Paradiso in Amsterdam
Paradiso is Amsterdam's pop temple in a listed 1880 building: a 1,500-person Main Hall and a 210-person Upstairs Room, a few minutes' walk from metro Vijzelgracht and Leidseplein.
Photo credits
A sold-out concert in Paradiso's Main Hall, seen from the upper balcony, with the band on stage under the lit church windows: Paradiso · Cropped
Quick answers
- Capacity
- Main Hall 1,500 · Upstairs Room 210
- Address
- Weteringschans 6-81017 SG Amsterdam
- Membership
- Needed for most concerts · from €4.50
- Nearest metro
- Vijzelgracht (line 52), a few minutes' walk
- Nearest tram stop
- Leidseplein (lines 2, 11, 12)
- Parking
- None on site · Q-Park Byzantium, 5 min
- Bags
- Up to A4 · no backpacks or suitcases
- Typical Main Hall show
- Doors 19:00 · main act 20:30
- Contact
- +31 20 626 45 21
Holidays at Paradiso
Open on the holidays: these nights are in the agenda.
- ChristmasThe Great Zeppos Christmas Show
- ChristmasGerson Main
- ChristmasLaugh Maroc
- ChristmasHang Youth: Hard Choir Night Mass
- New Year's EveAmsterdam BeatClub Stardust NYE
- New Year's EveWe Love 80s New Year's Eve
Paradiso agenda: upcoming events
Tonight, this week and the months ahead at this venue in Amsterdam.
Last night at Paradiso: Kay Slice, Ploegendienst + C’est Qui, GRGY, Bartofso 'Le Tour de Masque' and 1 more
Plan your visit to Paradiso
How many people fit in Paradiso?
- Main Hall
- 1,500
- Upstairs Room
- 210
- Layout
- Mostly standing; unreserved balcony chairs in the Main Hall
The Main Hall holds 1,500 people and the Upstairs Room 210, according to Paradiso itself. The basement is a café that opens before and after concerts and is sometimes used as an extra room on club nights.
Other sites quote different figures for the small room (250, 400), so use Paradiso's own numbers. In Amsterdam terms the Main Hall is a little larger than the Max at Melkweg (up to 1,250) and a quarter the size of AFAS Live (6,000).
| Venue | Capacity |
|---|---|
| Paradiso, Main Hall | 1,500 |
| Paradiso, Upstairs Room | 210 |
| Melkweg, Max | Up to 1,250 |
| Melkweg, OZ | Up to 650 |
| Tolhuistuin, club hall (Paradiso programme) | 550 |
| Bitterzoet (Paradiso programme) | 350 |
| AFAS Live | 6,000 |
Is there seating? Where to stand or sit in Paradiso
Most Paradiso shows are standing, and the Main Hall has chairs on its balconies that you cannot reserve and that only open at sold-out shows.
Unless the programme page says otherwise you stand on the floor in front of the stage. The balcony chairs are first come, first served, and the balcony is only open during sold-out shows, so if you want a seat, be at the door when it opens (a typical Main Hall show opens at 19:00).
The balconies run along both sides and the back of the hall, so from the chairs on the sides you look at the stage at an angle from above, as the photos on this page show. It is reached through four heavy doors, and the Upstairs Room has no permanent seats at all.
- Want to be close? Arrive when the doors open and take a spot near the stage.
- Want a seat? Go straight to the balcony on arrival: the chairs are first come, first served.
- Need to sit in the Upstairs Room? Ask at reception when you arrive.
Tickets and membership: how getting in works
You need a ticket and, for most concerts, a Paradiso membership.
- Buy the ticket on Paradiso.nl or at the record shop Concerto. Presale often starts on Friday at 10:00; the programme page gives the exact moment. Prices shown include service fees, and tickets run from about €17 for small shows to about €46 for big Main Hall names.
- Check whether you need membership. A day membership is included for club nights and shows at other locations; for concerts in the building you need a monthly, annual or lifetime membership.
- Buy the membership online before you come: €4.50 for a month or €9.50 for a year. It starts when your ticket is scanned and lasts 30 days, so a second visit within the month costs nothing extra; the annual one pays off from three visits.
- Sold out? Paradiso only recommends its waitlist and TicketSwap. The box office sells on the night itself, only if tickets are left, and tickets cannot be reserved.
- Bring your phone and a bank card: you scan the ticket at the door, and the bars take cards only.
What time do concerts at Paradiso start and end?
A typical Main Hall concert opens its doors at 19:00 and starts the main act at 20:30; the programme page of each show has the exact times.
Some shows add a support act after the doors, for instance at 19:30. Paradiso says a concert lasts an hour and a half on average, so a 20:30 main act usually ends around 22:00. The artist decides, and the start time can differ from the time on your ticket: the times on the programme page are the most up to date.
Club nights and matinees follow their own schedule, and some late Upstairs Room shows open at 21:30.
| Type of show | Doors | Main programme |
|---|---|---|
| Main Hall concert, evening | 19:00 | 20:30 |
| Upstairs Room concert, early | 19:00 or 19:30 | 19:30 or 20:00 |
| Upstairs Room, late show | 21:30 | 22:00 |
| Main Hall matinee | 12:30 | 13:00 |
Lockers, bags and cloakroom at Paradiso
Paradiso has lockers instead of a staffed cloakroom, and bags up to A4 size and about 10 cm thick are allowed.
You rent a locker by scanning a QR code in the queue or hall, through a host, or, for evening shows in the Main Hall, via the link in the service email you receive from 48 hours before. You can open and close it all night and share it with friends through the link in your confirmation email.
Backpacks and suitcases are not allowed inside. Larger bags can be left at Lockerpoint Leidseplein, or at your hotel. Storing your things is always at your own risk.
| Size | Price | Fits roughly |
|---|---|---|
| Small | €3.50 | Two coats, or a coat and a small bag |
| Medium | €4.50 | Two coats and a small bag |
| Large | €6.50 | Three coats, or a coat and a small backpack |
- Bike batteries and other lithium-ion batteries may come in but cannot be charged; they go in a basement locker, which you arrange with a staff member at the door.
Eating and drinking at Paradiso
Paradiso has bars and a basement café, but no restaurant, and you cannot bring your own food or drinks.
The basement café is the place for a drink after the doors open and after the show. The Upstairs Room has its own bar. All bars take cards only: bank card, credit card or contactless payment such as Apple Pay, no cash.
For dinner, De Balie is a restaurant 100 metres away; show your concert ticket and you get 10% off a main course. Dozens more restaurants are close by around Leidseplein.
- Alcohol is served to people aged 18 and over only.
Accessibility: wheelchair entrance, lift and seating
Wheelchair users enter through the side entrance and use a passenger lift; Paradiso asks you to email ahead.
The side entrance is on the left of the building as you face it, reached by a ramp with a 7.5 degree gradient. Tickets and memberships are scanned there. Pick up the lift key at reception: the lift (80 cm wide, 140 cm deep) goes to the Upstairs Room, the balconies and the accessible toilet in the basement. There are no separate wheelchair tickets, and Paradiso has no wheelchairs of its own.
The Main Hall balcony, reached through four heavy doors 76 cm wide, has limited space for wheelchairs; staff will open the doors. The balconies only open at sold-out shows, and when they are closed the staff find another good spot.
- Wheelchair entrance
- Side entrance with ramp
- Lift
- Yes, key at reception
- Accessible toilet
- Basement
- Own wheelchairs
- No
- Strobes and smoke are common. The basement café is the calmest place during concerts, and on some club nights a chill area is set up upstairs.
- Ask for a stamp when you go outside, so you can come back in.
Age limits and house rules
Concerts have no general minimum age; club nights are generally 18 and over, and the programme page has the final say.
Where an age limit applies you must show ID. Bags can be searched, and you may not bring food or drink, animals, weapons, knives, drugs or sports-club clothing. Smoking, including vaping, is not allowed.
Sound levels can exceed 80 dBA. Paradiso sells reusable earplugs and has free single-use ones.
- Smoking
- Not allowed, vapes included
- Cameras
- Simple cameras without flash; professional gear needs the artist's permission
- Lost property
- Kept for up to one week
Getting to Paradiso by metro, tram or bike
Take metro 52 to Vijzelgracht or tram 2, 11 or 12 to Leidseplein; Paradiso advises against coming by car.
From Amsterdam Centraal and Amsterdam Zuid the fastest route is metro 52 (the Noord/Zuidlijn) to Vijzelgracht, a few minutes' walk away. The metro takes 11 minutes from Centraal to Zuid, with Vijzelgracht on the way, and runs every 5 minutes at rush hour. From Centraal, trams 2, 11 and 12 stop at Leidseplein; from Amsterdam Amstel take tram 12. Plan the whole journey on 9292.nl.
Going home late: trams and metro stop shortly after midnight. GVB night buses run roughly between 00:30 and 07:30, leave from Centraal, and a single ride costs €5.70 in 2026 and is valid for 1.5 hours. A concert that ends around 22:00 leaves plenty of time for tram 2, 11 or 12 or metro 52; after a late club night, plan a taxi or a night bus from Centraal.
On a bike, the free underground bicycle parking at Leidseplein is open around the clock. It does not take cargo bikes or e-scooters, and you check in and out with your OV-chipkaart or bank card. There is camera surveillance but no guard.
- Taxis can reach the Kleine Gartmanplantsoen next to the building via Zieseniskade; there is a taxi rank in front of the Hard Rock Hotel.
Parking near Paradiso: garages and walking times
There is no parking at Paradiso itself, and the nearest garages are 5 to 10 minutes' walk away.
Parking in central Amsterdam is expensive. Q-Park Byzantium is closest and can be reserved online from €6.40 per hour on Q-Park's own page. Paradiso also names Parking Molenpad, which you can reserve ahead, as its best nearby option.
The cheapest way is a P+R at the edge of the city: P+R RAI or P+R Noord often cost €6 per 24 hours and connect straight to metro 52. Those sites are not always open, so check the municipality's conditions first.
| Garage | Address | Walk to Paradiso | Opening and height limit | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q-Park Byzantium | Tesselschadestraat 1G | About 5 min | Open 24/7; 1.95 m; 446 spaces | From €6.40 per hour reserved online; at the gate about €13 per hour or €45 per day (overview site, indication); Paradiso lists €2.50 per 15 minutes for its 2 disabled places |
| Parking Molenpad | Molenpad | About 10 min | Weekdays from 07:00, weekends from 10:00, until 00:00 | €6 per hour when reserved; overnight €50 |
| Q-Park Europarking | Marnixstraat 250 | About 10 min | Open 24/7; 1.95 m; 710 spaces | About €9.20 per hour or €55 per day (overview site, indication) |
| Q-Park Museumplein | Van Baerlestraat 33B | About 10 min | Entry until 01:00 (02:30 Friday to Sunday), exit 24/7; 1.90 m | Shown when you book on Q-Park |
| Parking De Hoofdstad (valet) | Prinsengracht 540 | About 10 min | Daily 08:00 to 00:00; 2.25 m | Shown when you reserve; not published by Paradiso |
| P+R RAI or P+R Noord, then metro 52 | Edge of the city | Metro to Vijzelgracht | Not always open | Often €6 per 24 hours |
- Byzantium is also the nearest garage with spaces for disabled drivers (2 places, height limit 1.95 m).
- Watch the closing times: Molenpad and De Hoofdstad close at midnight, and Museumplein stops letting cars in at 01:00 (02:30 from Friday to Sunday). After a late show, Byzantium and Europarking, both open around the clock, are the safest choice.
Contact and address
- Phone
- 020 626 45 21
- Visitor address
- Weteringschans 6-8, 1017 SG Amsterdam
About Paradiso Amsterdam
Paradiso is one of Amsterdam's best-known pop venues, in a listed 1880 building at Weteringschans 6-8, a stone's throw from Leidseplein that began as the meeting hall of the Vrije Gemeente. It opened as the Cosmic Relaxation Center Paradiso on 30 March 1968 and still mixes concerts, club nights and other programmes under one roof.
The organisation also programmes at other Amsterdam locations such as Tolhuistuin and Bitterzoet. This page is about the building on Weteringschans only, so always check the location on the programme page before you travel.
- Opened
- 30 March 1968
- Address
- Weteringschans 6-8, 1017 SG Amsterdam
- Rooms
- Main Hall, Upstairs Room and a basement café
- Building
- Rijksmonument no. 6400
From meeting hall to pop temple of Amsterdam
The building was put up in 1879-1880 as a clubhouse for the Vrije Gemeente. Music fans squatted it in October 1967, and it opened as a youth centre on 30 March 1968. Pink Floyd played there on 23 May 1968. It has been a national monument since 16 September 1980 and was for years the largest concert club in the city.
The stained-glass windows above the stage were replaced during the renovation of 1993.
- Built
- 1879-1880
- Opened as Paradiso
- 30 March 1968
- Monument
- Rijksmonument since 1980
Photos
Photo credits
A sold-out concert in Paradiso's Main Hall, seen from the upper balcony, with the band on stage under the lit church windows: Paradiso · Cropped
The brick building of Paradiso Amsterdam seen across the canal at twilight, with lit windows under the porch: C messier · CC BY-SA 4.0
The balcony chairs and white balustrades of Paradiso's Main Hall, with the stage glowing behind the curtain on the left: Paradiso, photo Linde Dorenbos · Cropped
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Paradiso: questions people ask
How many people fit in Paradiso?
The Main Hall holds 1,500 people and the Upstairs Room 210, according to Paradiso. Most shows are standing.
Do I need a membership for Paradiso?
For most concerts in the building, yes. A monthly membership costs €4.50 and an annual one €9.50. It starts when your ticket is scanned, and club nights and shows at other locations include a day membership in the ticket.
Can I buy the Paradiso membership at the door?
Yes, at the box office on the night, but buying it online beforehand shortens the queue.
What time do doors open at Paradiso?
For a typical Main Hall concert doors open at 19:00 and the main act starts at 20:30. Small-room shows often start at 19:30 or 20:00. The programme page has the exact times.
What time does a concert at Paradiso end?
An average concert lasts an hour and a half, so a main act at 20:30 usually ends around 22:00. The artist decides.
Is there parking at Paradiso?
No. The closest garage is Q-Park Byzantium, about 5 minutes' walk, open around the clock. Molenpad and De Hoofdstad close at midnight, and P+R sites on metro 52 cost about €6 per 24 hours.
How do I get to Paradiso by public transport?
Take metro 52 from Amsterdam Centraal or Zuid to Vijzelgracht, or tram 2, 11 or 12 to Leidseplein.
Does Paradiso have lockers or a cloakroom?
There are lockers only, at €3.50, €4.50 or €6.50, rented with a QR code. There is no staffed cloakroom.
Can I bring a backpack to Paradiso?
No. Bags up to A4 size and about 10 cm thick are fine; backpacks and suitcases are not allowed. Larger bags can go to Lockerpoint Leidseplein.
What is the minimum age for Paradiso?
Concerts generally have none, club nights are generally 18 and over, and the programme page states any limit. Bring ID when an age limit applies.
Is there seating at Paradiso?
Mostly standing. The Main Hall has unreserved chairs on its two balconies, open at sold-out shows, and the Upstairs Room has no permanent seats.
How do I get home after a concert at Paradiso?
Trams and metro stop shortly after midnight. A concert ending around 22:00 leaves time for metro 52 or tram 2, 11 or 12. Later, GVB night buses run from Centraal between about 00:30 and 07:30 for €5.70 a ride in 2026, or take a taxi from the rank in front of the Hard Rock Hotel.
Can I pay with cash at Paradiso?
No. Bars and the box office take cards and contactless payments only.
Is Paradiso wheelchair accessible?
Yes, through the side entrance with a ramp and a passenger lift to the balconies, the Upstairs Room and the basement toilet. Email Paradiso beforehand.
Can I bring food or drinks into Paradiso?
No. Food and drink are not allowed in, but the bars and basement café sell drinks.
Sources: Paradiso: about us (October 21, 2026) · Paradiso: locations and routes (October 21, 2026) · Paradiso: accessibility (October 21, 2026) · Paradiso: memberships and ticket sales (October 21, 2026) · Paradiso: FAQ (October 21, 2026) · Paradiso: directions and parking (October 21, 2026) · Paradiso: lockers (October 21, 2026) · Paradiso: visit information (October 21, 2026) · Paradiso: house rules (October 21, 2026) · Paradiso: contact (October 21, 2026) · Wikipedia: Paradiso (Amsterdam) (October 21, 2026)
