Johan Cruijff ArenA (formerly Amsterdam ArenA) is the home of AFC Ajax football club and is the largest sporting stadium in the Netherlands. Located at the south-eastern part of the city the stadium is open to the public for various guided tours. Book Johan Cruijff Arena Classic Tour tickets here
The Johan Cruijff ArenA hosts Ajax home games as well as occasional Netherlands football internationals and big concert/dance events.
The Stadium: The ArenA was completed in 1996 and has a retractable roof which can be closed during bad weather. The total capacity (all-seater) is 56,120 for football matches and up to 71,000 for concerts.
Music concerts from the likes of artists Michael Jackson, U2, The Rolling Stones, Madonna, Ed Sheeran and Robbie Williams have been held.
The ArenA was used for 5 matches during the Euro 2000 tournament including the Netherlands-Italy semi-final; it has also hosted the UEFA Champions League final of 1998 and the UEFA Europa League final of 2013.
The stadium was recently refurbished and hosted 4 matches in June 2021 as part of the delayed Euro 2020 tournament.
In 2018, the stadium was renamed Johan Cruijff ArenA in honour of the legendary Ajax and Dutch footballer Johan Cruyff (1947-2016). There is a bronze statue of Johan Cruijff near the main entrance, just outside of the Ajax store. It was designed by artist Hans Jouta and was unveiled in 2020.
There is also a bust of Cruijff at the escalators when you enter the stadium tour.
The Club: AFC Ajax is the most famous and successful Dutch club having won the European Cup / UEFA Champions League 4 times and the Dutch Eredivisie 36 times. Their peak years came during the early 1970s.
Although Ajax had Eredivisie title wins in 2018-19, 2020-21 and 2021-22, it has lost some form of late and the 2023-24 campaign has been poor by past standards. Ajax has an average attendance of around 54,000 at the ArenA.
Watching Events: Try to see a game of the Netherlands Football team (Nederlands-elftal) if at all possible. The Dutch fans adorned in orange are one of the most colourful sights in world football. The Dutch national side has a rich footballing history including World Cup runners-up in 1974/1978/2010 and winning the 1988 European Championship with Ruud Gullit and Marco Van Basten.
Not all international home games are played in Amsterdam – the occasional game is also played at Rotterdam’s De Kuip and the Philips Stadium in Eindhoven – all are easily accessible via public transport.
Tickets are available online from the Dutch FA (KNVB) – the big games do sell out so buy your tickets well in advance. You could consider getting tickets for friendly matches – these are not so popular and are cheaper – priced from around €30.
Ajax tickets are only available to verified Ajax account holders. Non-resident visitors can purchase ticket packages to games though these cost around €450 and include a hotel stay.
De Toekomst is Ajax’s training complex and can be found by walking a few hundred metres west past the Ziggo Dome, over the foot bridge and across the car park.
Ajax Women, Ajax juniors (A1) and Young Ajax (Ajax 2) teams also train and play matches at De Toekomst.
The area around the ArenA also contains a multiscreen Pathé cinema complex, the AFAS Live and Ziggo Dome (concert halls), the Woonmall Villa Arena (furniture mall) and a number of large stores such as Decathlon / Perry Sport (sporting goods), Prenatal (baby gear) and MediaMarkt (big electronic retailer).
There is an official Ajax Fan Shop selling club merchandise at the stadium (Arena Boulevard 1-3).
Convenient hotels for the Bijlmer ArenA area are: Jaz Amsterdam, Hampton by Hilton (these 2 are closest to the stadium) and not far away at all are the Holiday Inn ArenA Towers, Holiday Inn Express ArenA Towers and the Courtyard by Marriott
Johan Cruijff ArenA Stadium Tours Essential Info
The Johan Cruijff ArenA offers various stadium tours either by a guide or a self-guided tour. It includes walking through the tunnel to see the pitch, the dug-outs and the main stand. You also get to see the mixed zone, press room and Ajax Gallery of Fame. The dressing rooms are accessible when Ajax are not playing.
The Johan Cruijff ArenA VIP guided tour takes 2 hours and you also get access to the Boardroom and Skybox. It includes a free drink and ArenA scarf.
| Opening Times | Daily 0930-1630. Can be closed on game days and special events. |
| Admission Prices (2024) | Classic tour: €20 for adults, €14 for children 5-12. FREE entry to children 0-4. There is a 25% discount for I Amsterdam City Card holders. Book Johan Cruijff Arena Classic Tour (self-guided) tickets here VIP tour: €45 for adults and €20 for children 5-12. FREE entry to children 0-4. |
| Getting There | Johan Cruijff ArenA is located in Amsterdam Zuidoost (south-east) and is very close to Amsterdam Bijlmer ArenA train and metro station. Take metro line 54 from Amsterdam Central / Amstel stations or line 50 from Amsterdam Zuid / RAI / Sloterdijk stations. From Amsterdam Central you can also travel by NS Sprinter trains (15 minutes). From Amsterdam Schiphol airport there are direct Intercity trains running 4x hourly to Amsterdam Bijlmer ArenA station. The 1/2/3 day Amsterdam Travel Ticket is valid for unlimited travel between Bijlmer ArenA, Amsterdam Central and Schiphol airport. |
Johan Cruijff ArenA, ArenA Boulevard 1, Main Entrance E, 1101 AX Amsterdam
T: +31(0)20 311 1333, johancruijffarena.nl
Last updated 24 January 2024. This article was first published in 2008 and has been regularly updated.
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