Supermarkets close earlier, theaters adjust times for the European Football Championship semi-finals

This article was last updated on July 10, 2024

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Supermarkets close earlier, theaters adjust times for the European Championship semi-finals

Many Dutch people will be sitting in front of the TV tonight to watch the semi-final of the European Football Championship between the Netherlands and England. But Orange fever is raging and companies are sending their employees home early so they can prepare for the match at 9 p.m. tonight.

For example, several supermarket chains are closing their doors earlier than normal, for example Lidl. “We want to give everyone the opportunity to experience this unique event with family and friends,” says a spokesperson. The Dirk and Hoogvliet supermarkets will also close earlier.

The stores at Albert Heijn, Jumbo and Plus are open during the match, although this may differ per franchisee. “We have no fixed policy for this, so the stores are in principle open as usual. It will be nice and quiet,” says a Jumbo spokesperson.

The hardware stores Hornbach and Praxis also remain open. “We always require a minimum occupancy, but we have taken into account the employees who really want to see the football,” says a spokesperson for Hornbach.

Sports are still possible

Those who do not want to watch the sports festival on TV, but want to exercise themselves, can still go to many gyms. For example, gym chain Sportcity, with 110 branches throughout the country, remains open as usual. “There are many members who would like to exercise themselves, and we are happy to offer that option.”

Another chain, Fit20, has different opening hours. “Coincidentally, we have a last training tonight and it stops at 8:20 p.m., but that has not been planned to take the Dutch national team into account,” says Gerald Booij from the Hoogeveen branch. “But I’ll definitely take a look.”

The doors remain open at Anytime Fitness in Harlingen: “We are open 24/7, so people can always exercise with us,” says an employee. “The evening staff can leave half an hour earlier, at 9 p.m. So we’ll quickly go home to watch the match.” Gym members have a pass to open the door and can still exercise.

Cinema and theater

For those who want to watch the match on a big screen in the cinema, that is also possible. The match has been shown on the big screen at Pathé cinemas since the group stage. “Almost all of them are sold out. Today is also going very well. We will be showing the final anyway, hopefully with the Netherlands there,” says a spokesperson.

People who have planned a theater visit should ensure that the time has not been adjusted. For example, the performance of Najib Amhali in Carré tonight has been brought forward one hour to 7:00 PM. “We already did that at the previous competition,” a spokesperson for the theater explains. “Suppose the Netherlands advances to the final on Sunday, then we will also adjust the times.”

The times will not be adjusted for the spectacle musical ‘It was Sunday in the South’ in Tegelen, Limburg. “Ticket sales have not dropped either. In fact, we notice that tickets are still being sold. There are also people who do not like football,” says Joyce Lenssen of the Toneelgroep Maastricht.

Whether the times will also be adjusted on Sunday is still a point of discussion. “That of course also depends on the football players tonight.”

In 2014, a record number of people watched the semi-final between Argentina and the Netherlands, more than 9 million. We will know tomorrow whether that record will be matched or perhaps even broken.