Amsterdam Concerts
ArenA, Amsterdam Concert Venue:
Amsterdam ArenA is a stadium in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The stadium was built from 1993 to 1996 at a cost of €140 million, and was officially
opened on August 14, 1996. It has been used for association football, American football, concerts, and other events. The stadium has a retractable
roof combined with a grass surface. It has a capacity of 51,628 seats during sports matches and 68,000 places during concerts.
The stadium is the home of the association football club AFC Ajax (1996–present) and was the home of the now-retired American football
club Amsterdam Admirals (1996–2007). It was one of the stadiums used during UEFA Euro 2000. Dutch and international artists gave concerts
in the ArenA, such as André Hazes and The Rolling Stones. Every year the dance event Sensation is held in the stadium.
Amsterdam was one of six cities that bid to host the 1992 Summer Olympics. In 1986, a new Olympic stadium was designed, with a football
field and an athletics track. It was to be built in the area of Strandvliet in Amsterdam Zuidoost. After Amsterdam lost the bid to
Barcelona in October 1986, the plans for the new stadium were abandoned. In 1987, the Stichting Amsterdam Sportstad (English: "Amsterdam
Sports City Foundation") was established, which made new plans for a sports stadium with an all-seated capacity of 55,000. In 1990, a
new design was made based on both previous designs, with a football field, an athletics track, and completely covered by a roof. By
this time, AFC Ajax needed a new stadium, because their old stadium De Meer no longer had sufficient capacity.
Once more the design was altered: the athletics track was removed, the capacity was reduced to 50,000 seats, and the fixed roof was replaced
by a retractable roof. In 1992, the Government of Amsterdam authorised the plans for the stadium with a Transferium where people could
transfer from their car to various forms of public transportation. In 1993, the Government of Amsterdam changed the development plan of the
location and gave a permit to build the stadium.
The first pile of the deep foundation of the stadium was placed on November 26, 1993. The construction work would take almost three years.
The highest point of the building was reached on February 24, 1995, after the roof construction was raised. The fly-over from the public
road to the parking facilities was opened on March 13, 1996. The Amsterdam ArenA received 180,000 visitors during the construction work,
until the stadium was closed from July 1, 1996 until the opening ceremony. The Amsterdam ArenA was officially opened on August 14,
1996 by Queen Beatrix.
The Queen opened the Amsterdam ArenA by making a curtain fall inside the stadium. This revealed the world's largest painting De Zee
(English: The Sea) of 80 × 126 metres. Two-dimensional ships were placed on the sea representing the clubs in the Eredivisie. Trijntje
Oosterhuis sang the hymn De Zee, composed for the opening ceremony by John Ewbank. An eight-day torch relay with 375 runners over 1400
kilometer through the Netherlands reached the stadium. The first runner was Johan Cruijff starting in the old stadium De Meer, the last
runner was Frank Rijkaard arriving in the new stadium Amsterdam ArenA. After the grass was revealed and the roof opened, an inaugural
football match was played between AFC Ajax and AC Milan.
The construction of the Amsterdam ArenA cost €140 million.
The stadium combines a retractable roof with a grass surface. This caused some problems in the beginning: the grass rolls would not grow in the shade
of the open roof and had to be replaced up to four times a year.
Tina Turner was the first singer who gave a concert in the ArenA during her Wildest Dreams Tour, with more than 150,000 people attending the three
sold-out concerts in September 1996. Whilst Michael Jackson played five nights at the ArenA during the 'HIStory World Tour in 1996 and 1997 to over
250,000 fans.
Despite frequent complaints about the acoustics of the Arena, concerts are often held in the stadium. Stars such as Tina Turner, Michael Jackson,
Céline Dion, George Michael, David Bowie, Bon Jovi, Eminem, Robbie Williams, Andre Hazes, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Justin Timberlake,
The Rolling Stones, Genesis, U2, Metallica, Madonna and The Police have played the venue over the years.
The stadium is also host to dance event Sensation.
Amsterdam ArenA Official Site (Dutch)
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