[from PostNL press materials] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
PostNL releases stamp sheet for WorldPride Amsterdam 2026
Issue: WorldPride Amsterdam 2026
Issue date: 1 April 2026
Format: sheet of 5 stamps in 5 identical designs, with denomination 1 for items up to 20 grams sent within the Netherlands
Item number: 460861
Design: Martin Cadwallader, Lichfield, England
The Hague, April 2, 2026 – PostNL has released a special stamp sheet for WorldPride Amsterdam 2026. The release coincides with the moment the Netherlands made history 25 years ago. On April 1, 2001, Job Cohen, then Mayor of Amsterdam, officiated the very first same-sex marriage. Twenty-five years later, this moment still marks an important step in the recognition of equality and love in all its forms.
PostNL stands for a society in which everyone feels free and safe to love whoever they want and to be whoever they are. With this release, PostNL underscores the importance of equality and appreciation for the LGBTQIA+ community.
Amsterdam in the World Spotlight
WorldPride began in Rome in 2000. This year, the event is coming to Amsterdam. The city was awarded the organization partly due to that historic wedding that took place 25 years ago. During WorldPride, there are parades, street parties, film festivals, concerts, and conferences throughout the city.
WorldPride Amsterdam 2026 takes place in the capital from 25 July to 8 August 2026, organised by the Pride Amsterdam Foundation. WorldPride is a global event held every few years in a different city, aimed at increasing international visibility and awareness of 
LGBTQIA+ issues. LGBTQIA+ is the abbreviation for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex and asexual, with the + standing for all other identities. The first WorldPride took place in Rome in 2000. The 2‑week event will conclude on 8 August with the WorldPride March and the WorldPride Closing Concert on Museumplein.
Colorful design that connects
For this issue, designer Martin Cadwallader created a cheerful and clear design. In each stripe, this graphic designer has provided a kaleidoscopic interpretation of the colors and shapes of a different flag from the LGBTQIA+ community. Together, the stripes form a playful whole. Beneath the stripes are patterns that reflect cultures coming together in the Netherlands. This gives the sheet an energetic look befitting WorldPride.
Colorful patterns from around the world
The design features pangi motifs from Suriname, flowers from Aruba and Curaçao, batik from Indonesia, Moroccan shapes, and Turkish tulips. Dutch motifs such as flowers and Delft Blue also appear. In this way, the sheet shows how all these cultures reinforce one another.
Martin Cadwallader previously created designs for the Pride Amsterdam Foundation, including the logos and visual identity for EuroPride Amsterdam 2016 and Pride Amsterdam 2019. In 2025 he was again approached by the foundation, this time to design the visual identity for WorldPride Amsterdam 2026.
“Unity is the key to combating intolerance,” said Cadwallader. “I expressed this through the concept of the ‘cultural kaleidoscope,’ also known as the fan of cultures. The visual identity, as also applied to the WorldPride Amsterdam 2026 stamps, shows that everything is connected and that every culture is an essential part of the whole. Just like the colourful geometric patterns in a kaleidoscope that constantly form new shapes while remaining connected, symbolising unity in diversity.”
Availability
The WorldPride Amsterdam 2026 stamp sheet consists of 5 stamps with a value of 1 for mail up to 20 grams within the Netherlands. A sheet costs € 7.00. You can buy it at post offices, in Bruna stores, via the PostNL website, or via Collect Club on 088 – 868 99 00. It is valid indefinitely.
Note: PostNL does not sell directly to collectors in North America. Its website refers to a company called Nordfirm, which says it sells Dutch new issues at face value. The Virtual Stamp Club has no connection to this company.
Collectors may also wish to contact the U.S. firm Bombay Stamps, which can also obtain first day covers upon request, with lower shipping fees. The email is sales@bombaystamps.com Again, The Virtual Stamp Club has no connection to this company.
