Melkweg in Amsterdam
Melkweg is the former milk factory next to Leidseplein where Max holds 1,400 people, with concerts, club nights and film most evenings.
Quick answers
- Capacity
- Max 1,400 · OZ 650 · UP 250 standing
- Address
- Lijnbaansgracht 234 A1017 PH Amsterdam
- Nearest tram stop
- Leidseplein, 1 minute on foot
- From Amsterdam Centraal
- Tram 2 or 17 to Leidseplein
- Closest car park
- Q-Park Byzantium, about 4 minutes on foot
- Bags and coats
- Lockers: €4 medium, €7.50 large
- Typical end
- Main act up to 1.5 hours; club nights 04:00–05:00
- Tickets
- Mobile-only; most events also need a membership
- Contact
- +31 20 531 81 81
Holidays at Melkweg
Open on the holidays: these nights are in the agenda.
- New Year's EveEncore New Years Eve 2026
Melkweg agenda: upcoming events
Tonight, this week and the months ahead at this venue in Amsterdam.
Last night at Melkweg: Marsh, Museumnacht 2026, Sing Street and 3 more
Tomorrow
This week
Plan your visit to Melkweg
How many people fit in Melkweg? Capacity per room
Max holds 1,400 people, OZ 650 and UP 250 standing. Melkweg quotes capacity per room, not one figure for the building, and each night uses a different mix of rooms.
Max is almost as big as Paradiso's Main Hall (1,500), so a Melkweg Max show feels like a Paradiso one in size. Ziggo Dome is a different league at 17,000.
The room capacities are not added up into one building total, because several rooms run at the same time and the layout changes per event.
| Venue | Room | Maximum capacity |
|---|---|---|
| Melkweg | Max | 1,400 (venue hire quotes up to 1,250, depending on the layout) |
| Melkweg | OZ | 650 |
| Melkweg | UP | 250 standing; 150 seated |
| Melkweg | Cinema | 85 seats, including 2 wheelchair spaces |
| Paradiso | Main Hall | 1,500 |
| Paradiso | Upstairs Room | 210 |
| Ziggo Dome | Arena | 17,000 |
Seating at Melkweg: where to stand, sit or lean
Max and OZ have no standard seats: you stand, or you sit or lean at the sides and on the balconies. UP and the Cinema always have seats.
Max: the hall has steps, changes in level and a balcony, which gives you different views of the stage. The balcony is reached by stairs. There are limited places to sit or lean on either side of the hall and on the balcony.
OZ: the balcony is reached by elevator, and there are limited places to sit or lean on the sides and the balcony.
UP: the seats are on a tribune and only reachable by stairs; the rest of the room is standing.
Which spot to choose: for the most overview in Max, use the balcony (stairs) or the raised levels and steps in the hall; in OZ, the balcony is reachable by elevator. Melkweg describes these levels as giving different views of the stage and does not publish a preferred spot. Need a seat because of a disability? Melkweg will place a chair for you, but not always at busy or sold-out events, so write to [email protected] before your visit.
How a night at Melkweg works
From ticket to the last song, in the order it happens.
- Buy your ticket on melkweg.nl, on Ticketmaster or at the box office, which is open daily from 12:00. These are the only official sales points.
- Add the membership. Most events need one: €4.50 for a month or €25 for a year. The agenda marks it on each event, and the price shown is excluding membership.
- Keep your ticket on your phone. Tickets are mobile-only and you enter with the live barcode in your Ticketmaster account or app; a screenshot is not accepted.
- Arrive around the door time. The time in the agenda is when the doors open; most concerts here open at 19:00 (Max) or 19:30 (OZ), and club nights start around midnight.
- Rent a locker or leave your bag at home. Scan the QR code in the queue or foyer, or ask at the service desk on the ground floor.
- Watch the show. Most concerts have a support act first; the main act plays for up to 1.5 hours.
- Head home. Club nights usually end at 04:00 or 05:00; after a concert, trams run from Leidseplein and night bus N97 stops there.
Tickets, membership and entry
Melkweg.nl, Ticketmaster.nl and the box office are the only official sales points; third-party resellers often charge more and may sell invalid tickets.
The price on an event page is excluding the membership. Your membership code is valid for the whole month, or the whole year with a year membership, so you can use it again for another event in that period.
Discounts: CJP, Stadspas and 65+ cardholders get a cinema and theatre discount, and for most films Cineville gives free or reduced entry.
- Membership
- Most events need one: €4.50 per month or €25 per year
- Presale service cost
- 15% of the ticket price
- Door price
- Most club nights have a door price, valid from half an hour before the start
- Box office
- Open daily from 12:00
- Ticket format
- Mobile-only; screenshots are not accepted
- Reselling
- Via Ticketmaster Transfer and Resale
Bags, lockers, age limits and house rules
There is a locker for your coat and bag, and a rule for everything else: bring an empty bottle, leave big items at home.
Rent a locker by scanning the QR code on the posters in the queue or in the foyer, or at the service desk on the ground floor if you have no smartphone. You can open and close it as often as you like during the night. Instruments and suitcases are better left at home or in a locker at the station.
- Medium locker
- €4 (about 21 × 30 × 40 cm): two coats, or one coat and a small bag
- Large locker
- €7.50 (about 45 × 30 × 40 cm): four coats, or two coats and a small backpack
- Water bottle
- Allowed if it is empty on entry; own drinks are not allowed
- Concerts and film
- 6+, unless stated otherwise; under-14s are advised to come with someone aged 18+
- Club nights
- The age limit is on the event page; generally 18+
- Alcohol
- 18+; ages 18–25 can collect a wristband at the service desk with a valid ID
- Earplugs
- Available at Melkweg
Eating and drinking at Melkweg
Melkweg has bars in its halls; the café is being renovated.
Max has two bars on the ground level, OZ has one, and UP and the Cinema share a foyer with a bar. Bringing your own drinks is not allowed.
The café is under renovation, and Melkweg says ODE, an initiative by Yusu Coffee and Sebonsa, will open there. There is no restaurant, so eat before you come.
Free Wi-Fi is available in the building (network 'Melkweg').
Wheelchair access and accessibility at Melkweg
The main entrance on Lijnbaansgracht is at ground level and a lift serves the first and second floor. A regular ticket is enough: no wheelchair ticket is needed.
Café and the exhibition space Melkweg Expo have their regular entrance at Marnixstraat 409, which starts with a staircase. Visitors who cannot use stairs go through the main entrance and are guided.
The UP has no accessible toilet; use the one in the Max entrance hall, which can take some time to reach from other halls.
- Main entrance
- At ground level
- Lift
- First and second floor
- Accessible toilet
- One, on the ground floor in the Max entrance hall
- Wheelchair space
- Max has a designated place at the front left; reached through an emergency exit with staff help
- Other rooms
- No designated spaces; staff look for a place together, so write in advance
- Low-stimulus space
- Usually the Cinema on the second floor; ask the ticket desk or staff
- Contact
- [email protected]
How to get to Melkweg: tram, night bus and bike
Tram stop Leidseplein is a one-minute walk from the main entrance. Melkweg recommends public transport and plans via 9292.
On a bike, the guarded indoor Leidseplein facility a few minutes away has almost 2,000 spaces, is open 24/7 and is free for the first 24 hours.
Lines and routes change with works and diversions, and Melkweg itself names no lines: check 9292 or GVB on the day, including the last tram if you stay late.
Parking near Melkweg: garages, walking times and prices
Melkweg has no car park of its own and calls the city centre hard to reach by car; it recommends public transport or a P+R. The closest garage is Q-Park Byzantium, about 4 minutes away.
According to parkeren-amsterdam.com, street parking around Leidseplein costs €8.05 per hour in 2026. Q-Park also lists Prins & Keizer (Prinsengracht 927) about 10 minutes away. Parking Molenpad closes at midnight, so it does not suit a late concert or club night.
Melkweg visitors get a discount through ParkBee with the code MELKWEG10, only when you reserve online beforehand. The code is not valid at Molenpad and Kalverstraat.
Accessible street spaces are on Leidsekade near numbers 76, 88 and 92; they are in a paid zone, and parking there is free only with a separate permit from the Municipality of Amsterdam. Q-Park Byzantium has two paid accessible spaces.
| Garage | Address | Walk to Melkweg | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q-Park Byzantium | Tesselschadestraat 1 G | About 4 min | From €6.40 per hour when reserved online; €13 per hour at the gate (parkeren-amsterdam.com) |
| Q-Park Europarking | Marnixstraat 250 | Walking distance (no time published) | €9.20 per hour (parkeren-amsterdam.com) |
| Parking Molenpad | Molenpad 16 | About 3 min | €6 per hour; closes at 00:00 |
Address and contact
- Address
- Lijnbaansgracht 234a, 1017 PH Amsterdam
- Phone
- +31 20 531 81 81
- [email protected]
- Accessibility
- [email protected]
- Box office
- Open daily from 12:00
- ANN / Annie
- Lijnbaansgracht 238, opposite the regular entrance
From milk factory to Melkweg
Melkweg began in 1970 as a summer cultural youth project in a vacant milk factory and has been open permanently as a cultural centre since 1973.
Over the years the building was adapted, a large concert hall was added and programming became more professional. Melkweg welcomes more than half a million visitors a year, across three concert and club halls, a cinema, an exhibition space and a café.
Photos
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Frequently asked questions about Melkweg
How many people fit in Melkweg?
Max holds 1,400 people, OZ 650 and UP 250 standing. The Cinema has 85 seats.
What time do the doors open at Melkweg?
The time in the agenda is the door time. Most Max concerts open at 19:00 and OZ concerts at 19:30. Club nights start around midnight.
What time does a concert at Melkweg end?
The length is set by the artist, but the main act usually plays up to 1.5 hours, so most concerts end around 22:30. Club nights usually end at 04:00 or 05:00.
Where can I park near Melkweg?
Q-Park Byzantium (Tesselschadestraat 1 G) is about 4 minutes away, and Parking Molenpad (Molenpad 16) about 3 minutes, but Molenpad closes at 00:00. Melkweg has no car park.
Is there a cloakroom or lockers at Melkweg?
There are lockers: €4 for a medium one and €7.50 for a large one. Rent one by QR code or at the service desk. Leave suitcases and instruments at home.
Do I need a membership for Melkweg?
For most events, yes: €4.50 per month or €25 per year. The event page says whether it is required.
What is the minimum age at Melkweg?
6+ for concerts and films unless stated otherwise, and generally 18+ for club nights. Alcohol is for 18+.
Is Melkweg wheelchair accessible?
Yes: the main entrance is at ground level, a lift serves the upper floors, and Max has a designated wheelchair space. Write to [email protected] in advance.
How do I get to Melkweg by public transport?
Take tram 2 or 17 from Amsterdam Centraal to Leidseplein; Melkweg is a one-minute walk. Night bus N97 also stops there.
Can I use a screenshot as a ticket?
No. Tickets are mobile-only and you need the live barcode with the moving animation in your Ticketmaster account or app.
Can I bring a water bottle?
Yes, if it is empty when you enter. Your own drinks are not allowed.
Is there seating at Melkweg?
UP and the Cinema have seats. Max and OZ have no standard seats; you stand, or sit or lean at the sides and balconies.
Sources: Melkweg visitor information (October 21, 2026) · Melkweg venue hire (room capacities) (October 21, 2026) · Melkweg accessibility (October 21, 2026) · Tramlijn 2 (Amsterdam), route Centraal Station – Leidseplein (October 21, 2026) · Q-Park: parking near Melkweg (October 21, 2026) · Melkweg history (October 21, 2026)
