# Johan Cruijff Arena
The Johan Cruyff Arena, officially styled Johan Cruijff ArenA in Dutch, is a football stadium in Amsterdam Zuidoost that opened in 1996 as the Amsterdam ArenA and has been the home ground of [AFC Ajax](https://www.edgepedia.org/afc-ajax) and the Dutch national team since then. It was renamed in 2018 in honor of the Dutch player [Johan Cruyff](https://www.edgepedia.org/johan-cruyff), who died in March 2016[1](https://nos.nl/artikel/2225893-het-is-officieel-arena-heet-vanaf-volgend-seizoen-johan-cruijff-arena) • [2](https://www.uefa.com/news-media/news/0238-0e96cde58c8d-d08c27087e1c-1000--amsterdam-arena-to-be-renamed-the-johan-cruyff-arena/). The stadium seats about 55,000 spectators, has a retractable roof, and hosts roughly 22 Ajax matches, 4 national team matches, and 10 concerts in a typical year[3](https://www.aftonbladet.se/sportbladet/fotboll/a/M76VkK/ajax-tvingas-flytta-pa-grund-av-harry-styles) • [4](https://openresearch.amsterdam/image/2023/11/7/9_henk_van_raan_johan_cruijff_arena_20231101_presentation_cso_event.pdf). It has become known for its sustainability program, including more than 4,200 solar panels, a large battery storage system built from electric-car batteries, and a stated goal of net positive operations by 2030[5](https://time.com/6692813/sustainable-sports-stadiums/) • [6](https://www.johancruijffarena.nl/en/news/johan-cruijff-arena/net-positive-by-2030/).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Opened | 1996 as the Amsterdam ArenA; the 30th anniversary fell on 14 August 2026[7](https://www.amsterdam.nl/stadsarchief/stukken/sport/verhuizingen-ajax/) • [8](https://www.ajaxshowtime.com/hoofdnieuws/johan-cruijff-arena-heeft-uitbreidingswensen-geen-amerikaans-stadion-waar-elke-5-minuten-gekkigheid-is) |
| Renamed | Johan Cruijff ArenA from the start of the 2018/19 season, announced on what would have been Cruyff's 70th birthday, 2017[1](https://nos.nl/artikel/2225893-het-is-officieel-arena-heet-vanaf-volgend-seizoen-johan-cruijff-arena) • [2](https://www.uefa.com/news-media/news/0238-0e96cde58c8d-d08c27087e1c-1000--amsterdam-arena-to-be-renamed-the-johan-cruyff-arena/) |
| Tenants | AFC Ajax and the Netherlands national football team[9](https://buildings.honeywell.com/content/dam/hbtbt/en/documents/downloads/Johan%20Cruijff%20ArenA%20_Case%20Study_%20FINAL.pdf) |
| Capacity | 55,000 spectators[3](https://www.aftonbladet.se/sportbladet/fotboll/a/M76VkK/ajax-tvingas-flytta-pa-grund-av-harry-styles) |
| Roof | Retractable; its drive system was renewed with new electric motors in September 2025[10](https://www.johancruijffarena.nl/en/news/johan-cruijff-arena/werkzaamheden-aan-het-arena-dak-in-september/) |
| Energy features | More than 4,200 solar panels, a wind turbine, and a battery system of 250 used Nissan Leaf packs plus 340 first-life modules, able to supply up to one hour of full power[5](https://time.com/6692813/sustainable-sports-stadiums/) • [11](https://www.axios.com/2018/07/16/storage-system-in-amsterdam-stadium-shows-potential-for-used-batteries) |
| Sustainability goal | Net positive operations by 2030, meaning giving more to the world than it takes[6](https://www.johancruijffarena.nl/en/news/johan-cruijff-arena/net-positive-by-2030/) |
| Ownership | The Municipality of Amsterdam; Ajax and the municipality are the stadium's shareholders[12](https://as.com/futbol/2019/02/13/champions/1550026296_915940.html) • [6](https://www.johancruijffarena.nl/en/news/johan-cruijff-arena/net-positive-by-2030/) |
## Name and opening
Ajax spent decades moving around Amsterdam before settling in the southeast of the city. The club took the Amsterdam ArenA into use in 1996, and the stadium has been Ajax's home ever since[7](https://www.amsterdam.nl/stadsarchief/stukken/sport/verhuizingen-ajax/). The precise opening date is recorded as 14 August 1996, since the stadium's director noted in 2026 that the ArenA existed exactly thirty years that day[8](https://www.ajaxshowtime.com/hoofdnieuws/johan-cruijff-arena-heeft-uitbreidingswensen-geen-amerikaans-stadion-waar-elke-5-minuten-gekkigheid-is).
**The renaming.** Johan Cruyff, born in Amsterdam and described by Ajax as the best footballer ever known in the city and the Netherlands, died in March 2016 at 68[2](https://www.uefa.com/news-media/news/0238-0e96cde58c8d-d08c27087e1c-1000--amsterdam-arena-to-be-renamed-the-johan-cruyff-arena/) • [12](https://as.com/futbol/2019/02/13/champions/1550026296_915940.html). On 26 April 2017, what would have been his 70th birthday, the renaming of the Amsterdam ArenA to the Johan Cruyff ArenA was announced, following agreement between the stadium's management board, the board of AFC Ajax, and the mayor of Amsterdam[2](https://www.uefa.com/news-media/news/0238-0e96cde58c8d-d08c27087e1c-1000--amsterdam-arena-to-be-renamed-the-johan-cruyff-arena/). The idea came from Amsterdam's mayor Eberhard van der Laan, a supporter of Ajax and Cruyff, whose death in 2017 delayed the process; the city had previously resisted giving up the naming rights to a commercial party[12](https://as.com/futbol/2019/02/13/champions/1550026296_915940.html) • [1](https://nos.nl/artikel/2225893-het-is-officieel-arena-heet-vanaf-volgend-seizoen-johan-cruijff-arena). The name became official at the start of the 2018/19 football season, and the new logo was unveiled around 25 April 2018, Cruyff's birthday[1](https://nos.nl/artikel/2225893-het-is-officieel-arena-heet-vanaf-volgend-seizoen-johan-cruijff-arena). The Dutch spelling Cruijff is used in the official name, while the international press commonly writes Johan Cruyff Arena.
## Building and events
The stadium is an enclosed oval bowl with a retractable roof, a design that has served as a benchmark model in stadium ventilation research[13](https://strathprints.strath.ac.uk/70772/1/Bonser_etal_IJV_2020_roof_configurations_on_the_wind_and_thermal_environment_in_football_stadiums_in_hot_climates.pdf). In September 2025 the roof's drive system was renewed with new electric motors, and the roof stayed closed throughout that month, including during matches[10](https://www.johancruijffarena.nl/en/news/johan-cruijff-arena/werkzaamheden-aan-het-arena-dak-in-september/).
**A multi-use calendar.** A stadium operations presentation puts the yearly program at around 22 Ajax matches, 4 matches of the national team, and 10 concerts[4](https://openresearch.amsterdam/image/2023/11/7/9_henk_van_raan_johan_cruijff_arena_20231101_presentation_cso_event.pdf). Because the pitch must serve both football and large shows, the turf is covered for concerts and uncovered and restored for the next match[14](https://johancruyffinstitute.com/en/blog-en/sport-management/johan-cruijff-arena-a-smart-stadium/). Concert bookings can displace football entirely: when [Harry Styles](https://www.edgepedia.org/harry-styles) booked the arena for ten concerts, Ajax had to move a Conference League play-off home match against [FC Groningen](https://www.edgepedia.org/fc-groningen) from the 55,000-seat arena to Kras Stadion in Volendam, which holds 6,800[3](https://www.aftonbladet.se/sportbladet/fotboll/a/M76VkK/ajax-tvingas-flytta-pa-grund-av-harry-styles). The stadium also hosts business events in skyboxes that accommodate between 10 and 20 people[15](https://www.johancruijffarena.nl/en/home/), and it was designated to host four matches at [UEFA Euro 2020](https://www.edgepedia.org/uefa-euro-2020), for which part of the exterior was rebuilt and capacity was increased[12](https://as.com/futbol/2019/02/13/champions/1550026296_915940.html). UEFA has scheduled the 2027 UEFA Super Cup for the ArenA[6](https://www.johancruijffarena.nl/en/news/johan-cruijff-arena/net-positive-by-2030/).
## Sustainability and energy
The ArenA describes itself as one of the most sustainable stadiums in the world and has made energy its central focus area, alongside circularity, social impact, and governance[16](https://www.johancruijffarena.nl/en/discover-the-arena/net-positive/). More than 4,200 solar panels on the roof, the procurement of wind energy, and on-site storage provide the venue's green electricity[5](https://time.com/6692813/sustainable-sports-stadiums/) • [6](https://www.johancruijffarena.nl/en/news/johan-cruijff-arena/net-positive-by-2030/).
**Battery storage.** In 2018 the stadium installed what was described as Europe's largest energy storage system in a commercial building, comprising 250 used [Nissan Leaf](https://www.edgepedia.org/nissan-leaf) battery packs and 340 first-life battery modules; it can provide up to one hour of full power to the stadium during an event and serves as uninterruptible backup power for well-attended matches[11](https://www.axios.com/2018/07/16/storage-system-in-amsterdam-stadium-shows-potential-for-used-batteries). Reusing car batteries is also intended to create a circular economy for expired ones[17](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLkykRRuG7U).
**Net positive by 2030.** In 2023 the ArenA committed to net positive operations by 2030, working with partners including Ajax and the Municipality of Amsterdam, and teamed with KPMG to define what net positive means for its operations and with GSES to launch the Global Sustainable Venue Benchmark for measuring the sustainability of organizations, events, and locations[6](https://www.johancruijffarena.nl/en/news/johan-cruijff-arena/net-positive-by-2030/). A visible result came on 11 August 2024, when Ajax hosted [SC Heerenveen](https://www.edgepedia.org/sc-heerenveen) in a match run entirely on renewable energy: solar panels charging two super batteries and a wind turbine powered the stadium lights, escalators, beer taps, and the lighting in the players' tunnels[17](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLkykRRuG7U). The stadium also works to make visiting concerts more sustainable and has hosted Coldplay's Music of the Spheres tour, which emphasizes sustainable production[18](https://www.johancruijffarena.nl/nieuws/duurzaam/arena-helpt-concerten-verder-te-verduurzamen/).
## The Cruyff legacy
The renaming was accompanied by a program of tributes inside the stadium: a bronze bust, a neon mural with the number 14, and large black-and-white images of the young Cruyff on the facades, with the stated aim of being elegant rather than turning the stadium into a mausoleum[12](https://as.com/futbol/2019/02/13/champions/1550026296_915940.html). Phrases Cruyff used in Dutch were chosen by fan survey and placed around the stadium, and his number 14 shirt is kept in the Ajax museum; the stadium tour and museum drew 140,000 visitors in the year to early 2019, about 80 percent of them from outside the Netherlands[12](https://as.com/futbol/2019/02/13/champions/1550026296_915940.html).
The ArenA also maintains an institutional link to his memory. In April 2026 it extended its partnership with the Johan Cruyff Foundation for another three years, keeping the stadium as the home of the Cruyff Legacy 14K run and focusing joint work on sport, talent, and physical activity in Amsterdam Zuidoost, in line with Cruyff's vision of making sport accessible to children and young people[19](https://www.johancruijffarena.nl/en/news/johan-cruijff-arena/verbinding-die-blijft-verlengd-partnership-met-de-johan-cruyff-foundation/).
## References
1. [Het is officieel: Arena heet vanaf volgend seizoen Johan Cruijff Arena, NOS (5 April 2018)](https://nos.nl/artikel/2225893-het-is-officieel-arena-heet-vanaf-volgend-seizoen-johan-cruijff-arena)
2. [Amsterdam ArenA to be renamed the Johan Cruyff ArenA, UEFA.com (26 April 2017)](https://www.uefa.com/news-media/news/0238-0e96cde58c8d-d08c27087e1c-1000--amsterdam-arena-to-be-renamed-the-johan-cruyff-arena/)
3. [Tvingas spela hemmamatch på bortaplan – på grund av Harry Styles, Aftonbladet](https://www.aftonbladet.se/sportbladet/fotboll/a/M76VkK/ajax-tvingas-flytta-pa-grund-av-harry-styles)
4. [Henk van Raan, Johan Cruijff ArenA presentation, Open Research Amsterdam (2023)](https://openresearch.amsterdam/image/2023/11/7/9_henk_van_raan_johan_cruijff_arena_20231101_presentation_cso_event.pdf)
5. [How Sports Stadiums Are Going Green, TIME](https://time.com/6692813/sustainable-sports-stadiums/)
6. [Johan Cruijff ArenA: Net Positive by 2030 (31 May 2023)](https://www.johancruijffarena.nl/en/news/johan-cruijff-arena/net-positive-by-2030/)
7. [De verhuizingen van Ajax, Stadsarchief Amsterdam](https://www.amsterdam.nl/stadsarchief/stukken/sport/verhuizingen-ajax/)
8. [Johan Cruijff ArenA heeft uitbreidingswensen, Ajax Showtime (14 August 2026)](https://www.ajaxshowtime.com/hoofdnieuws/johan-cruijff-arena-heeft-uitbreidingswensen-geen-amerikaans-stadion-waar-elke-5-minuten-gekkigheid-is)
9. [Johan Cruijff ArenA case study, Honeywell Building Solutions](https://buildings.honeywell.com/content/dam/hbtbt/en/documents/downloads/Johan%20Cruijff%20ArenA%20_Case%20Study_%20FINAL.pdf)
10. [Work on the ArenA roof in September, Johan Cruijff ArenA (1 September 2025)](https://www.johancruijffarena.nl/en/news/johan-cruijff-arena/werkzaamheden-aan-het-arena-dak-in-september/)
11. [Storage system in Amsterdam stadium shows potential for used batteries, Axios (16 July 2018)](https://www.axios.com/2018/07/16/storage-system-in-amsterdam-stadium-shows-potential-for-used-batteries)
12. ["Ámsterdam es Van Gogh, Rembrandt, Johan Cruyff...", AS (13 February 2019)](https://as.com/futbol/2019/02/13/champions/1550026296_915940.html)
13. [Bonser, Hughes & Calautit (2019), Investigation of the impact of roof configurations on the wind and thermal environment in football stadiums in hot climates, International Journal of Ventilation](https://strathprints.strath.ac.uk/70772/1/Bonser_etal_IJV_2020_roof_configurations_on_the_wind_and_thermal_environment_in_football_stadiums_in_hot_climates.pdf)
14. [Johan Cruijff ArenA, a smart stadium to reimagine football and society, Johan Cruyff Institute](https://johancruyffinstitute.com/en/blog-en/sport-management/johan-cruijff-arena-a-smart-stadium/)
15. [Welcome in the Johan Cruijff ArenA, official website](https://www.johancruijffarena.nl/en/home/)
16. [ArenA: a leader in sustainability, Johan Cruijff ArenA](https://www.johancruijffarena.nl/en/discover-the-arena/net-positive/)
17. [How Amsterdam's smart stadium changed the game for sporting arenas, CNBC International (10 January 2025)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLkykRRuG7U)
18. [ArenA helpt concerten verder te verduurzamen, Johan Cruijff ArenA](https://www.johancruijffarena.nl/nieuws/duurzaam/arena-helpt-concerten-verder-te-verduurzamen/)
19. [A lasting connection: partnership with the Johan Cruyff Foundation renewed, Johan Cruijff ArenA (14 April 2026)](https://www.johancruijffarena.nl/en/news/johan-cruijff-arena/verbinding-die-blijft-verlengd-partnership-met-de-johan-cruyff-foundation/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Association football › Football practice and culture › Training grounds and practice facilities › Stadiums in Europe*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license