Can we watch the Bigi Spikri parade without signing up?

Yes. Registration is only for people walking in it (in 2026 the first 1,500 walkers got breakfast). The route runs from Waterlooplein to Oosterpark through public streets.

What happens at the commemoration in Oosterpark?

The national commemoration at the National Slavery Monument includes a minute of silence and speeches, and NPO 1 shows it live. Younger kids may find it long; the music and food follow on Museumplein.

Upcoming

UpcomingFestival

Keti Koti Festival Amsterdam

When: Dates to be announced
Ages: All ages
Price: Free

FestivalAmsterdam-Zuid

Where

Amsterdam-Zuid, Museumplein

Ages

All ages

Setting

Outdoors

Music

Live Surinamese and Caribbean music

What you need to know

Remembrance first, party after: the morning parade and commemoration are about the history of slavery, so talk it through with kids before the music starts
Bigi Spikri parade to start: walkers in traditional Surinamese dress go from Waterlooplein to Oosterpark, and walking in it means registering with the organizer
Surinamese and Antillean food: stalls on Museumplein, so the festival can be lunch or dinner

About

Keti Koti, Sranan Tongo for "cut chains," marks the end of slavery in Suriname and the Dutch Caribbean in 1863. The day starts somber, with a parade in traditional Surinamese dress and a national commemoration at the slavery monument in Oosterpark. Then it turns into a party on Museumplein: live music on several stages, a Caribbean market and Surinamese and Antillean food. Kids get both the history and the celebration.

Free

Dates to be announced

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