The Concertgebouw

The Concertgebouw is one of the most precious jewels in the Amsterdam’s crown of aesthetic appreciation. It is undoubtedly one of the most treasured cultural landmarks in Amsterdam, celebrated for its architectural beauty and exceptional contributions to the arts. From the moment you approach its iconic façade, the grandeur of this historic building is unmistakable. Step inside, and you’re greeted by a stunning interior design that perfectly complements the world-class performances it hosts. The venue’s acoustics are legendary, creating an unparalleled auditory experience for classical concerts, jazz nights, and contemporary performances. With a diverse program that caters to all tastes, the Concertgebouw continues to be a cornerstone of Amsterdam’s vibrant cultural scene, making it a must-visit for anyone who appreciates music, art, and history.

Beautiful and accessible concert hall in the heart of Amsterdam. I attended a concert "Classics at the movies" here which was really good. The acoustic are great. Located close to bus/tram stops, 15 minutes from the central station. There are 3 or 4 entrances, so make sure to check your ticket to see which one you need to use. The passage ways inside are a bit narrow so it can get a bit crowded there. Apart from that everything was smooth.

Amsterdam has so much to share and this concert hall is wonderful. Beautiful architecture and acoustically brilliant, the quality of talent on display is amazing. This is a must experience in Amsterdam.

It was a great open door intro day! I wish such would be more frequent, 4x a year would be perfect. Planning on visiting concerts from now on and discovering the memberships available because casual tickets are pricy. More introductory concerts professionally performed but for the little ones would be good to have too.

It's always amazing, regardless of where we're seated the acoustics are incredibly special. One of my favourite venues in not just Amsterdam but the world. Such a joy to have in my own backgarden.

Famous ornate concert hall in central Amsterdam. World-class musicians in a great venue, acoustically excellent!

Wonderful room, perfect acoustics, very high quality programs, very efficient and gentle staff. It is a pleasure and a privilege to be able to go there.

Magic. A wonderful, beautiful building, with great acoustics and views. Highly recommend seeing a performance here if you are in Amsterdam.

Great seats and acoustics and beautiful sauce with names of famous musicians inside. Free drinks included before and during intermission / I tried red wine, white wine, OJ and service was friendly. Also plenty of small restrooms scattered throughout, lots of lounges, also areas to put your clothes free by the stairs. I left during one intermission to catch an early flight and doors are locked, except for one set that is way down the hall and to the left. Tram right in front of that concert house. I would recommend first row balcony for best views and feet discs or the stadium seating behind the orchestra. Highly recommended!

I love this place! Every time Dvorak's 9th symphony is being played here, I try to be there! But tickets are often sold out months in advance so.. sad AJ. Here's what I LOVE about this place. First of all, there are places in the world where there are concert halls built with the newest technology and knowledge of math, physics and sound engineering. Like the new one in Sydney or Santory Hall in Tokyo. What shape and size should the dome be, where should the podium stand, where and how should the pillars and seats be placed, what materials to use, which wood offers the best resonance etc. etc. etc. Yet, this hundreds year old building that was made by hand still trumps most new buildings! It is one of THE best sounding concert halls in the world! And it's smack in the middle of Europe, where classic music was born! Sure, it's not in Vienna or anything but it's still in Europe, unlike the other two I mentioned as an example before. Not only that, but it's also SUPER CHEAP to buy tickets here! It's relatively super cheap! In Tokyo I would pay €140 for Dvorak's 9th symphony, for example! For the least appealing seats! Here at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam I usually pay around €35 for very appealing seats for the same performance! Whut?!?! Yeah... Also, as a student you get loads of discount and not to mention that if you just physically go there at the door before a show you can get seats for €10 or even free because of the people who were supposed to be there to pick up their tickets either forget, said f*ck it, or just didn't make it on time. Yay for you, no?!

You can do a tour of the Concertgebouw, and you can also catch their free performances at 12:30 on Wednesdays. But, you should also check the actual schedule and find tickets to one of their amazing performances! I attended Mozart's Requiem in February 2014, and was blown away. The hall itself is gorgeous, the seating is comfortable, and the performance was spectacular. I must admit that I was surprised at how casual attendees were dressed (and they definitely weren't all tourists). In a black skirt, top, and heels I felt a bit overdressed compared to most, but oh well. It's a good place to get dressed up for. That being said, definitely don't shy away if you were unable to pack a dress and heels - you'll be fine in slacks and a sweater.

A must visit for classical music lovers. One of the best acoustics in the world. What is there to like: - any place in the hall is a good place to listen to the music. For views, my favourite is on the side balcony. - if you have a chance and are up for a challenge, go to the Matheus Passion around Easter. Remember to take hints from the audience when you are allowed to applaud.. - Free lunch concerts - normally on wednesday What to wear? casual. Jeans nor tuxedo are appropriate

One of the best concert halls in the world, with one of the best orchestras in the world in residence.......what more could you want?!! Insiders tip: if you're under 30 you can get last minute rush tickets (sprintplaatsen) for €15! Just show up to the box office 45 minutes before the start of any concert, show an official ID that has your birthdate on it (passport, driving license, etc) and ask for a sprint ticket. Any unsold tickets are made free (if the concert is sold out, then you're out of luck) and sometimes you can get a ticket/seat that normally costs upwards of €100. AND tickets are all-inclusive drinks, so you can enjoy unlimited coffee/tea/beer/wine/soda before the concert and in the pauze. It's a great deal!!!!!

We attended a string quartet performance while in town to experience such a beautiful and renowned concert hall. There's cocktail bars around the hallways had jazz bands playing while patrons waited for the main show to begin. Treat yourself to great sound and acoustics, after a day of museum hopping at the museum quarter.

Incredibly built more than 100 year old concert hall (apparently built after Brahms snubbed the lack of places to perform in the Netherlands, according to the guidebooks, with modern exterior expansions that add a chrome touch to the south side with a mod cafe. After amazingly securing last minute tickets, I was able to have the ideal view of the orchestra and conductor, seated in the choir seats. The performing group was the Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra (no longer a "youth" orchestra) conducted by Dudamel. While the hall is well regarded for its accoustics, I was disadvantaged by my position and the fact that the hyped up orchestra (I think there were almost 200 players!) chose two highly bombastic loud modern works to play. The sound was utterly overwhelming, the loudest classical concert I have ever been to, which was visceral and thrilling, particularly given the extreme passion of the players, who closely resembled a churning boiling gyrating music spewing organism. One major problem: is there any AC? Temperature was nearly unbearable after 3 encores and the orchestra looked ready to collapse. Still haven't figured out why the orchestra didn't come on stage until after the concert was ready to start, which took about 15 minutes with this huge group, who made the stage look tiny as they crowded together. As an American a few things struck me: the crowd was utterly silent (more extraneous noise from the orchestra members!), the price of the ticket included a beverage before and at intermission, and your ticket gets you free public transportation to and from that evening. How ideal is that! Also the hall is lined with the names of composers, which continue to be updated at least to the mid 20th century. PS: I don't care if you are the Prince of the Netherlands, walking in during the tuning of the orchestra and causing applause to obscure the orchestra's work is just rude :)

If there was ever a place, to make me say WOW It's the classical music hall - het Concertgebouw Mahler, Beethoven, Prokofiev and Bach Not to forget my favorite, Rachmaninoff! The Concertgebouw is famous, in fact With 125 years of history still intact! The acoustics alone are world renowned That many recordings, on YouTube can be found! And here's a tip that to many untold... Bestoweth you a discount, if under 30 years old! With daily concerts of grand degree If you've not gone, it's time to go, I agree! And if you're still thinking... C-bouw, oh nee Did I mention there is free beer and wine? YAY!!!!!!!!!

The espresso was excellent, BLT was amazing. Grilled ham and cheese was very good as well. Service is very good and prices are reasonable.

Don't tell me you've been living in Amsterdam and you've never been to Het Concertgebouw! It's one of the best concerthalls in the world, its acoustics being unparalelled or so I am told. Book a ticket, enjoy the evening and have a drink afterwards at Café Welling (closeby).

As soon as I know I will be spending any amount of time in Amsterdam, I go online to see the programming for two venues in Amsterdam- The Melkweg and The Concertgebouw! (http://www.concertgebouw.nl/en) I live to hear live music and this grand, beloved institution has the ability to elevate that experience to religious status. The Concertgebouw offers a wide variety of programming and visiting artists- from Classical to Jazz , Electronic to Experimental. All well selected and all remarkable complimented by this stunning venue. There are often last minute tickets and student admission available for those who are on budgets. Please go, I insist!

The concert venues in the US could take a tip from this place. My hubby and I saw the Dutch Philharmonic Orchestra here and the sound was absolutely resonating and clear throughout the whole place. We sat on the first row of the balcony and it felt like the violin soloist was right next to us. We loved taking in a free drink before the show and during the intermission. FYI-If you are under age 30, the price is seriously slashed.

First off, I have not been here for a classical event (although it is something I want to do.) I was here for a party event which is not typical for this location. So, I am only going to comment on the building itself. It's cool. Lots of things to look at and little details to discover. I was a bit surprised that the main hall was quite smaller than I expected. It is a cool space that I'm looking forward to going back to.

Hard to argue with perhaps the best acoustic in a concert hall in all of Europe, maybe the world. It was 45 years between visits, but both were fantastic. Though I only saw a smaller modern ensemble this time, rather than the Royal Orchestra, I can tell you that each string and note was clearly played!!! My seat was in the balcony, rather warm for a matinee. But the seats are comfortable, and the concert hall is just impeccably maintained.

As concert halls go, this one is perfectly comfortable, well-located and really affordable while still being decorated enough to make you feel like you're having a special evening. Not extravagant - very Dutch that way - but very nice. Fantastic sound as promised, and of course the symphony orchestra was uber talented. If you're in town for more than a week, you really should visit.

Beethoven's 3rd and 4th played by the #1 orchestra in the world today in an acoustically perfect concert hall....a dream come true for me. The best rendition of Beethoven's 4th I have ever heard. I bought my ticket online before the trip. Expensive and worth it!

I'd like to give it 3.5 stars, but alas. I've only been to the NY Philharmonic as a comparison, so I'm not an expert. The building apparently has really fantastic acoustics, which were clear and nicely volumed during our Sunday morning visit. The orchestra was good, the choir was great, and the audience was, as to be expected, on the senior side. It was a nice experience that I would recommend. Maybe I'm out of my element here, but I felt like the pastel decor contrasted with red velvet seats and curtains was an eye sore...