ADE: Looking back at three decades of gathering
· re:union Radio editorial · 1 min read
Founded in 1996, Amsterdam Dance Event has grown into a major international gathering for club culture, industry panels, and networking.
Founded in 1996 by Richard Zijlma alongside Dutch copyright organisation BumaStemra, Amsterdam Dance Event began with a handful of club nights at Paradiso, Melkweg, and Club Escape accompanying a music business meet. In 2025, the gathering welcomed more than 600,000 visitors to over 1,200 events featuring around 3,500 artists.
Evolution and programming
The five-day gathering links club shows, conferences, and workshops. Key programme highlights include:
- Eight Awakenings events at SugarFactory featuring DJ Gigola, Jeff Mills, Prospa, and Ben Klock
- A 55-hour Spielraum marathon at Club RAUM with Dasha Rush, Kittin, and The Hacker
- Two five-hour appearances by KI/KI at Ziggo Dome
- Concerts such as Jean-Michel Jarre's opening performance and Zohar's Crawler project alongside Harry Castle at Muziekgebouw
- The Swan Lake Remixed opening concert featuring the Dutch National Ballet at Gashouder
Talent development and networking
Alongside major partner festivals such as DGTL, Into The Woods, Mystic Garden, and Dockyard, conference sessions explore sync rights, artificial intelligence record labels, and production workshops hosted by ADE Lab. This educational platform includes studio sessions and masterclasses through formats like ADE Lab On Track.
On an operational level, the organisation collaborates with city officials, implementing extended metro schedules to assist clubbers returning home. Artists also use the platform for community initiatives, such as DJ Bone raising funds for the Rainbow Soulclub foundation through dedicated events.
Source: DJ Mag
