Music and concert halls in Amsterdam
Amsterdam as a world city hosts lots of concerts and has many venues where concerts are given. Artists that do world tours never skip this city. The Netherlands is home to some of the world’s top rated DJs and orchestras. So when you are in Amsterdam and looking for pop stars or just a classy or jazzy evening out, then you can try the venues below. On this page we listed some of the best music and concert halls of Amsterdam.
Dutch National Opera & Ballet
Dutch National Opera (or DNO) creates and performs operas of very high quality in an extraordinary and innovative way. They have recently celebrated their 50th anniversary. The success of the Dutch National Opera has not only been noticed in The Netherlands itself but also abroad many opera lovers have already enjoyed their beautiful performances. Visually and musically your senses will be stimulated with the latest amazing performances. Many of their performances attract international attention because of the fresh approach to opera classics, but also their brand-new created operas can count on a warm welcome. This brilliant chorus with a great reputation consists of 60 members and about 260 technicians. The sets, special effects, costumes and wigs are almost all produced by their own workshop. Because they do not have a resident orchestra of their own, they collaborate with various prominent orchestras from The Netherlands. Each year there about 11 new productions and are always very popular.
A list of their current themes and performances is available in the theatre, which is located in the same building as the City Hall. The theatre is shared by the Dutch National Opera and the Dutch National Ballet and has a capacity of about 1.600 visitors.
It is possible to purchase tickets on the website of Dutch National Opera & Ballet. Even when all tickets are sold out, you can still get two unclaimed tickets with a bit of luck, as unclaimed tickets get sold one hour before the performance.
Concertgebouw
Every traveler with an affinity for culture will come across the Royal Concert Building as it’s located in the heart of the city right across Museum Square. The Royal Concert building is one of the most visited concert buildings in the world, as the building is known for its unrivaled acoustics. The inside of the building is as beautiful as the outside which makes it the most impressive music stage of Amsterdam. The Concert building is most known for it’s classical and modern performances, but other musical performances can also be experienced here. If you wish to enjoy a lasting musical impression you’re here at the right address.
As the concert building is a monumental building in the cultural heart of the city, it is worth checking the building out for the cultural citysperience. As you will find plenty of things to do, shopping streets, bars and museums nearby.
Muziekgebouw aan ‘t IJ
Amsterdam is located next to a river called the IJ. Overlooking this river you can find the Music Building at the IJ, where performances of contemporary classical music, jazz and even electronic music can be enjoyed. The main concert hall is completely modular and can be given different dimensions to achieve the right musical acoustics for each performance. All to give you the best musical experience.
Bimhuis
The Bimhuis is the most popular stage for Jazz and improvised music in the Netherlands. Here the biggest Jazz artists come togheter to take the genre a step further. With the Bimhuis it’s no wonder that Amsterdam has always been a popular Jazz city. If you wish to enjoy the latest and greatest in Jazz, the Bimhuis is your destination for the evening.
Paradiso
In the Netherlands Paradiso is called the pop temple, as Paradiso is a music venue where many well-known names have performed. The building has a Romanesque style and dates from 1879-’80. Because of it’s intimate and beautiful design where the artist can be viewed from multiple floors many artists like Nirvana, Adele, Lenny Kravitz and the Rolling Stones also recorded their concerts here. Besides it’s many pop concerts Paradiso also explores the borders of pop culture and gives stage to special initiatives and projects. Paradiso’s main hall has a capacity of 1500 visitors. It also has a smaller hall with the capacity for 250 visitors.
Ziggo Dome
The most visited concert hall in the Netherlands and a top 5 most visited concert hall in the world is the Ziggo Dome. The Ziggo Dome is a fairly new gigantic concert hall made for big name pop artists. MTV Europe Music Awards have been here, Taylor Swift, KISS, Neil Diamond, Eros Ramazzotti. Throughout the year you can find world famous artists here. You can’t really go wrong by giving this place a visit. The Ziggo Dome is also conveniently located next to the Bijlmer Arena metro and train station in Amsterdam, so it’s very easy to reach.
AFAS Live
AFAS Live, formerly known as the The Heineken Music Hall, is a great venue specifically designed for the acoustics of pop music. The venue has been nominated for the Pollstar awards as best international concert location on several occasions. AFAS Live can house up to 6000 partygoers in the main concert hall, making it a popular venue for big stars, dance events and music awards. Another great advantage of this venue is that it’s located right next to a metro and train station in Amsterdam, making it quite easy to reach for music lovers from all across the country.