Circus Zandvoort

Circus Zandvoort, also known as the Circus Theater, is an entertainment complex in the center of the Dutch coastal resort town of Zandvoort, North Holland. The building serves as a cinema and arcade hall and formerly also housed a casino. Its distinctive postmodern structure was designed in 1985 by architect Sjoerd Soeters and has entrances on both Gasthuisplein and Kerkstraat. The complex occupies the site of the former hotel-restaurant Zomerlust. The Heino family had operated amusement facilities in Zandvoort since the 1940s. Founder Heino sr. began placing slot machines in cafés during the Second World War and after the war founded the company Play-In. In the ballroom of Zomerlust, amusement machines originally from the American army were operated. Initially these machines were only present during the summer months, but from the end of the 1950s the arcade remained open year-round. In 1985 Sjoerd Soeters designed a new postmodern entertainment complex for the site; Zomerlust was demolished to make way for the new building. Construction began in 1986, carried out by Aannemingsmaatschappij P. Bot & Zoon, with structural design guided by Bouwadvies Strackee and Ingenieursburo Grabowsky & Poort. The complex was completed and officially opened in 1991. In 1994 a film hall opened in the complex, operating under the name Circus Cinema with 88 seats. Around 1997 several properties on Gasthuisplein were purchased by Leo Heino to expand the entertainment center. In 2017 the cinema had to close due to disappointing visitor numbers and high operating costs. Afterwards the hall was used occasionally by Filmclub Zandvoort, which organized film evenings for the less fortunate. An increase in the gambling tax to nearly 38% made profitable operation of the entire entertainment complex increasingly difficult. In November 2024 it was announced that owner Bas Heino had sold the complex to Gamestate and real estate investor Payam Partovi. As of April 2025, Gamestate became the new operator. With an area of 2,000 m², this became the company's largest location and also its first with a cinema. After a renovation, the complex reopened for the summer season in July 2025. The film hall was also brought back into use, at that time the only cinema in Zandvoort. In September 2024, Circus Zandvoort was named the ugliest building in the Netherlands by the YouTube channel "Weet je dat ook weer," with 28.8% of the votes. Some Zandvoort residents found it hideous, while others maintained that the building is so familiar that it simply belongs. The 2026 book "Treurtrips, (Her)ontdek Nederland!" also criticized the building, writing that it is "hardly possible to imagine a building in the Netherlands that is so wonderfully ugly as this leisure palace with casino, cinema and arcade." Today, Gamestate Circus Zandvoort offers more than 30 arcade games, including racing games, shooting games, VR games, claw machines, redemption games, and multiplayer options. It is located in the city center of Zandvoort, near the beach and race track.

Circus Zandvoort, also known as the Circus Theater, is an entertainment complex in the center of Zandvoort, North Holland. The Heino family had operated amusement facilities in Zandvoort since the 1940s. Founder Heino sr. began placing slot machines in cafés during the Second World War and after the war founded the company Play-In. In the ballroom of the former hotel-restaurant Zomerlust, amusement machines originally from the American army were operated. Initially these machines were only present during the summer months, but from the end of the 1950s the arcade remained open year-round. In 1985, architect Sjoerd Soeters designed a new postmodern entertainment complex for the site. To make room for the new building, Zomerlust was demolished. Construction began in 1986, carried out by Aannemingsmaatschappij P. Bot & Zoon, with structural design guided by Bouwadvies Strackee and Ingenieursburo Grabowsky & Poort. The complex was completed and officially opened in 1991. In 1994, a film hall opened in the complex, operating under the name Circus Cinema with 88 seats. Around 1997, several properties on Gasthuisplein were purchased by Leo Heino to expand the entertainment center. In 2017, the cinema had to close due to disappointing visitor numbers and high operating costs. Afterwards the hall was used occasionally by Filmclub Zandvoort, which organized film evenings for the less fortunate. An increase in the gambling tax to nearly 38% made profitable operation of the entire entertainment complex increasingly difficult. In November 2024, it was announced that owner Bas Heino had sold the complex to Gamestate and real estate investor Payam Partovi. As of April 2025, Gamestate became the new operator. With an area of 2,000 m², this became the company's largest location and also its first with a cinema. After a renovation, the complex reopened for the summer season in July 2025. The film hall was also brought back into use, at that time the only cinema in Zandvoort. In September 2024, Circus Zandvoort was named the ugliest building in the Netherlands by the YouTube channel "Weet je dat ook weer," with 28.8% of the votes. Some Zandvoort residents found it hideous, while others maintained that the building is so familiar that it simply belongs. The 2026 book "Treurtrips, (Her)ontdek Nederland!" also criticized the building, writing: "There is hardly a building in the Netherlands to imagine that is so wonderfully ugly as this leisure palace with casino, cinema and arcade. Look, the old center of Zandvoort is quite nice, but in the early 1990s architect Sjoerd Soeters designed a building that is so utterly misplaced there that you can only wonder where on earth it went wrong."

• 2025

  In April, Gamestate becomes the new operator; in July, the complex reopens after renovation.

• 2024

  In November, owner Bas Heino sells the complex to Gamestate and Payam Partovi.

• 2017

  The cinema closes due to disappointing visitor numbers and high operating costs.

• 1997

  Leo Heino purchases properties on Gasthuisplein to expand the entertainment center.

• 1994

  A film hall opens, operating as Circus Cinema with 88 seats.

• 1991

  The complex is completed and officially opened.

• 1986

  Construction begins, carried out by Aannemingsmaatschappij P. Bot & Zoon.

• 1985

  Sjoerd Soeters designs a new postmodern entertainment complex; Zomerlust is demolished.

• 1950

  From the end of the 1950s, the arcade in Zomerlust remains open year-round.

• 1940

  Heino sr. begins placing slot machines in cafés during World War II.

A family entertainment center combining arcade gaming and cinema in a distinctive postmodern building in central Zandvoort.

• Arcade games (30+)

  Includes racing games, shooting games, VR games, claw machines, redemption games, and multiplayer games.

• Circus Cinema

  An 88-seat film hall, reopened in 2025 as the only cinema in Zandvoort.

• VR experiences

  Virtual reality gaming adventures.

1. 1Game Hall Zandvoort | The best arcade with 50+ games!gamestate.com
2. 2Circus Zandvoort - Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3Circus Zandvoort - Wikipedianl.wikipedia.org