25 years of ADE Festival

Since 1996, Amsterdam Dance Event has grown to the world’s biggest and most expansive club festival, showcasing the full spectrum of electronic subgenres and a broad range of electronic music artists, from pioneers to upcoming talent.

ADE Campaign 2018 (2018)Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE)

ADE Festival (1996)Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE)

First edition

With just 11 venues, the 1996 edition started out as a modest version of what we know today.

ADE Festival program, 1996, From the collection of: Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE)
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ADE Festival Locations 1996, From the collection of: Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE)
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ADE Festival, 1996, From the collection of: Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE)
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ADE Festival, 1996, From the collection of: Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE)
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Tiësto, 1999, From the collection of: Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE)
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Hotel Arena, 2002, From the collection of: Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE)
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DJ Dana, 2003, From the collection of: Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE)
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Festival Poster ADE 2004, 2004, From the collection of: Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE)
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Mark Broom, 2004, From the collection of: Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE)
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Armin van Buuren, 2004, From the collection of: Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE)
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ADE Festival Locations 2005, From the collection of: Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE)
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Paul van Dyk, 2007, From the collection of: Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE)
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ADE 2007 CommercialAmsterdam Dance Event (ADE)

ADE 2007 Commercial

A'DAM Toren (2013)Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE)

By 2010, ADE has grown to the world’s biggest club festival, welcoming over 100.000 visitors to the city of Amsterdam for the first time in its run and every district turning black and yellow, from the center to its outskirts.

ADE 2010 Commercial (2010)Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE)

Palmbomen, 2010, From the collection of: Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE)
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Carl Cox @ Paradiso, 2011, From the collection of: Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE)
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David Guetta, 2011, From the collection of: Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE)
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Miss Nine, 2011, From the collection of: Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE)
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ADE Festival Locations 2012, From the collection of: Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE)
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Awakenings Gashouder, 2012, From the collection of: Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE)
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ADE Festival, 2013, From the collection of: Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE)
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Ziggo Dome, 2013, From the collection of: Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE)
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Black Coffee @ RADION, Tim Buiting, 2015, From the collection of: Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE)
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Amsterdam Music Festival (AMF), Vincent van den Boogaard, 2015, From the collection of: Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE)
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A Made Up Sound - Boilerroom @ Pllek, Max Kneefel, 2016, From the collection of: Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE)
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Martin Garrix, 2016, From the collection of: Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE)
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Colin Benders @ Melkweg, 2016, From the collection of: Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE)
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Strafwerk, Mark Richter, 2017, From the collection of: Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE)
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Sexyland, Marco Scheurink, 2018, From the collection of: Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE)
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ADE Festival, 2019, From the collection of: Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE)
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This is Psychedelic @ The Box, 2019, From the collection of: Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE)
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For All Who Love @ De Duif, Dennis Bouwman, 2019, From the collection of: Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE)
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ADE Festival, Niels de Vries, 2019, From the collection of: Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE)
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Gay ADE @ The Queen's Head, Mark Richter, 2019, From the collection of: Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE)
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ADE Festival Locations 2019, From the collection of: Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE)
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Club Escape (2000)Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE)

The Transformation of the ADE Logo

The now all too familiar ADE logo started taking shape in 2006 with the famous ADE lettering being introduced this year, followed by the yellow cube in 2010. 

Melkweg, 2004, From the collection of: Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE)
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Paradiso, 2008, From the collection of: Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE)
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ADE Light Cube, From the collection of: Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE)
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ADE Light Cube, From the collection of: Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE)
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Rijksmuseum Bicycle Passage (2017)Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE)

Unique locations

In collaboration with a multitude of festival organisers, ADE has been represented in Amsterdam's most iconic cultural monuments, introducing dance music to these locations for the first time ever.

Richie Hawtin Official Opening Event @ Nieuwmarkt, Mark Richter, 2017, From the collection of: Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE)
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Stephan Bodzin @ Scheepsvaartmuseum, Audio Obscura, 2018, From the collection of: Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE)
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Boys Noize G-Star RAW Rave @ Rijksmuseum Bicycle Passage, Ben Houdijk, 2019, From the collection of: Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE)
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Lucien Foort @ Waalse Kerk, 2010, From the collection of: Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE)
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Sugar Factory Presents Martin Kohlstedt @ Waalse Kerk, Joris Raaijman, 2017, From the collection of: Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE)
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Henrik Schwarz & Metropole Orchestra (2016) by Tom DomsAmsterdam Dance Event (ADE)

Live Music

In 2016, the first edition of ADE Live took place; a two-day festival where visitors and professionals discover the latest electronic live acts and honor established names. In the same year the first ADE opening concert took place. It was the first performance of the Metropole Orchestra at ADE, together with Henrik Schwarz. Later they performed during the opening concerts of later editions with Jameszoo, Colin Benders and SOHN.

Live Music ADE 2019 (2019)Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE)

‘Symphony: The Global Revolution of Dance’ with Hardwell & The Metropole Orchestra, Piet van Strijp, 2018, From the collection of: Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE)
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Roisin Murphy @ ADE Live, 2018, From the collection of: Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE)
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Nihiloxica @ Felabration, 2018, From the collection of: Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE)
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Canto Ostinato, Coen van Tartwijk, 2015, From the collection of: Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE)
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Nihiloxica @ Felabration, Niels de Vries, 2019, From the collection of: Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE)
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De Staat @ G-Star RAW Rave, Ben Houdijk, 2019, From the collection of: Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE)
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ADE Hangover (2019)Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE)

ADE Hangover

In 2017, the completely freely accessible ADE Hangover has been introduced to serve as the perfect ending of an up-tempo week. The NDSM wharf is filled with art installations, hot tubs, a vinyl market, food and beer, people can enjoy a program of live bands, DJ's and much more.

ADE Hangover, 2019, From the collection of: Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE)
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ADE Hangover, 2019, From the collection of: Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE)
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Credits: Story

ADE is a platform for dance culture and electronic music since 1996, made possible by thousands of artists, fans and professionals, 200+ venues in Amsterdam. We would like to thank all the artists, promotors, venues, photographers and crew that have made all these highlights and thousands of other events possible over the years. If you want to contribute to ADE please get in touch with the Amsterdam Dance Event Foundation www.amsterdam-dance-event.nl. 

Credits: All media
The story featured may in some cases have been created by an independent third party and may not always represent the views of the institutions, listed below, who have supplied the content.
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A brief history of electronic music
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