Rotterdam Ahoy is investing substantially in the Ahoy Arena

Over the past few months, Rotterdam Ahoy has made substantial investments in the Ahoy Arena, the largest and best-known hall of the Rotterdam events centre. The arena underwent a large-scale modernisation and expansion programme from 2009 to 2011. This is now being followed up. The main investments concerned hundreds of additional seats and a brand-new 1,000 m2 LED screen wall on the façade of the hall. The backstage area and the east wall were also renovated, and the smoking area underwent a transformation.

Additional Seats

By optimising the Ahoy Arena's seating arrangements, the hall's maximum capacity has been increased. Additional seats have been installed on the inner and outer circles, and the seating arrangements for the floor space have been optimised. This means 650 additional seats in a 'seated’ arrangement. In a 'standing - in the round’ arrangement (where the stage is situated in the middle of the hall), the capacity is now 16,426. The new seating arrangements will be introduced in April 2019.

Brand-New LED Façade

As from today, Rotterdam Ahoy has a brand-new 1,000 m2 LED screen wall on the façade of the Ahoy Arena. Signify, formerly Philips Lighting and world-leader in connected LED lighting systems, signed off on the new design. The centre of the screen has a higher line density, and the edges have a lower resolution. This improves visibility during the day and in sunshine. With the LED façade, the visitor's experience already begins outside.

Other Investments
The backstage area and one of the outside walls of the Ahoy Arena were also taken care of: new desks, chairs and freshly-painted walls in the production offices, new furniture in the dressing-rooms and a completely renovated east wall. Lastplak, a group of street artists that is very well known in Rotterdam, decorated the Ahoy Arena's smoking area with graffiti.

Peter van der Veer, Director Rotterdam: 'I'm very proud that we were able to give a major quality boost to our arena within a relatively short space of time. We are of course investing considerably in our new premises and major extension, but the Ahoy Arena still has our full attention. With these renovations, it will be more than ready for the future!’

50 Per Cent Capacity Increase in 2020

The Rotterdam Ahoy Convention Centre and RTM Stage will open their doors in 2020 as part of the 'Hart van Zuid’ Rotterdam district area development. With 2,750 seats and 35 breakout rooms, the brand-new building will contain the largest auditorium in the Netherlands. It will be directly connected to the Ahoy Plaza, the Exhibition & Events Halls and the Ahoy Arena. RTM Stage is not only an auditorium but also a theatre and concert hall accommodating 7,000 people. The capacity of the current premises will be expanded by no less than fifty per cent.