FAQ

Opening Night is happening in Sloterpark in Amsterdam Nieuw-West, with the stage next to the artwork Het Groot Landschap. You can view the exact location below or on Google Maps.

We advise everyone to come by bike or public transport. The nearest tram/bus stop is Meer en Vaart, where tram 1, 17 and 27 and bus 61, 63, 69 and 192 stop.

The concert is free to attend, no ticket is required.

In short:

• 5:00 PM - Gates open, food trucks start serving.
• 6:45 PM – 7:30 PM – In the support programme Concertgebouw Orchestra trombonist Nico Schippers will conduct the Jonge Strijkers en Blazers Nederland (Young String and Wind Players of the Netherlands) and the reART World Music Choir & Ensemble. This concert will feature the young singer Ayşe Devrim Özalp, ISH Junior, and violin soloists Emma Breedveld and Naomi Bach.
• 8:15 PM – 9:35 PM – Concert by the Concertgebouw Orchestra, conducted by Stéphane Denève

Expect a sunny, outdoor vibe, surprising musical encounters, tasty bites from food trucks, and a unique evening surrounded by greenery in Sloterpark.

Everything is free to attend.

Read more on the concert page >

This year the energetic conductor Stéphane Denève will be at the helm.

Read more about Stéphane Denève >

Opening Night 2025 by the Concertgebouw Orchestra is an evening full of music, dance and open-air encounters. The orchestra will perform the following programme from 8:15 PM:

• Candide Overture - Leonard Bernstein
• Allegro con fuoco (fourth movement) from Symphony No. 9, ‘From the New World' - Antonín Dvořák
• Music from ‘Peer Gynt Suite nr. 1’ - Edvard Grieg
• Nachtgezang - Karmit Fadael
• Scherzo - Claude Chalhoub
• Arabian Dance (Coffee) from 'The Nutcracker' - Pjotr Tsjaikovski
• Ritual Fire Dance from ‘El amor brujo’ - Manuel de Falla
• La valse - Maurice Ravel
• Great Gate of Kyiv from ‘Pictures at an Exhibition’ - Modest Moesorgski

Read more about the full concert programme >

There are a few picnic tables at the front near the stage. In addition, there’s plenty of space on the grass – feel free to bring a blanket or a low chair. Do keep in mind that other visitors may be standing, which could limit your view if you're seated. Arrive early and join us in celebrating the start of the new season!

The audience area is on grass, where the ground may be uneven. If you have difficulty walking, please keep this in mind. A limited number of picnic tables with benches will be available.

Yes, wheelchair-accessible spaces (MIVA spots) are available. Please note that the rest of the audience area is on grass, where the ground may be uneven.

There are a number of disabled parking spaces nearby. You can find an overview on the City of Amsterdam’s website.

Yes, the programme will be broadcast by AVROTROS on NPO 2 the following day, Saturday 13 September at 10:45 PM.

With a subscription series, you can select an entire season’s worth of world-class concerts by the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra.

The advantages:

• The best seats in the house, renewable year after year
• A varied programme, selected with care by us
• Up to 25% savings over single-ticket prices
• Enjoy priority booking and a discount when you order tickets for Extra Concerts
• Can’t make one of your chosen concerts? Subscribers can take advantage of our exchange service or receive credit

If you have any other questions, don’t hesitate to contact our customer service on +31(0)20 305 1015 (weekdays from 9:30 a.m. -12:30 p.m.) or klantenservice@concertgebouworkest.nl. Our customer service staff will be happy to assist you.

We present the programming for the new season of the Concertgebouw Orchestra in March each year, online and in our season brochure. The online 2025-26 brochure can be found here.

Are you interested in our brochure, but haven’t received one? Just send an email including your name and address details to klantenservice@concertgebouworkest.nl. We are happy to send you a brochure.

Your subscription will not be renewed automatically. As a subscriber, you will have the opportunity to renew your subscription in March each year. This means you can use the same seats for the same series during the new season.

As soon as tickets for the next season go on sale, you can renew your series using the ‘Renewal’ tab in your account or via the personal link we will email to you.

If you would like to attend a different series or the other half of your current series, you can select your preferred seats as soon as the series sale opens.

As a subscriber, you have the opportunity to renew your subscription each year from the end of March to the end of April. This allows you to keep your current seats within the same series for the new season.

The option to renew your subscription was available up until Wednesday, 30 April. After that date, your seats became available for general sale.

Would you still like to order a series for the 2025-26 season? Our customer service team will be happy to assist you in finding the best available seats within your chosen series. You can reach them from Monday to Friday (9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.) at 020 305 1015 or via klantenservice@concertgebouworkest.nl.

As a subscriber, you will receive an annual invitation to the festive presentation of the new season, which will be held at a special venue. We also like to keep you informed about special concerts, for which subscribers sometimes receive early access to tickets, as well as exclusive offers.

When ordering your series online, you can choose to pay directly using iDEAL, a credit card or the Podium Gift Card.

If you order by phone or using the order form, you can also pay by direct debit. In that case, the amount will be deducted from your specified bank account within a few days.

You can find your credit via your account on our website. In the ordering process you have the option to enter the number and PIN of your credit.

If your credit was issued before 9 November 2021, you can enter the last four digits of the voucher or credit number as a PIN.

If the value of your voucher or credit is higher than the value of your purchase, you can use the remaining amount at a later time.

If you are unable to attend a concert from your series, then you can use our exchange service by contacting our customer service via +31 (0)20 305 10 15 (weekdays from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.) or klantenservice@concertgebouworkest.nl. You can exchange the concert you cannot attend for one of the other concerts of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra within the same season.

If you choose a higher seating category or a more expensive concert, we kindly ask you to pay the difference. Are you having trouble finding a concert that suits your taste? Then you can opt for a credit instead.

If you opted for hardcopy tickets, these are sent to you at the end of May, along with any tickets to additional concerts you may have ordered. Your tickets will also be available in your account on our website.

If you opted for e-tickets, you can find your mobile tickets or a PDF with your e-tickets by clicking on the link in your confirmation email and in your account on our website.

It is certainly possible to give a series subscription as a gift. To do so, please contact our customer service team via +31(0)20 305 10 15 (weekdays from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.) or klantenservice@concertgebouworkest.nl.

The Concertgebouw Orchestra charges €5 per transaction when ordering online. These charges cover the technical processing of payments and the creation and delivery of (e-)tickets.

When ordering your series through the Concertgebouw Orchestra's customer service department, a € 10 charge will be applied per transaction.

There won’t be any additional costs when ordering e-tickets. If you prefer to receive hardcopy tickets, we charge an additional €1.50 for sending them by post.

The full programme of the 2025-26 season of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra can be found in the concert calendar. The series in the 2025-26 season can be found at concertgebouworkest.nl/en/series.

The brochure for the 2025-26 season is available to view online here. Would you like to receive a copy by post? Please send an email with your name and address to klantenservice@concertgebouworkest.nl. We will be happy to send you a brochure.

You can order your tickets online and via the box office of the Concertgebouw: +31 (0)20 671 83 45 (available daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.)

Entrée and Concert Friends

Anyone under 35 can get up to 75% off many concerts at the Concertgebouw through Entrée, the youth association of the Concertgebouw and the Concertgebouw Orchestra. As a Friend (for music lovers over 35), you receive priority access and a 10% discount on more than 100 concerts and series. You can become a Friend from just €50 a year.

Sprinting

If you are 30 years or under and would like to attend concerts at the last minute, you can purchase sprinting tickets for only €10 (Recital Hall) or €17 (Main Hall). You can read more on the website of the Concertgebouw.

Always low-priced

The concerts in the Essentials series at the Concertgebouw Orchestra are always low-priced and are preceded by an introduction. Following the concert, Entrée, the youth association, organises the free Entrée Café with live music or a DJ.

The Concertgebouw Orchestra’s children's concerts and the Children’s Music Days are also affordably priced, just like the orchestra’s Family Series, which can also be ordered as a flexible series.

You can find your credit via your account on our website. In the ordering process you have the option to enter the number and PIN of your credit.

If your credit was issued before 9 November 2021, you can enter the last four digits of the voucher or credit number as a PIN.

If the value of your voucher or credit is higher than the value of your purchase, you can use the remaining amount at a later time.

Your hardcopy tickets will be sent to you within a few days of ordering. If the concert takes place within 5 days of your order, your tickets will be kept at the Concertgebouw box office for you to collect. If you have got a postal address outside the Netherlands, your tickets will be kept for you at the box office regardless of the date you ordered them.

If you opted for e-tickets, you can find your mobile tickets or a PDF with your e-tickets by clicking on the link in your confirmation email or in your account on our website.

That’s a pity! However, tickets are sometimes released in the week leading up to the concert. We recommend keeping an eye on our website.

For those who would like to gift a Concertgebouw Orchestra concert, a special Concertgebouw Orchestra edition of the Podium Gift Card is available. This edition of the Podium Gift Card is valid for three years from the date of purchase and can be used in whole or in part.

Classical music is for all ages. The Concertgebouw Orchestra organises Children’s Music Days for children aged two to four and Children's Concerts for children aged six and up. In addition, the orchestra offers its Family Series, also available as a flexible series, which allows children to attend a live concert with their parents.

The Concertgebouw Orchestra charges €5 per transaction when ordering online. These charges cover the technical processing of payments and the creation and delivery of (e-)tickets.

When ordering your tickets via the box office of the Concertgebouw, a €7 charge will be applied per transaction.

There won’t be any additional costs when ordering e-tickets. If you prefer to receive hardcopy tickets, we charge an additional €1.50 for sending them by post.

If you make a reservation via the Concertgebouw Line and choose to pay and collect your tickets at the box office, an additional fee of €8.50 applies. If you purchase your tickets at the box office, the Concertgebouw does not charge any additional fees.

A visit to one of our concerts is always a special evening or afternoon out. Here you can read more about what to expect during your visit.

Most of our concerts require no specific dress code. Please wear what you feel comfortable wearing. Only our Annual Gala has a black tie dress code.

Free concert programma

If you order a ticket, you will receive a free concert programme by email.

Preludium magazine (in Dutch)

In Preludium, you'll find not only concert programmes but also background stories and interviews with conductors, composers, and musicians. As a subscriber, you'll receive Preludium ten times a year as a magazine and/or get access to all concert programmes and articles on preludium.nl.

Want to subscribe? Visit preludium.nl/abo and get a one-year subscription to Preludium for just €59.95 (normally €79).

Yes, there is a guarded cloakroom at The Concertgebouw, which is available for use free of charge during concerts.

Many of our visitors wish to enjoy the music to its fullest through concentrated listening in silence. For this reason, we ask that you arrive on time and refrain from making noise which could cause a nuisance.

Switch your mobile phone to silent, and remember that bright screens can also disturb other listeners’ concentration.

At classical music concerts, the audience normally claps only after an entire work has been performed – even if the work consists of multiple movements.

The Concertgebouw is accessible to everyone. For more information on the special facilities in place to make your visit to our concerts as comfortable as possible, please visit the Concertgebouw's website.

Seats for wheelchair users are held until 24 hours before the start of the concert. These seats can only be booked by calling the box office of the Concertgebouw at 020 671 8345 (available daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.). If you prefer to send an email, you can contact the Concertgebouw at kassa@concertgebouw.nl.

If you would like to order a series and use wheelchair-accessible seating, or change your seats to wheelchair-accessible ones during the season, please contact the Concertgebouw Orchestra’s customer service at 020 305 1015 (Monday to Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.) or send an email to klantenservice@concertgebouworkest.nl.

Officially trained assistance dogs (such as guide dogs for the blind) are permitted in the hall. Pets are not allowed at the Concertgebouw.

For visitors with hearing impairments, the Concertgebouw offers various hearing support systems. More information can be found at the website of the Concertgebouw.

The Concertgebouw Orchestra was founded in 1888. On its 100th anniversary in 1988, the orchestra was granted the honorary title 'Royal'. You can read and watch more about the orchestra’s history under ‘Meet the Orchestra’ on our website.

The Concertgebouw Orchestra gives some 120 concerts a year, about 80 of which are at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. In the calendar you can see whether the concert is being given at the Concertgebouw or at another venue in or outside the Netherlands.

The Concertgebouw is located at Concertgebouwplein 10, 1071 LN in Amsterdam. You can find information on how to get to the Concertgebouw by public transport or by car on the Concertgebouw website.

As a Friend, you receive priority booking and discounts on more than 100 concerts and series. You can become a Concert Friend from €50 per annum. Here you can learn more about the Concert Friend membership and sign up to become a Concert Friend.

Preludium is the magazine of The Concertgebouw and the Concertgebouw Orchestra. You can subscribe to Preludium here, giving you access to all concert programme notes, background articles and interviews with conductors, composers and musicians.