Rotterdam has always been perceived as a city with maritime culture, green spots, and amazing rivers. In addition, Rotterdam has a gorgeous skyline with a river view and a view of modern architectural buildings. However, just like other cities in the Netherlands and Europe, concerts and events are hosted as well, and Ahoy is the most known place for such events. So, let’s gain information about this concert and the event venue!
The Brief
Ahoy is located in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, and it has always been a place for showcasing exhibitions and hosting concerts and conferences. In addition, this venue has hosted a variety of sporting events. The Ahoy was developed and inaugurated back in 1971, and ever since then, it has gone through multiple refurbishments and renovations to enhance the seating and aesthetics of the arena.
This venue is now sufficient to accommodate over 15,000 people at once, and there is a professional team of over 250 people for handling the events. This team of professionals ensures proper communication and smooth business flow during concerts and events. The best thing about this venue is the amazing brand value and exceptional B2C and B2B database.
When it comes down to the venue, there are various halls of different sizes, a plaza, a congress center, and a meeting center. This is a multi-purpose convention center and an indoor arena. This place first opened in 1950 with three venues, including a conference center and congress centers, event and fairs halls, and the arena.
With the 1971 inauguration, the arena was transformed into the sports palace, and to date, it’s the biggest part of the Ahoy as it has a capacity of approximately 16,426 people.
The Exhibition Hall
It’s pretty evident that the venue has a history dating back to the year 1950, and there was an exhibition held in single halls. This was a temporary exhibition hall, which was leveraged for international as well as national events until the year 1966 because the hall was demolished later. During the 1953 flood, the hall was used as a shelter for the flood victims.
The Ahoy Complex
The construction of the Ahoy Complex started in 1968, and three halls were completed in 1970. Many people don’t know this, but the architectural design of this complex has won multiple international and national awards. Two more halls were made a part of the complex back in 1980 to increase the capacity of the complex for hosting concerts.
Later in 1998, the 6th hall and a reception hall were added – it was designed with small meeting rooms, conference halls, and catering facilities. The main building was renovated for a modern aesthetic in 2009, and new seats were also installed.
Sports Events
Throughout Ahoy’s history, it has hosted a variety of sports events. To illustrate, it has hosted sports competitions, including the Six Days of Rotterdam and the Rotterdam Open, annually. In addition, it has been the top venue for Premier League Darts ever since 2016. Not to forget, the 1989 FIFA Futsal, 2009 World Judo, 2010 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships, and 2011 Table Tennis Championship.
On top of everything, it held the Men’s European Volleyball Championship in 2019, but the same championship for women was held in the Ahoy in 2015. For the longest time, it was the ultimate venue for the Superstars finals (1975, 1976, and 1979). Not to forget, the UFC and mixed martial arts fights were hosted in 2016 and 2017.
Entertainment Events
The Ahoy hosted the Junior Eurovision Song Contest in 2017 and MTV Europe Music Awards in 1997 and 2016. In addition, it has to host the Eurovision Song Contest 2020, but the event was canceled, given the COVID-19 pandemic.
Overall, it’s a great venue for hosting large-scale concerts and events while many people have been planning meetings and conferences here, which means it’s worth it!
