Rough rush hour expected in Amsterdam-Zuidoost due to football screening, concerts

The late afternoon and evening commute is expected to start earlier than normal, and will be particularly busy around Amsterdam-Zuidoost due to a large World Cup viewing party and two sold-out concerts. “The evening rush hour will generally be quite busy,” said Rijkswaterstaat. Hundreds of kilometers of traffic jams are expected nationally, with heavy traffic in the Amsterdam area compounded with rail works at Amsterdam Zuid and Schiphol Airport.

The race to get home should be underway from 3 p.m., predicted infrastructure agency Rijkswaterstaat, as the Dutch men’s national football team will play their second World Cup match at 5 p.m. The match against Ecuador will be shown on multiple big screens at the Johan Cruijff Arena, at an event dubbed Huis van Oranje. Roughly 30,000 people are expected to attend the screening, far shy of the 55,000 maximum capacity at the Amsterdam location.

It will also include a slate of entertainers before the match and during halftime, with doors opening more than two hours before the kick-off. The match is expected to end around 6:45 p.m.

But at 6 p.m., doors open across the street at the Ziggo Dome for a performance by legendary English rock band, The Cure. The venue can hold a maximum of about 17,000 people, and the show is sold out. Opening act The Twilight Sad will start at 7:15 p.m., with The Cure expected to play for over two hours starting at 8:30 p.m.

On top of that, doors also open at 6:30 p.m. at AFAS Live, where Fred Again will headline the evening. Joy Anonymous will open up for the British singer, songwriter and DJ. The sold-out show should draw 6,000 people.

The Ziggo Dome warned that "there will be large crows in the Arena area and on the roads in and around Amsterdam, both before and after [The Cure] the concert." The stadium recommended people budget extra time for traffic, and also to access parking areas. Additionally, rail work at the Amsterdam Zuid and Schiphol Airport train stations could add an extra complication.

"Due to the work, no trains will run to, from and via Amsterdam Zuid, and fewer trains will run to, from and via Schiphol Airport," the venue said. "Leave home well ahead of time, and take into account transfers and delays due to possible diversions."