Niall Horan fans have been lying on the sidewalk in front of the Ziggo Dome for days: ‘It’s just like King’s Day, but without Willem-Alexander’

Orange hats, shirts, bracelets, blankets and sunglasses color the square in front of the Ziggo Dome on Wednesday afternoon. People lie on large rugs or sit on fold-out chairs. In some places jewelry is being made and occasionally some bubbles blow by.

“It’s just like King’s Day, but with Niall Horan instead of Willem-Alexander,” says twenty-year-old Megan. She explains that the Irish singer-songwriter himself had asked his fans to come to his concert in orange. Many fans answered that call.

Dozens of fans have been waiting for days in front of the concert hall in Amsterdam-Zuidoost. Everything to be able to be at the front later. Megan has been waiting in line since Monday morning: “I’ve never seen One Direction live, so now I save former members’ concerts as if they were Pokémon.”

She has taken a few days’ holiday to ensure she can be at the front: “The fact that I know that this will work makes it worth it now.”

A system with strict administration has been set up for standing in line, ‘queuing’ in jargon. Fans register and receive a paper band with a code on their wrist with the number on it that indicates where in the queue they are.

During the day, announced and unexpected checks are made to see whether people are really queuing. You may be absent once for a valid reason. “The second time they cut your strap,” says a 21-year-old woman sitting a little further on a folding chair under the viaduct.

The system was set up by fans themselves, but the Ziggo Dome recognizes the method and also checks the tapes, she says.

She has been waiting since Tuesday evening for the concert to start. Thursday’s concert, that is. She doesn’t have tickets for Wednesday’s show. That is why she is now – somewhat unwillingly – part of the group that hands out wristbands. Not everyone appreciates that: “Angry people also come to us and complain about the system, but we didn’t come up with it either. Those who came up with this idea are now in line, so we had to take over.”

In general, she is positive about this way of queuing: “I like it, it certainly gives certainty that you will be at the front if you are really early.”

Even at night, when everyone has to leave the site, fans can keep their place in line thanks to this system. At home or in a nearby hotel, they then prepare for the next day’s wait, which starts early with the first wristband check of the day at six in the morning.

But what makes Niall Horan so nice that you are willing to wait at the door for dozens of hours? Romy Veenhoff (19) jumps up when he hears the question: “His personality, his voice. He is sweet, his sarcasm is funny and fun. And of course he can sing well: he has nice songs.”

And standing in line itself doesn’t have to be annoying at all. Romy brought a Sudoku book with her, but also talks a lot with other fans. While waiting, she met Tessa van Eijkelenburg (24) and Susanne Dijkstra (21). “We also just became friends because we kept bumping into each other at concerts,” says Tessa about Susanne.

“We keep in touch via Discord, but we don’t actually live near each other at all,” Susanne adds.

This way, waiting doesn’t have to be annoying, even if you take vacation days for it. Although it quickly becomes clear that not everyone has been given time off for the wait. A group of girls quickly ducks away from the photographer: “No photos please, we called in sick from school.”