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Ahoy' Rotterdam is an indoor sporting arena located in Rotterdam, Netherlands. The capacity of the arena is 10,000, and has been used for large - scale concerts such as U2. Tina Turner (late 80's and mid 90's) Janet Jackson, Shania Twain, Kylie Minogue, Destiny's Child, Bruce Springsteen, Queen + Paul Rodgers, Fleetwood Mac and Britney Spears. In 2005 and 2006 there were two single DJ sets of Armin van Buuren called Armin Only. The arena also hosts the 2007 Junior Eurovision Song Contest. On 15, 16 and 17 July they hosted the WSR05 (World Skateboarding Rotterdam 2005), which was won by Bastien Salabanzi.

The basis of the present Ahoy’ was laid in 1950. After the devastation caused by the Second World War, the city of Rotterdam had worked flat out on the reconstruction and the port was virtually complete. To mark the occasion, the Rotterdam Ahoy! exhibition was held in a purpose-built hall on the site where the medical faculty of the Erasmus University now stands.

The exhibition hall was called the Ahoy’ Hall. The apostrophe after Ahoy’ is a remnant of the original exclamation mark. The hall was used for a series of national and international events, such as the exhibition of the architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s work. During the North Sea flood of 1953 the hall also proved its worth as a reception centre for victims.

Ahoy’ Rotterdam as we now know it was built in 1970. The complex’s striking design won various national and international awards for its special steel structures. The first event to be held there was the Femina family exhibition. Since then, Ahoy’ has been expanded on a number of occasions, and was renovated and refurbished in 1998 to create today’s multifunctional venue.

• Official site