How Netherlands fans are turning the World Cup into an orange party, one city at a time

KANSAS CITY, Mo. —If the Netherlands soccer team is playing in a city near you, beware an orange army takeover.

On game day, streets will shut down for a massive party that begins hours before kickoff, with singalongs, dancing and a fan walk behind a historic double-decker bus.

And did we mention the color orange?

There’s orange all around, as far as the eye can see, and that was the case beginning Thursday morning, more than eight hours before kickoff, when the Netherlands faced Tunisia in its final group game of the World Cup.

“It’s the world’s best party. It’s the world’s best fans,” said Daniel Oordt, one of the Netherlands’ superfans who has been traveling the globe for more than a decade to support his team. “An amazing time, an amazing community. It’s the best place on earth right now."

While some fans traveled from far and wide to celebrate during the fan walk, others came from a much shorter distance but were having fun all the same.

“My family is from Holland,” said Kansas City resident Ben VanDer Putten. “I support the Orange. I’ve been a Dutch fan since I was born."

VanDer Putten, who was near the front of the march with a drum and orange wig, said he expected nothing less than the thousands who were out in downtown Kansas City. “This is a typical Dutch turnout.”

The Netherlands face Tunisia at 6:00 p.m. CDT. The Dutch started their celebrations in KC at 9:00 a.m. CDT 😳 #worldcup #netherlands pic.twitter.com/sRfN0veX4x

What is the Orange Fanwalk? 

Dutch supporters show up by the thousands to support their team, and they’ve taken over each city the Netherlands has played in during the World Cup: Dallas, Houston and Kansas City so far..

The party begins several hours before the game, with fans gathering around an iconic double-decker bus that made its way to the United States by boat before the World Cup. At each city, the bus leads a parade with a DJ atop the bus leading the crowd in songs and chants.

This is what the Dutch's Oranje Fanwalk in Kansas City looked like ahead of their World Cup match tonight.pic.twitter.com/FAOL3kuOQ7

Why do the Netherlands wear orange?

The Netherlands flag has three horizontal stripes, with red on the top, white in the middle and blue on the bottom. But the team is known for its orange kits, as a tribute to the royal family, the House of Orange.