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"This promises to be a unique Kingsday, and
mainly because I hope it will be the last Kingsday-at-home ever.
Try to make the best of it," the king said in a TV speech
broadcast live from his home.
Kingsday normally attracts millions of people to festivities in
Amsterdam and throughout the Netherlands, highlighted by
sprawling street markets and massive concerts.
This year, however, the Dutch are forced to stage their parties
at home, as all public events have been cancelled until Sept. 1
in an attempt to prevent a resurgence of coronavirus infections
in the country.
"Sad, but inevitable," the king said of the decision to scrap
all public festivities for his 53rd birthday.
"I can understand very well that many people had hoped to be
able to have more freedom to move by now, but the coronavirus
cannot be told what to do. We have to keep at it, also after
today."
As of Sunday, the number of confirmed coronavirus infections in
the Netherlands had risen to 37,845, with 4,475 deaths.
Kingsday was kicked off by the Royal Concertgebouw orchestra,
which pieced together solo at-home performances by its members
into a special rendition of the national anthem, inviting all
people in the Netherlands to join in from their balconies and
gardens.
To keep the house parties going, people can tune in to the
traditional Kingsday music festivals, which have been
transformed into online versions featuring special shows by
international Dutch music stars such as DJs Martin Garrix and
Tiesto.
The street markets, in which the Dutch usually try to earn a few
euros by cleaning out their attics or showcasing their musical
talents, will be replaced by online versions and even a prime
time TV show.
(Reporting by Bart Meijer, editing by Ed Osmond)
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