GelreDome
|
 | |
| Full name | GelreDome |
|---|---|
| Location | Arnhem, Netherlands |
| Capacity |
Football: 21,248 (maximum 25,500 without tarps) Concerts: 41,000 (maximum) |
| Construction | |
| Built | 1996–1998 |
| Opened | 25 March 1998 |
| Architect | Alynia Architecten Harlingen bv |
| Tenants | |
| Vitesse | |
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The GelreDome (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈɣɛlrədoːm]) is a football stadium in the city of Arnhem, Netherlands. It is one of the largest and modern stadium in the country, built from 1996 to 1998 at a cost equivalent to €75 million, that opened on 25 March 1998. The stadium is the home of the association football club Vitesse Arnhem since 1998. It was one of the stadiums used during Euro 2000 tournament held in the Netherlands and Belgium.
Both international and Dutch artists have given concerts in the stadium, including Tina Turner, Celine Dion, Madonna, Prince, Justin Bieber, Paul McCartney, AC/DC, André Rieu, The Rolling Stones, Justin Timberlake and Rihanna.
The stadium has a retractable roof, as well as a convertible pitch, that can be retracted, when unused during concerts or other events held at the stadium, and a climate control system. It has a capacity of 34,000 people for sports events, or 41,000 during concerts. The GelreDome pitch is surrounded on each side by four covered all-seater stands, officially known as the Edward Sturing Stand (North), Charly Bosveld Stand (East), Theo Bos Stand (South) and Just Göbel Stand (West).
The GelreDome currently holds a four-star rating by UEFA.
History
The GelreDome replaced the Nieuw Monnikenhuize Stadion as Vitesse's home ground on 25 March 1998. Plans had been afoot to expand and to renovate the old and now demolished Nieuw Monnikenhuize. However, with a growing fan capacity and with arguments that the location of the old stadium was not strategic enough, the idea was conceived to build a new arena for the Vitesse fans.
The first match played at the stadium was a 4–1 victory by the home team against N.A.C. Breda in an Eredivisie match. The first goal in the new stadium was scored by Vitesse player Dejan Čurović.
International matches
Three international matches of the Dutch national football team were played in the stadium, the first one being on May 27, 1998: a friendly against Cameroon (0–1). The last one, played on April 26, 2000, was also a friendly: a 0–0 against Scotland. Furthermore, the GelreDome was the location for three UEFA Euro 2000 group stage matches, as well as the 2007 UEFA European Under-21 Championship tournament.
Euro 2000 matches
| Date | Time | Stage | Team #1 | Res. | Team #2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 June 2000 | 2:30pm | Group B |  | 1–2 |  |
| 17 June 2000 | 6:00pm | Group A |  | 0–1 |  |
| 21 June 2000 | 6:00pm | Group C |  | 0–0 |  |
UEFA U21 2007 matches
| Date | Time | Stage | Team #1 | Res. | Team #2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 June 2007 | 6:15pm | Group B |  | 0–0 |  |
| 14 June 2007 | 8:45pm | Group B | | 2–2 | |
| 17 June 2007 | 8:45pm | Group B | | 3–1 | |
| 20 June 2007 | 8:45pm | Semi-finals |  | 2–0 | .svg.png){kind=small} |
Davis Cup 2003
| Date | Stage | Team #1 | Res. | Team #2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 February 2003 | First round |  | 2–3 |  |
Concerts
Since opening in 1998, GelreDome has hosted hundreds of concerts from Dutch and international superstars, including Spice Girls, Backstreet Boys, Janet Jackson, Bon Jovi, Britney Spears, Tiësto, Madonna, Coldplay, Sting, Diana Ross, Tina Turner, Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Iron Maiden, AC/DC, Shakira, Justin Bieber, Celine Dion, The Rolling Stones and Justin Timberlake.
Museum
The Vitesse Museum is located in the stadium, which shows Vitesse's more than 126 years of history.
Transport
The stadium can be reached by a 30-minute walk from the Arnhem main railway station. Bus lines 7 and 331, departing from the Arnhem railway station, call at the 'GelreDome-stadion' bus stop, just outside the stadium.
Gallery
References
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Gelredome. |
Coordinates: 51°57′46.38″N 5°53′34.13″E / 51.9628833°N 5.8928139°E
