Antwerp to Introduce Variable Parking Pricing Around AFAS Dome

The city of Antwerp will implement a variable parking pricing system around the AFAS Dome (formerly the Sportpaleis) starting July 1, 2026, replacing the current fixed 2-hour maximum parking duration with a demand-responsive regime that only restricts parking during events, according to Het Laatste Nieuws.

Background

Since October 2025, the city has enforced a fixed 2-hour parking limit in the pink and dark green event zones around the AFAS Dome during weekday evenings, weekends, and public holidays. While this regime successfully reduced parking pressure and improved traffic flow during major events, it created significant inconvenience for residents, businesses, and hospitality venues on non-event days.

As the City of Antwerp explained, the fixed regime “imposes restrictions on visitors of residents, businesses, and hospitality establishments” even when no events are taking place. Following complaints from the community, the city council approved a principle decision on November 21, 2025, to refine the parking zones around event venues.

The New Variable Regime

Under the new system taking effect July 1, the 2-hour parking limit will only apply during a specific time window around events at the AFAS Dome. The restriction will be active from three hours before the event start until two hours after the expected end time. If multiple events occur on the same day, the restriction runs continuously from three hours before the first event until two hours after the last event concludes.

Importantly, the parking duration limit will never start before 9 AM or extend beyond midnight. If an event also takes place at the adjacent Lotto Arena on the same day, the parking restriction applies for that event as well, as reported by Slim naar Antwerpen.

At all other times, visitors can park without any time restrictions.

Parking Rates and Registration

The parking tariffs remain unchanged. In the pink event zone, the first two hours are free, followed by €0.90 per hour. In the dark green event zone, the first hour costs €1.40, with subsequent hours at €1.80 per hour.

Visitors must register their parking session daily between 9 AM and midnight via the parkeerapp, SMS (4411), or a parking meter. Dynamic roadside signs will display when the next parking restriction period begins, and parking meters and apps will show the current maximum parking duration in real-time. SMS users will receive confirmation with the applicable maximum parking duration.

Residents with parking permits remain unaffected and can continue parking free and without time limits in their resident zones. Information letters will be sent to residents and businesses in the affected areas during the week of June 15.

Policy Evolution

The shift to a variable regime represents a responsive policy adjustment by the city. The City of Antwerp had already signaled in November 2025 that it would refine the parking zones around event venues to “better align parking policy with the needs of residents, businesses, and their visitors, without compromising accessibility and sustainable mobility.”

This change follows a similar adjustment at Antwerp Expo, where the pink event zone was converted to a regular pink zone on December 22, 2025, after evaluation showed the event zone was not sufficiently aligned with the scale of events there.

The Venue

The AFAS Dome, Belgium’s largest multifunctional event venue with a capacity of 23,001, opened in 1933 as the Sportpaleis and was originally designed as an indoor cycling velodrome. It was renamed in September 2025 under a naming rights agreement with AFAS Software. Located on the border of the Merksem and Deurne districts near the Antwerp ring road, the venue hosts major international concerts, sports events, and the annual Night of the Proms. The adjacent Lotto Arena, opened in 2007, seats up to 8,050 spectators and is home to the Antwerp Giants basketball team.

Analysis and Implications

The introduction of variable parking pricing marks a shift from a one-size-fits-all approach to a more nuanced, demand-responsive parking management strategy. For residents, the change represents a significant improvement, allowing visitors to park without time limits on non-event days. Local businesses stand to benefit from increased customer access, while event attendees face minimal change as they remain subject to the 2-hour limit during events.

The new system requires technical integration between the AFAS Dome and Lotto Arena event calendars and the city’s parking management system, along with dynamic signage and real-time updates through digital channels. This represents a more complex enforcement regime that will require parking attendants to have real-time awareness of event schedules.

What to Watch For

As the July 1 implementation date approaches, residents and businesses in the affected areas will receive detailed information by mail. The effectiveness of the new system in managing parking during major events while preserving neighborhood quality of life on non-event days will be closely monitored. The city may consider extending the variable regime model to other event venues in Antwerp if the pilot proves successful.