By car

Merksem exit in the direction of Ghent closed until 2030

As part of the Oosterweel works, the Merksem exit on the Antwerp Ring (R1) in the direction of Ghent will be closed for a long period of time.

Traffic from the north will be diverted via complex Ekeren on the A12 and Noorderlaan. This means that those road users are already leaving the freeway via an earlier exit. Otherwise it will be via the exit at Borgerhout.

The exit will remain closed until the end of the Oosterweel works in 2030. The slip roads to the R1 towards the Netherlands were previously closed. The slip roads to and from the south (Ghent, Brussels, Liège, Eindhoven) will remain open.

Smart Ways to Antwerp route planner

With the works on the Oosterweel connection, the traffic situation in Antwerp is constantly changing. Use the Smart Ways to Antwerp route planner to work out your trip to the Lotto Arena. The route planner takes into account the works and the most current traffic situation.

Available car parks

There are various car parks in the vicinity of the Lotto Arena. Please note that not all car parks are always open. To find out which car park is available on the day of the event, check the details page one or two days before the event.

  • Park & Ride
    • Merksem (Bredabaan 965, 2170 Merksem)
    • Luchtbal (Noorderlaan 500, 2030 Antwerp)
    • Linkeroever (Blancefloerlaan 501, 2050 Antwerp)
    • Olympiade (Populierenlaan 2, 2020 Antwerp)
    • Parking costs a maximum of 1 euro for one day. Click here for more information.

  • Spoor Oost
    • Noordersingel 40, 2140 Borgerhout
    • Parking costs 6 euros.
    • Attention!
      • This car park is located in the low emission zone.
      • This car park is only available starting 3 hours before the start of the event.
      • This car park is only available for events with a large turnout and is not available during the Sinksenfoor. Check on Smart Ways to Antwerp whether the car park is available for the event you are attending.

  • Carrette
    • Carrettestraat, 2170 Merksem (behind Heylen Vastgoed Basket Campus)
    • Parking costs 8 euros.
    • This car park is located outside the low emission zone.
  • Antwerp Ring Center
    • Noordersingel 17-19, 2140 Borgerhout
    • Parking costs 2 euros.
    • Attention! This car park is located in the low emission zone.
  • Vaart
    • Schijnpoortweg 119, 2170 Merksem (on the right side of the Sportpaleis)
    • Parking costs 10 euros.
    • This car park is located outside the low emission zone.
    • Attention! This car park is only available to wheelchair users.

Low emission zone

The entire Antwerp city center and a part of Linkeroever are low emission zones. This means that you are no longer allowed to enter this zone with a polluting car. The Lotto Arena itself lies just outside the low emission zone, but many of our car parks lie within the low emission zone. The same applies to large parts of the Singel, the Noorderlaan from Kinepolis and a large part of the Blancefloerlaan on Linkeroever. The chances of ending up in the low emission zone on the way to the Lotto Arena are therefore very high.
Take the precaution of checking in advance whether your vehicle is allowed to enter Antwerp. Or even better: park your car at a Park & Ride (P+R) and use public transport for the rest of your route.

Avoid a fine, don't park on the street

The Lotto Arena is located in a blue zone with limited parking time during events. The parking spaces in the nearby streets are primarily reserved for local residents. Drivers from elsewhere must display their parking disc and can only park for 2 hours. The use of the parking disc is mandatory, except for residents, from Monday to Friday from 6 p.m. to midnight and on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays from 9 a.m. to midnight. During events at the Lotto Arena, there is increased parking inspection.