St. Nicholas Parade in Gouda 2026

The long wait is almost over. On Saturday, November 14, 2026, the city will once again be celebrating. That’s when Sinterklaas and more than 150 Pieten will set foot on Gouda’s shores for the festive parade through the city center.

Sinterklaas and his helpers will begin their journey to downtown Gouda on Saturday, November 14, at 9:30 a.m. The steamboat will sail along the Turfsingel and Kattensingel toward Herpstraat / Regentesseplantsoen, where it will dock at 10:15 a.m. near Herpstraat.

Starting at 11:00 a.m., Sinterklaas will set out on his horse, Ozosnel, on the route along Kleiweg and the other streets in the city center. Around 12:30 p.m., the procession will reach the old City Hall, where Mayor Pieter Verhoeve will welcome St. Nicholas with a short ceremony.

After the parade, the festivities will continue as usual on Saturday afternoon. From 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., there will be a Pietenschool behind the Waag and on the Markt. There, children will learn how to throw peppernuts and stack presents, among other things. At the same time, at the Oosthaven, in front of Museum Gouda, there will once again be an opportunity to take a boat ride with the Pieten.

Anyone who completes all the challenges will receive a real Piet diploma. Sinterklaas and the Pietenband will be making their way through the games all afternoon.

Route

Starting around 9:45 a.m., the steamboat will come into view from the Turfsingel. The boat will then sail past the Cultuurhuis toward the Bolwerk and turn onto the Kattensingel there. The boat will eventually dock at the Herpstraat / Regentesseplantsoen around 10:15 a.m.

In the morning, St. Nicholas's procession will pass through the following streets in downtown Gouda:

Activities at the Piet School

In 2026, there will once again be activities organized by the Piet School on the day of the parade through downtown! If you complete them, you’ll earn a real Piet diploma.

The activities begin at 12:30 p.m., when St. Nicholas and his helpers arrive at City Hall. The helper school is open to visitors until 3:30 p.m. St. Nicholas will also stop by in the afternoon to take a look around.

Most of the activities take place at Achter de Waag, near the Markt. However, there are also activities at other locations in the city center, such as the boat ride on the Korte Vest (next to the Kleiweg Bridge). See the map and table below for more information.