Running from October 21–25, 30 YEARS ADE gathers over 3,600 artists, 1,300+ events across 300 venues, thousands of global visitors to celebrate three decades of music, innovation, and culture.
Today marks the official opening of the 30 YEARS ADE anniversary of the Amsterdam Dance Event. Over the next five days and nights, the Dutch capital transforms into the world’s largest and most influential club festival and business conference for electronic music. The 22-story A’DAM Toren on the IJ waterfront illuminates Amsterdam’s skyline with a bespoke lights display, started the Tuesday before ADE and running every night through Sunday.
The Amsterdam Dance Event kicks off the first night with an iconic series of 30 YEARS ADE opening specials that push the boundaries of electronic music culture. One of the highlights of the evening is the sold-out Swan Lake Remixed for ADE at the iconic Gashouder, where the Dutch National Ballet and ISH Dance Collective bring together classical ballet, modern dance, and electronic compositions.
Jean-Michel Jarre celebrated as 30 YEARS ADE Guest of Honour
French electronic music pioneer Jean-Michel Jarre joins ADE as this year’s official Guest of Honour. Jarre’s presence spans both the conference and festival domains:
- ADE Pro dialogues at Felix Meritis: Jarre leads two exclusive appearances, diving into immersive performance and the co-evolution of technology and musical expression.
- Monumental live show at AFAS Live: On Wednesday evening, Jarre headlines an audiovisual live spectacle showcasing state-of-the-art production alongside his revolutionary repertoire.
30 YEARS ADE Icon Series
To mark three decades of cultural legacy, the 30 YEARS ADE Icon Series bridges electronic club culture with classical institutions, multidisciplinary arts, and public space:
- EINDER x Koninklijk Concertgebouworkest: An audiovisual collaboration between multidisciplinary artist Boris Acket and the world-renowned Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, EINDER also features other performances and an exhibition throughout ADE.
- Kybba x Metropole Orkest at Melkweg: High-energy dancehall, bass, and Latin sounds orchestrated live with the Grammy-winning Metropole Orkest.
- Free Pop-Up on Leidseplein with Richie Hawtin, Ogazón, Luigi Madonna and Kristin Velvet: On Thursday 22 October techno innovator Richie Hawtin brings electronic music directly to the streets with a free open-air pop-up event in the heart of Amsterdam’s Leidseplein, joined by Ogazón, Luigi Madonna, and Kristin Velvet.
ADE Lab expands with free-to-access Lab Discovery
Nurturing the next generation of creative talent, ADE Lab at Westergas is restructured into two parallel initiatives, with ADE Lab Discovery as a new free-to-access daily program from Wednesday through Friday. Aspiring creators, producers, and curious fans can test the newest synthesisers, modular gear, and DJ equipment inside the Gear Test Lab, join accessible “Get Into” starter sessions, and attend listening salons at Radio Radio. ADE Lab On Track is the new dedicated, intensive masterclass academy hosting selected emerging performers and producers with direct mentoring from international heavyweights.
Other standout highlights include Sonic Journey: The History of Electronic Dance Music, where Nathan Kofi and Derk Louwes transform The Concertgebouw’s historic Grote Zaal for an immersive, distraction-free deep-listening retrospective about electronic music’s rich history. Over at Melkweg, Dave Clarke Presents: 30 Years of ADE, an ADE staple since year one, curate a no-compromise three-decade lineup across multiple rooms. Dutch acid and trance champion KI/KI makes her solo arena debut at the Ziggo Dome across two consecutive marathon evenings. Wereldmuseum presents: Disco – I’m Coming Out, an interdisciplinary exhibition night exploring the queer, Black, and Latin origins of disco, liberation club culture, and radical dance floors. Lastly, in partnership with the European Space Agency (ESA), artists Halina Rice, Natural Symphony, and Tom Middleton present a cosmic spatial-sound and visual performance beneath the Planetarium dome for Signals: Hearing a Changing Planet, exploring climate systems and planetary connection.
The full program can be found on ADE’s website.
1996—2026: 30 Years of Driving Electronic Music Forward
Over the past three decades, ADE has grown to become the most influential breeding ground for electronic music; building the framework that helped a new genre to be recognised worldwide as an art form and a thriving business, into what is now an immense global industry. More specials, initiatives and events celebrating 30 Years of ADE will be unveiled throughout the coming months.
About the Amsterdam Dance Event Foundation
The Amsterdam Dance Event Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to nurturing electronic music, its culture and its industry worldwide. The organisation devotes itself to stimulating development, innovation and talent, gathering the global industry and laying a foundation for future generations. The Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE), an initiative of Buma, has grown into the world’s largest and most influential club-based festival and conference for electronic music. The event continues to grow and develop each year, featuring over 3,600 artists throughout 1,300+ events in over 300 venues. The five-day event features every conceivable aspect of electronic music culture, with dedicated conference programming, an extensive Arts & Culture programme, live music and DJ/artist performances, all spread across the city of Amsterdam. More information about ADE can be found here.
ADE – Electronic Music Gathers Here
The Amsterdam Dance Event is organised by The Amsterdam Dance Event Foundation.
Founding partner: BumaStemra | Main partner: Heineken
Contact
For more information or media partnerships contact Nikki McNeill.
nikki@globalpublicity.co.uk