ADE Will Host Some Limited Capacity Live Events

A month and a half after announcing its conference will take place in an “online-first format,” Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE) has revealed it will host several limited capacity live events. Among the events will indeed be some shows. 

ADE, held annually in October, unveiled the first five participating venues on its website and social media platforms last week.  

“A select number of Covid-proof seated concerts and cross-cultural projects under the ADE Specials banner is set to take place in Amsterdam in close coordination with the city council,” ADE stated on Wednesday. 

“The ADE team has worked hard to be able to deliver the best possible ADE experience while ensuring public health and government guidelines.”

The five Amsterdam venues participating so far are Bimhuis, Concertgebouw, Melkweg, Paradiso and Paradiso Noord. Programming and ticket details will be released in the coming weeks, along with more venues. In addition to the venues hosting “multidisciplinary concerts and projects,” ADE is presenting “a virtual celebration of dance culture for a global audience.” The digital content will include “DJ sets, artist talks, studio tours, masterclasses, artistic cross-overs, a film program and much more on a brand new, freely accessible online platform.”

ADE’s ‘Online-First Format’ Decision

In May when Dutch Health Minister Hugo de Jonge stated that massive events would only be possible with a Covid-19 vaccine, organizers reportedly continued to prepare for ADE. But in late July, ADE announced that the conference would take the form of an extended digital program with “limited physical networking elements.” Organizers based the decision on the pandemic limiting travel to Amsterdam for the broader international audience.

In pre-Covid years, the ADE Festival brought more than 2,500 artists across dance music genres to Amsterdam’s nightlife venues. Last year, the festival drew 400,000 visitors to nearly 200 venues. The conference and festival traditionally include more than 1,000 events combined. 

Last Thursday, ADE dropped the first confirmed speakers for the conference. Grammy award-winning singer-singer James Blake will talk with mental health expert Jennie Morton about creativity and depression. The “Queen of Sample Clearance” Deborah Mannis-Gardner will hold a workshop on clearing music for sync usage. Other speakers include BBC Radio 1 DJ Jaguar, Bandcamp’s Aly Gillani, VEVO’s Claudia de Wolff, music industry entrepreneur Merck Mercuriadis, and VFX specialist and filmmaker Angelo White.

A Digital Pro Pass for ADE, taking place October 21 to 25, costs €75. Purchase passes here.