We are less than 2 months away from the yearly visit to the industry’s most anticipated event of the year: Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE).
During last year’s edition, the city of Amsterdam was entirely dedicated to the iteration of ADE, selling out the conference for the tenth consecutive year and breaking all sorts of records, totaling 550 speakers, over 2,200 artists in more than 140 venues, 1,000 events and approximately 375,000 visitors.
This year, ADE returns stronger and bigger than ever, armed with the intention of breaking more records and showcasing the best and the latest of the worldwide electronic music world. Taking place from the 18th to the 22nd of October, ADE is set to feature around 2500 performers, an all-time record number, playing in over 140 locations around Amsterdam.
6AM cannot wait to be back in the beautiful city of Amsterdam to report on what is undoubtedly our most anticipated event of the year. Below are 5 key reasons why we believe ADE truly is our favorite techno event of the year:
A SMALL portion of the DE 2016 lineup
It doesn’t matter whether you like EDM, Trance, House or are, like us, heavy into both the harder and more mesmerizing and hypnotic sides of techno: ADE has it all. While not every single DJ and Live act in the world will be performing, it suffices to say that the lineup is large and diverse enough to cover almost every single need and want of almost every electronic music fan out there.
From a techno perspective you can count on giants the likes of Awakenings, Reaktor Events and Verknipt to bring the heat with monster lineups featuring some of the best there is. Looking for something a little “lighter”? HYTE, Life and Death, Innervisions, Afterlife, Circoloco and Diynamic all have showcases scheduled, and these are just a small fractions of the parties available to you across the five days of the festival.
When it is all said and done, ADE truly offers the most comprehensive and expansive lineup of any event of its kind in the globe. Period.
Gashouder, the home of Awakenings
As diverse as the lineups themselves, the over 140 locations that will be hosting party events throughout Amsterdam range significantly in size, type and scope.
From the N1 festival grounds of Dockyard to the smaller cafés housing the smaller events in the city, and from the iconic Gashouder to the Warehouse Elemenstraat and every other venue in between including favorites such as Melkweg, Radion, Mediahaven, NDSM and more, you will experience a wide variety of options that range from massive to small, from outdoor to indoor and from club experience to legitimate warehouse spaces. Simply put: there is something for everybody as far as ADE venues go.
ADE Conference
ADE is much, much more than just a multi-venue music festival. ADE consists of a conference (day), festival (night) and playground (day & night) program. Which basically means that the city of Amsterdam is all about electronic music for five day and nights, with events in around 140 locations.
Of course, ADE is about having fun. But it also means business. Which is why over 7,000 professional delegates from all over the world visit ADE to network and exchange ideas. Most of them are working in the field of electronic music, but ADE also attracts numerous delegates from outside the scene. Whether you’re looking for examples of great branding, innovative technology or just the latest musical trends, ADE has you covered with their multiple conference tracks.
ADE features lots of daytime events for (electronic) music enthusiasts. If you’re planning on visiting one or more parties, why not stay a little bit longer? Chances are great that one of your favorite artists is doing a MusicTalk. Gear freak or aspiring musician? You can try out the latest equipment for free at multiple locations throughout the centre or attend one of the many workshops during ADE week.
by Maurice Vinken / www.kleurstof.eu
When we say that the entire city transforms into a literal ADE playground we are not joking. We mean it quite literally. It is basically impossible to walk 2 minutes in the city without seeing one of the all-too-familiar ADE banners hanging proudly on the side of a canal or towering over one of the many bridges that cross them.
In fact, ADE has launched an actual Playground that provides entertainment, engagement and plenty of surprises for the legions of electronic music fans visiting Amsterdam for ADE. The mostly free daytime program features a wealth of dance music-related exhibitions, films, documentaries, DJ showcases, gear master classes and artist MusicTalks, taking place across Amsterdam’s five main districts, utilizing historical locations and unique venues across the city.
The city in-and-of-itself is one of the most beautiful and singularly unique in the world. With its iconic canals, beautiful museums, tulip-laden streets, effervescent neighborhood markets and laissez-faire approach to life, Amsterdam is one of the world’s most coveted tourist destinations for a reason. Its nightlife culture is one of the best in the world, rivaling other major cities such as London and Berlin, thanks to an official city government approach that values its nighttime scene and promotes it through policies of safety and education, rather than through the proven unworkable solutions of bans and restrictions.
What can we say about the people of Amsterdam? They are welcoming, they are beautiful, and they sure know how to party. Alright, they may be some of the average tallest in the world, making it slightly uncomfortable in a crowd at first, but they are also some of the friendliest you can find on any dance floor and on any continent.
Joking aside, while at ADE you will immediately realize that the Dutch have nightlife and electronic music ingrained in their culture, and that partying truly knows no age in Amsterdam. You will rub shoulders and share dancing space with 18-year-olds and 60-year-olds alike, all sharing a common love for electronic music, a love that has been a part of the Dutch DNA for generations.
The amazing atmosphere of each dance floor is then complemented by techno and house fans and visitors from the world over, making it for an experience unlike any other in this world of electronic music we call home.
It’s not too late to make your ADE plans. Head here for festival/conference tickets, and take advantage of ADE’s travel partnerships to plan your trip!
Head here for all of 6AM’s ADE 2017 news, feature and ticket giveaway coverage.
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