ADE 2026 drops its second wave as Amsterdam Dance Event turns 30

Amsterdam, we need to talk. ADE 2026 has dropped its second wave, and the 30th birthday party is shaping up to be massive. Running from 21st to 25th October, Amsterdam Dance Event now has over 1,500 artists confirmed. And it’s barely halfway there.

The fresh batch is stacked. Eric Prydz, Ben Klock, Maceo Plex, Hunee, HAAi and DJ Stingray 313 all land. Kittin & The Hacker, Todd Terry, Âme and BASHKKA join the party too. Oh, and Scooter. Yes, really. How much is the fish? We’ll find out at Ziggo Dome, where ‘SCOOTER CRUSHES ADE’ takes over.

Tom Doms

Enrique Meesters

Big rooms, bigger moments. The Gashouder hosts Eric Prydz, Armin van Buuren b2b Benwal, Job Jobse and MOCHAKK CALLING. Expect huge production and basslines that rattle the old gasworks to its bones. Meanwhile, techno titan Paul Kalkbrenner brings his live show ‘Loveland’ to Theater Amsterdam. Proper goosebumps territory.

ADE has always blurred the line between club and gallery, and ADE 2026 pushes that even further. Het Nationale Ballet and ISH open proceedings with ‘Swan Lake Remixed for ADE’. Boris Acket unveils his huge installation ‘EINDER’. Dome Concerts returns to ARTIS Planetarium and adds Fabrique des Lumières to the mix. Max Cooper and Colin Benders lead the shows there. Even the new ARTIS Aquarium gets involved with an immersive 4DSOUND experience. Fish and techno. We’re in.

Jasper ten Tusscher

Jasper ten Tusscher

The promoters aren’t messing about either. Awakenings unleashes eight shows at the SugarFactory with Adam Beyer, Jeff Mills, JakoJako, Prospa, DJ Gigola and more. SPIELRAUM 55HRS at Club RAUM is the one for the heads, with DVS1, Dasha Rush, Octo Octa, Pariah and Mary Lake. That’s 55 hours of sweaty, low-lit, basement-level groove. Audio Obscura chips in with 40+ artists, including Amelie Lens, LAMMER and WhoMadeWho.

Of course, ADE 2026 isn’t all after-dark action. By day, the ADE Pro Conference gets the brain ticking. Jean-Michel Jarre joins Lady Starlight for ‘Music & Machines’. Marcel Dettmann and Luciano dig into three decades of shaping the sound. Tinie Tempah, Thys from Noisia, Kikelomo and Sofia Kourtesis also take the stage.

Dave Clarke moderates a 30 Years of ADE panel with key figures from the festival’s story. He then joins Boys Noise, BT, Mathame and Portrait XO for a no-BS roundtable on AI. SoundCloud, Google DeepMind, Believe, Troy Carter and Warner Music all share insider knowledge too. Plus, ADE Startups returns with eight music-tech hopefuls picked for the Chorus founder programme.

Thirty years ago, ADE started as a meeting point. Now it’s the beating heart of a global industry. It helped electronic music get taken seriously as both an art form and a business. Not bad for a bunch of ravers.

And the ADE 2026 story isn’t finished yet. The full lineup will top 3,300 artists across 200+ venues. More 30th anniversary specials are still to come.

Five days. Hundreds of venues. One city losing its mind on the dancefloor. This is the one.

ADE 2026 runs from 21st to 25th October across Amsterdam. Grab your tickets and get more info at amsterdam-dance-event.nl now.
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