U.S. Consulate Amsterdam notifies all U.S. citizens that July 23 – August 7Amsterdam will host Amsterdam EuroPride 2016. Dutch National Police are anticipating 350,000 to 500,000 additional visitors to Amsterdam for this event.
Amsterdam EuroPride 2016 will be a combination of the annual “Gay-Pride Celebration” and “European-Pride” event, hosted by Amsterdam this year. The opening ceremonies will begin with a pride walk on July 23 at 7 p.m. from Vondelpark, ending at Dam Square. The Canal Parade is scheduled for August 6 from 1 p.m. – 6 p.m. Closing ceremonies will be Sunday, August 7, 2 p.m. – 10 p.m.
During the event, the Dutch National Police will maintain a significant presence in Amsterdam and anyone visiting the city should expect significant traffic delays due to select road closures and detours, especially during both the pride walk and the Canal Parade. Hotels and hostels will likely be booked to capacity and public transportation may be affected.
We expect these events will be peaceful. However, visitors to Amsterdam are reminded to exercise an appropriate level of security and situational awareness and be especially vigilant if attending parties and venues related to this event. Previous celebrations have been very crowded and, at times, have drawn an increase in public disorder and pickpocketing.
For additional information regarding more than 300 events associated with Amsterdam EuroPride 2016 refer to the following links:
http://www.iamsterdam.com/en/visiting/whats-on/amsterdam-gay-pride
General security information
U.S. citizens in the Netherlands are reminded, in general, that if at any time you feel threatened or in danger, please call the Dutch authorities immediately by dialing 1-1-2 for emergency service response from Dutch police, rescue, and fire departments.
For further information:
- See the State Department’s travel website for the Worldwide Caution, Travel Warnings, Travel Alerts, and Netherlands Country Specific Information.
- Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive security messages and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.
- Contact the U.S. Consulate General in the Netherlands, located at Museumplein 19, 1071 DJ, Amsterdam, at +31 (0)20 575-5309, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. After-hours emergency number for U.S. citizens is +31 (0)70 310-2209.
- Call 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the United States and Canada or 1-202-501-4444 from other countries from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).
- Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
To contact the Consulate General, please e-mail us at USCitizenServicesAMS@state.gov.
