Amsterdam club Paradiso to shut for six months for renovation, expansion
Paradiso, the renowned Amsterdam music venue, will close for at least six months for a major renovation and expansion. No temporary location has yet been secured during the closure, which is expected to begin in about five years, Het Parool reports.
The renovation is estimated to cost 93 million euros. Paradiso plans to fund 25 percent of the cost and is negotiating with the municipality for the remaining 75 percent. Organizers said final budget decisions are still pending, but the current estimate is “considered realistic.”
Without extensive renovation and new construction, Paradiso has no future, according to director Geert van Itallie, 63. In a new vision plan titled 100 Years of Paradiso, presented on January 26, 2026, Van Itallie said, “There is no alternative.” The plan calls for upgrades to the 150-year-old building and the construction of a new hall on the adjacent lot, known locally as “het landje.”
The new building will house a small underground hall and a double-insulated club hall above ground. The small hall in the existing building will be removed, while the main hall will be expanded.
The renovation aims to address structural deterioration. Five key issues are identified: insufficient space for staff and performers, foundation problems in the nearly 150-year-old building, inefficient crowd flows, the need for sustainability upgrades, and, most urgently, sound complaints.
Van Itallie said noise remains the most pressing issue. “We generally have a good relationship with neighbors, but there are three residents who continue to litigate against the municipality. If they succeed, we would have to close by 11 p.m., which would be the end of Paradiso.”
Paradiso began addressing sound issues during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the venue purchased the adjacent land for 3.5 million euros. The underground connection between the new and old buildings is intended to improve crowd movement. The main hall’s capacity will increase from 1,500 to 1,700 visitors. Van Itallie noted that the expansion will reclaim some of the original hall space, which had been reduced during the 19th-century construction.
Other elements in the plan include logistical improvements, such as rerouting trucks of performing bands through a tunnel under the Singelgracht instead of driving through the city. Van Itallie emphasized that illustrations in the vision plan are not final designs. Construction of the new building on the land adjacent to Paradiso could begin in four to five years, allowing the existing venue to continue operating during that phase. Renovation of the original building will require a temporary closure. Van Itallie estimated that the fully renovated Paradiso could be completed between 2033 and 2035.
Van Itallie, who became general director of Paradiso in 2020 after previously serving as deputy director from 2001 to 2011, said the project is ambitious but necessary. “When I took over, we were in the middle of the COVID crisis. My main task was to steer Paradiso through it. Gradually, it became clear that much more was at stake,” he said. He added that the venue has capable staff who will continue its operation beyond his tenure.
