International Harry Styles fans already camp outside Amsterdam’s ArenA for Saturday show

Harry Styles’ concerts at the Johan Cruijff ArenA are drawing many extra visitors from abroad to Amsterdam from Saturday. Some fans are already outside of the Johan Cruijff ArenA, where the shows will be held. The British pop star’s ten concerts in Amsterdam are the only ones on the European mainland, meaning that many people from other EU countries are also coming to the Dutch capital to see their idol. Booking sites and airlines are noticing higher demand during this period.

AT5 reported that just over 10 fans were camped outside of the ArenA on Thursday. “People don’t realise how enjoyable this is,” says 24-year-old Ika, who lives at Uilenstede in Amstelveen. “They mostly picture people spending half a week in the cold, but it also feels like a kind of holiday. There are people here from all over the world, and you can easily chat with each other.”

Other fans already present are from countries like Austria, France, and Spain. Although many have taken sleeping bags with them, they are not allowed to spend the night outside of the stadium during the evening as camping is banned.

Hotels and apartments in Amsterdam are in demand from May 16 to June 5, when Styles is giving his concerts in Amsterdam. Booking.com saw more than a fourfold increase in search queries for this period over the past few months compared to a year earlier. According to the booking site, Germans, Britons, Italians, and the French, in particular, are looking for accommodation.

Airbnb is also seeing a “clear increase” in search queries related to the concert, particularly among Gen Z, people born between 1997 and 2012. Among the Dutch, there is more demand for accommodations with four bedrooms, which indicates trips with friends, according to the booking site.

EasyJet reported a temporary surge in demand for flights to Amsterdam around the time tickets went on sale in late January, a spokeswoman stated. “This peak was visible for a few days on various city routes from diverse countries.”

KLM also saw “temporarily some extra demand for travel to Amsterdam,” around the announcement and start of ticket sales for the concerts, which then quickly “normalized” again.

According to ING economist Bert Colijn, Harry Styles’ visit will not have any major effects on the Dutch economy as a whole, like with Taylor Swift’s three concerts two years ago. “The effect is very small and very local.”

Economist Walther Ploos van Amstel of the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences estimates that Styles’ visit will bring millions to the region. He expects that half of the anticipated visitors will come from abroad and that they will spend an average of €400 per person on hotels, food, and transport.

About 70,000 people can attend each of the ten Harry Styles concerts. There are still some tickets left. The majority of the ticket revenue goes to Styles and his entourage.

In recent weeks, ticket prices for the hotly anticipated concert series in Amsterdam have plunged below face value on the secondary market. Resale prices for some seats can be found for under 40 euros for a few of Styles’ shows in Amsterdam, with general admission standing areas on the floor hovering around 100 euros per ticket. Prices in the premium standing sections along the stage have also dropped, according to listings on both Ticketmaster and TicketSwap.