Amsterdam's Majestic Maritime Parade: SAIL 2025

SAIL 2025, a grand maritime festival in Amsterdam, kicks off with a flotilla of historic ships. The event celebrates the Dutch capital's maritime legacy and its 750th anniversary. Cancelled in 2020 due to the pandemic, this five-day event includes ship parades and fireworks, drawing massive crowds.

A grand flotilla of historic ships sailed into Amsterdam on Wednesday, signaling the commencement of a five-day festival celebrating the city's rich maritime history.

Decorated vessels from around the globe departed from Ijmuiden, navigating up the North Sea Canal for SAIL 2025—the first in a decade. The festival includes over a dozen countries' ships, kicking off with a three-masted clipper followed by national anthems and cannon salutes.

The event, traditionally drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors, returns after a COVID-caused hiatus in 2020, concluding with fireworks. Festival activities honor both the Netherlands' sea heritage and Amsterdam's 750th anniversary.