The Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE) celebrated its 28th edition, welcoming a record number of 500,000 visitors throughout its Festival and Conferences, which took place over five days and nights. The event featured 2,900+ artists at over 1,000 events and initiatives taking place in over 200 locations across the city, and it sold 650,000 tickets. Moreover, right after the end of this year's edition, the event organisers announced the next year’s edition of ADE, that will take place October 16—20, 2024.
ADE has grown to become the most important and influential breeding ground for electronic music culture and talent. This year’s program showcased a wide array of electronic music subgenres, live music, and cultural crossovers throughout its Festival and Arts & Culture programs, focusing on a diverse and inclusive offering both in terms of artist roster and audiences.
Notable events included the opening event at Rijksmuseum by upsammy, Metropole Orkest & Tinlicker, a one-off b2b between KI/KI and Armin van Buuren, and social impact events by Music Moves. Familiar staples such as Speedy J’s STOOR, Audio Obscura, Martin Garrix’ 18+ and All Ages events, also saw their return to ADE, alongside new collaborations such as Andalusisch Orkest x Mary Lake and Het HEM x Horst.
In addition to the variety of festival events, the ADE Pro Conference extended its programming to four days this year. The conference welcomed global artists and influential companies to Felix Meritis to cover the strategies, opportunities, and responsibilities that define the music industry. Global industry leaders and tech experts from companies like Google, TuneCore, SEG, Spotify, TikTok, YouTube, and Beatport offered real insider knowledge to attendees. ADE Startups, a new platform for innovative startups, was also launched, and international event organizers gathered for a discussion on the future of festivals.
ADE Lab, the talent development gathering for young artists and professionals, had a successful sophomore edition. Over 2,000 young artists, producers, and aspiring professionals learned from world-class artists and had the opportunity to create music together, receive feedback on their work, and compete in demo drops.
Images Credit: Global Publicity Press