Amsterdam Dance Event is by far the most important yearly event in the electronic music world. Apart from the crazy parties, it also features plenty of meetings, workshops and exhibitions for both artists, hardware and software makers as well as promoters and venue owners.

This October, two of you lucky folks will be going to ADE, all expenses paid, with adidas NMD!

How to Win with adidas NMD

adidas is sending two of you lucky folks to ADE this year, all expenses paid. You get a flight, accommodation and the full ADE pass. All you need to do is buy any pair of the new adidas NMDs (which I wore to ADE last year, and 6 other festivals in Europe!) and punch in the code on NMDwin.com to get in the draw! Winners will be announced on September 15, 2017. You can click on the banner below, or click here, to lear more and enter the draw!

Till then, I will post updates on events and venues I recommend. Good luck everyone, and have a blast!

What’s ADE?

ADE began in 1995, when House, Techno and other electronic music genres became known and beloved worldwide. ADE includes a lot of daytime activities for professionals in the electronic music world, as well as a 5-day nighttime festival.

ADE attracts more than 350,000 people from around the world, and happens in 115 different clubs and venues in Amsterdam. With more than 450 scheduled events, and 2200 artists performing, very few events can compare in terms of scale and importance.

Personal Experience

In 2016, I was lucky enough to attend my first ADE. I was living in Berlin at the time, and decided to take a train and catch the events and nights I was really looking forward to attending. I learned a lot of things last year, which have made me even more excited for this year’s, and will help me be better prepared so I can focus on the fun and music, and less on the logistics preparation.

Getting Around

The first thing you need to know, is unlike other festivals and events, ADE happens all across the beautiful city of Amsterdam, not in just one big location. This means that you need to factor in getting to the venues and clubs, late at night, beforehand.

Unfortunately, most public transport closes at night, and you best option would be a night bus that comes every half an hour or so. Taxis are not the best option either, given that thousands of other people are also looking for a cab, and the lines for taxis are often as long as the lines into the venue! Plus, you will probably get a 1.5x or 2x surge in prices for Ubers, given the incredibly high demand in just a short span of time.

What I would recommend is renting a bike. Amsterdam is one of the most bike-friendly cities I’ve ever been to, and if you’ve ever been, you’ll understand that bikes are the primary mode of transport, not cars, not trains or trams. What’s nice about the Netherlands is that it’s also completely flat, which means if you’re like me, and not a pro-biker, you should be fine biking cross-town without getting the wind knocked out of you.

However, be careful where you park your bike, and make sure you securely lock it. The usefulness and ubiquity of bikes in that city, means bike thieves are a risk you need to factor in, so if you don’t wanna lose your bike rental deposit, make sure you park somewhere safe, close to the venue, and securely lock it.

Choosing the Events You Wanna Attend

We all love the big names in our scene. Who wouldn’t wanna see someone like Dixon or Richie Hawtin? However, often the nicest thing about events like ADE, is the new talent you discover there. I don’t know about you, but I get a lot more excited when I discover a new artist live, than when I watch one of my favorites again.

Make sure you keep checking the ADE program as we get closer to the date. At the time of writing this post, the program was 47% complete, and more and more artists and performances will be announced as we get closer to October.

It Can Get Chilly

Amsterdam can get pretty cold at night, especially if you’ve been dancing all night indoors with thousands of other music lovers. Make sure you get warm clothes with you, and don’t worry, most venues either have a coat check or lockers you can rent to store your backpacks and jackets. Also, get extra socks and clothes if you can, in case you get wet from the rain. It’ll save you going back to your hotel rooms to change!

My Favorite Venues

Gashouder

This is by far my absolute favorite space in Amsterdam (along with the NDSM docklands). It was built in 1902 as a massive tank to store gas, and today, it’s a massive venue that can easily fit up to 3500 people, with a high, arched ceiling. Do try to attend at least one or two events at this iconic Amsterdam venue!

WesterUnie

I love this venue, and it’s right next to Gashouder. Make sure you attend an event here! Then walk across the street to Gashouder!

Clubbing Culture and Respecting Others

Amsterdam is one of my favorite places to party. How many times have people skipped the line in front of you? How many times were the bathrooms too disgusting to use? How many times did you struggle to walk through a crowd while an artist is playing?

Well, all these problems don’t really happen in Amsterdam. Clubbers really respect other clubbers, and always respect other people’s personal space. It’s easy to make your way out of the dance floor if you need a breather, and everyone waits in line at the constantly cleaned toilets. Even getting drinks is easy, where you don’t need to wait for change, but just use the tokens you buy when you rent your locker and make it into the venue.

Food and first aid is also always available, and completely anonymous, so take it easy on the drinking, always take time to rest, eat and take some time to relax a little during your super hectic schedule. Remember, it’s 5 days long, so pace yourselves to make the most out of this experience, and don’t burn your energy out the first night.

Have a Blast

No one does it like the Dutch do, and the electronic music scene there is more than just a night out dancing, but also a cultural one. Many artists debut their new work there, lots of events have first-time collaborations, or something special just for ADE. It’s more than just a festival or night out clubbing, it’s an experience you can’t really get anywhere else in the world.

If you’re like me, and don’t work in the industry, you won’t have to worry about the conferences and workshops, just the festival. So, plan your schedule ahead of time, and enjoy all the other fun and exciting things Amsterdam has to offer in between. Make friends, start conversations with fellow clubbers you meet, and make the most out of those 5 days.

If you plan your logistics and schedule right, you will have an absolutely amazing time at ADE, so do you research, make sure you mark everything on the ADE app to help you keep track, and please be safe and enjoy your time!