. Families who have moved away come home for it. Locals who never wear klederdracht the rest of the year put it on. Restaurants that normally close at ten keep serving.
Practically speaking it is a funfair - rides, shooting galleries, poffertjes and herring stalls filling the squares and the Dijk - wrapped inside a much older tradition of visiting, drinking and singing. The music is palingsound, the local pop style that produced most of the Netherlands' best-known singers, and during Kermis week you hear it live on the harbour stage rather than from a museum speaker.
Kermis Volendam 2026 Dates
The Kermis falls in late August and runs for five days, traditionally opening at the weekend and closing with fireworks on the Tuesday evening. Exact dates are set locally rather than fixed to the calendar, so if you are booking travel around the fair, confirm the year's dates before you pay for anything non-refundable.
The reliable places to check:
- VVV Volendam tourist office, harbour side of the Zeestraat - open daily and the fastest answer
- The events page of the gemeente Edam-Volendam
- Posters along the Dijk from roughly late July onwards - low-tech, but always current
Our full Volendam events calendar 2026 lists the fair alongside Vlaggetjesdag, the Visserijdagen and the Christmas market, which is useful if the Kermis dates turn out not to suit you.
What Happens, Day by Day
Opening weekend
The rides open and the village fills. Saturday and Sunday are the busiest daytime hours - good if you want the fair itself, the food stalls and the atmosphere with children in tow. Expect queues for the larger rides after about 4 pm.
Monday
The most local day. Daytime is calmer; the evening belongs to the cafés along the Dijk and the harbour stage. This is when you are most likely to see traditional costume worn seriously rather than for a photo.
Tuesday - closing night
The finale, ending with fireworks over the harbour. Crowds along the dike are at their densest here; arrive early if you want a spot at the water rather than three rows back.
The morning after
The village is quiet and slow to open. Several restaurants and shops keep reduced hours on the Wednesday, so it is a poor day for a first-time day trip.
Where to Stay During Kermis Week
This is the single hardest week of the year to sleep in Volendam. Hotels in the village typically run 80-100% full, and the rooms that remain are usually the expensive ones. Book several months ahead, or plan to stay outside the village.
- In Volendam: Hotel Spaander and the harbour hotels sell out first; the historic rooms go earliest.
- Just outside: Roompot Marinapark Volendam has more capacity than the harbour hotels and is walkable to the fair.
- Fall back on Amsterdam: bus 316 runs late into the evening, so an Amsterdam base is workable if you check the last departure. See Amsterdam to Volendam by bus 316.
- Nearby Edam: quieter, five minutes away, and often has rooms when Volendam has none. See Edam, the cheese town.
Getting There and Parking
Driving into Volendam during Kermis week is the least pleasant option. Streets around the Dijk close or fill, and the central underground garage reaches capacity early on the busy evenings. If you can, come by bus: the 316 from Amsterdam Centraal takes roughly 30-35 minutes and drops you a short walk from the fair. If you do drive, arrive well before the evening peak and expect to walk the last stretch. Full detail on both is on our getting to Volendam page.
Is the Kermis a Good Time to Visit?
It depends entirely on what you came for. If you want to see Volendam as a living place rather than a photogenic waterfront, this is the best week of the year and nothing else on the calendar comes close. If you want the harbour, the cheese factory and a quiet lunch, it is the worst.
Come for the Kermis if
- You want atmosphere, live music and costume traditions
- You are staying overnight - the evenings are the point
- Crowds and fairground noise don't put you off
Avoid Kermis week if
- You are on a short day trip and want the classic harbour photos
- You want a calm meal on the Dijk without booking ahead
- You are travelling with anyone noise-sensitive
If the second list sounds more like you, our guide to the best time to visit Volendam sets out the quieter alternatives, and the Marken Express ferry is a reliable way to escape the crowds for an afternoon.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need tickets for the Volendammer Kermis?
No. The Kermis is free to attend and there is no entrance gate. You pay per fairground ride and for food and drink, as at any funfair. Concerts on the harbour stage are free as well.
When is the Kermis in Volendam?
Late August, over five days, closing with fireworks on the Tuesday evening. The exact dates shift from year to year and are confirmed locally - see the sources listed above.
Is the Kermis suitable for children?
During the day, yes - it is a conventional funfair with rides for small children. The evenings, particularly Monday and Tuesday, become an adult drinking and music event and are loud well past midnight.
What is palingsound?
The local pop-music style that made Volendam disproportionately famous in Dutch music. During Kermis week it is performed live on the harbour stage; the rest of the year the Palingsound Museum tells the story.