Across five-days of showcases, performances and conference panels, thousands of artists will perform day and night across the city.
After the recent announcement about Absolut's FACET concept and the HDE program it is now time for another overview. This year’s ADE program blends together classical music, alongside (big room) house, dubstep, techno and more. Here is a selection of ten performances not to miss during the festival.
Please note this is a subjective selection, and not a representative of ADE as a whole. Check & personalize the program, look at the list below and plan your week wisely...
Having Philip Glass close out the festival is ADE’s pièce de résistance. The contemporary-classical giant will perform alongside avant-garde composer Laurie Anderson at Melkweg’s Rago Hall on Sunday night in a performance that combines the various disciplines that define their musical history.
Sunday October 23
Melkweg Rago Hall, 8.30 PM
Tickets: €50,- + service fee, available here.
The Dutch National Opera will make its premiere at this year’s ADE in a specially curated performance involving Dutch beat maker Sjamsoedin and classically trained vocalist Anat Spiegel. Taking place for two nights at Noorderlicht, it is recommended tickets are bought in advance as they will sell out.
Wednesday October 19 - Thursday October 20
Noorderlicht, 9 PM - 9.45 PM
Tickets: €15, available here.
At the Amsterdam ArenA on Saturday, multiple EDM heavyweights will come together for a night of titanic dance music. David Guetta, Axwell Λ Ingrosso, Alesso, Hardwell and more, will take over for an AMF special of gigantic proportions.
Saturday October 22
Amsterdam ArenA, 1 PM - Midnight
Tickets: € 79,50 + service fee, available here.
Claire is one of Amsterdam’s latest venues, having taken over the former space of Studio80. Having invited Gilles Peterson to take over Wednesday night’s proceedings, the Worldwide FM DJ is bringing the eclectic tastes of Lefto, Kutmah, Jameszoo and more for a night of global sounds and beats.
Wednesday October 19
Claire, 10 PM - 6 AM
Tickets: € 17,50 + service fee, available here.
Morphine Records’ Rabih Beaini once again brings you some of the maddest, and most exciting music from across the world. This time the Lebanese producer has teamed up with Senyawa -an Indonesian noise band- to form a new, improvised hybrid of cultures and sounds. They will be supported by London based Ash Koosha, whose brilliant new LP I AKA I has been setting a standard for experimental, electronic music worldwide.
Wednesday October 19
Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ, 7.30 PM - midnight
Tickets: € 15 / € 12 (reduced CJP, Stadspas), available here.
Amsterdam’s favourite diggers meet the US counterparts, for a night of obscure brilliance featuring Crash Course in Science – a minimal synth 70s act from Philadelphia – and Severed Heads – an industrial synth band from Australia. Always known for their impeccable selections, with support from Parrish Smith and Mark van de Maat, this is bound to be a night to remember.
Saturday October 22
Oedipus Brewery, 8 PM - 4 AM
Tickets: € 14 + service fee, available here.
It’s a night of experimental, modular madness, and funk-driven beat music. Nobody Beats the Drum’s Sjam Sjamsoedin will show off his modular prowess and dexterity alongside Bűkko Tapes and Bastl Instruments’ expert, HRTL. It’s a night with ‘nerdy people doing cool things’ and ‘cool people doing nerdy things.’ Awanto3 will also be hand supplying a delicious set of characteristic musical styling to carry the party on through the night.
Wednesday October 19
OT301, 10 PM - 3 AM
Tickets: € 8 + service fee / € 10 door, available here.
Our Society will have the Detroit veteran playing all night long at RADION on Sunday with support from one of house music’s freshest and most exciting beatmakers, Byron the Aquarius. It will be a night for adventurous sounds and smooth, fresh music.
Sunday October 23
RADION, 10 PM - 8 AM
Tickets: € 20 + service fee, available here.
The iconic mix series will be celebrating its twentieth anniversary in style at this year’s ADE. Along with a special photo exhibition, they label has rounded up some of its better-known artists to perform for a amazing showcase at the Q-Factory. James Lavelle, Darren Emerson will perform alongside Eelke Kleijn and Habischman as Global Underground celebrates its past while looking to its future.
Thursday October 20
Q-Factory, 10 PM - 7 AM
Tickets: € 25 + service fee, available here.
Always blurring the lines between classical and electronic, Franceso Tristano has teamed up again with Detroit legend Derrick May for a new audio-visual project, P:anorig, a piano shaped installation that provides multiple music queues. Once again, it shows that both respective artists are constantly looking forward, and this will be one show you’ll be hard pressed to catch again.
Saturday October 22
De Marktkantine, 6.30 PM – 9 PM
Tickets: € 15 + service fee, available here.
Photo credits: Coen van Tartwijk
Additional info: