The Johan Cruyff Arena (Dutch: Johan Cruijff Arena [ˈjoːɦɑŋ ˈkrœyf aːˌreːnaː]; officially stylised as Johan Cruijff ArenA) is the main stadium of the Dutch capital city of Amsterdam and the home stadium of football club AFC Ajax since its opening. Built from 1993 to 1996 at a cost equivalent to €140 million,^[3] it is the largest stadium in the country. The stadium was previously known as the Amsterdam Arena (stylised as Amsterdam ArenA) until the 2018–19 football season, when it was officially renamed in honour of Dutch footballer Johan Cruyff (1947–2016) who died in March 2016.^[4][5][6]

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Johan Cruyff Arena

“De Arena“ (The Arena)
UEFA
Full name	Johan Cruijff ArenA
Former names	Amsterdam ArenA (1996–2018)
Location	ArenA Boulevard 1, 1101 AX Amsterdam, Netherlands
Coordinates	52°18′51″N 4°56′31″E
Public transit	Amsterdam Bijlmer ArenA station, Strandvliet metro station
Owner	Gemeente Amsterdam Stadion Amsterdam N.V.
Executive suites	76[1]
Capacity	55,865 (2023)[2] 51,200 (Original)[1] 71,000 (Music concerts)
Record attendance	54,990 Ajax - Vitesse 9 November 2022, Ajax - FC Volendam 26 January 2023
Field size	105 x 68 m
Surface	PlayMaster Hybrid Grass by Tarkett Sports
Construction
Built	1993–1996
Opened	14 August 1996; 27 years ago (1996-08-14)
Construction cost	€140 million
Tenants
Football AFC Ajax (1996–present) Netherlands national football team selected matches (1996-present) AFC Ajax Women selected matches (2015-present) American Football Amsterdam Admirals (1997–2007)

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It was one of the stadiums used during UEFA Euro 2000, and also held the 1998 UEFA Champions League Final and 2013 UEFA Europa League Final. The stadium also hosted three group stage matches and one match in the round of 16 of the UEFA Euro 2020.

Both international and Dutch artists have given concerts in the stadium, including Tina Turner, Coldplay, U2, Take That, Celine Dion, Madonna, Michael Jackson, André Hazes, David Bowie, AC/DC, Justin Timberlake, One Direction, The Rolling Stones, Beyoncé, Rihanna, and Armin van Buuren. The dance event Sensation was held in the stadium every year, up until the final edition in 2017.

The stadium has a retractable roof and a grass surface. Since 2022, the stadium has a capacity of 55,865^[2] during football matches, increased from 54,990.^[1] The stadium has a capacity of 68,000 during music concerts if a center-stage setup is used (the stage in the middle of the pitch); for end-stage music concerts, the capacity is 50,000; and for music concerts for which the stage is located in the east side of the stadium, the capacity is 35,000. It held UEFA five-star stadium status, which was superseded by a new system of classification.

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, as their previous home ground, De Meer, was far too small for most of Ajax's games. Since the late 1960s, Ajax had moved its most important games to Olympisch Stadion.^[7] Indeed, from the 1930s onward, Ajax had played most of their European fixtures and midweek night games at Olympisch Stadion.

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.^[7]

The first pile of the deep foundation of the stadium was placed on 26 November 1993. The construction work, undertaken by Ballast Nedam and Royal BAM Group,^[7] took almost three years. The highest point of the building was reached on 24 February 1995, after the roof construction was raised. The fly-over from the public road to the parking facilities was opened on 13 March 1996. The stadium received 180,000 visitors during the construction work, until the stadium was closed from 1 July 1996 until the opening ceremony.^[7] The stadium was officially opened on 14 August 1996 by Queen Beatrix.^[8]

At the grand opening, the queen made a curtain fall inside the stadium. This revealed the world's largest painting De Zee (English: The Sea) of 80 by 126 meters (262 ft × 413 ft). 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 km through the Netherlands reached the stadium. The first runner was Johan Cruyff starting in the old stadium De Meer, and the last runner was Frank Rijkaard arriving in the new stadium. After the grass was revealed and the roof opened, an inaugural football match was played between AFC Ajax and Milan, which Ajax lost 0–3.^{[citation needed]} Tina Turner opened the stadium with three concerts with 160,000 people, from her world breaking Wildest Dreams Tour.

The construction of the stadium cost an equivalent of €140 million^[3] (at the time, the currency of the Netherlands was the Dutch guilder).

The stadium combines a retractable roof with a grass surface. This caused some problems in the beginning: the turf's grass would not grow in the shade of the open roof and had to be replaced up to four times a year.^{[citation needed]}

The stadium's original architect is the Dutchman Rob Schuurman. The original all-seated capacity was 54,990.^[1] After the 2019–20 season, but before Euro 2020, capacity was expanded by 660.^[2][20] The final increased capacity after the 2017-2021 renovation project is 56,120,^[2] an increase of 1,130. The original capacity during music concerts – the stadium's maximum capacity – is 68,000 visitors.^[3] The parking capacity of the Transferium is 500 cars (inside); there are an additional 12,000 parking spots outside.^[3]

The Johan Cruyff Arena is one of two stadiums in the Netherlands that is rated as Category 4 by UEFA, the other being the Feijenoord Stadion in Rotterdam.^[21]

The Ajax Museum is located in the stadium, which shows Ajax's more than 120 years of history.^[22]

The nearest train and subway (metro) station is Amsterdam Bijlmer Arena. The metro lines 50 and 54 (Amsterdam Central Station and city center) stop here.

This section needs additional citations for verification. (June 2021)

Dutch music group De Toppers have played annually at the venue since 2005. In total, they have sold out more than 50 concerts; no other act has performed at the stadium that many times. The arena was listed as a potential venue in Amsterdam's bid to host the 65th Eurovision Song Contest. However, the city later withdrew its bid due to venues, including the Johan Cruyff Arena, being fully booked.^[29][30]

• Halte Amsterdam ArenA
• Football in the Netherlands
• Lists of stadiums