DJ LIFE is cutting through the noise to highlight the best of ADE 2025’s 3,300-plus artists and 1,200 events.
Amsterdam, NL – The world of electronic music makers, enablers, and fans are set to take to the canals once again for a week of parties, networking, and knowledge sharing as part of the 2025 iteration of Amsterdam Dance Event, which runs from Oct 22–26.
Part city-wide music festival, part professional conference, the five-day affair serves as Europe’s de facto annual summit of clubland denizens big and small. This year’s installment represents its biggest lineup ever, boasting a record 3,300-plus artists playing at 1,200 events spread across nearly 250 venues around the city. If there’s a dance-music-adjacent person you’re trying to catch, you’re statistically likely to do so. Now, whether that happens when they’re at a club or on the street necking a stroopwafel is a toss-up.
It’s a marathon week for all attending, so DJ LIFE is cutting through the noise for you by breaking down the key highlights of this year’s ADE offerings.
Conference Highlights
The conference portion of the event, dubbed ADE Pro, offers programming in the form of talks, Q&As, fireside chats, and more with movers and shakers of electronic music, both in and out of the booth. These chats are complemented by ADE Lab events (also accessible with an ADE Lab Pass), letting interested creators take in-depth courses from industry experts and participate in hands-on workshops led by working artists like Ron Trent and Octo Octa.
ADE Pro pass holders should check out the full schedule of conference programming to plot out what’s most relevant to them: whether that’s their current career needs like navigating music licensing complexities and digital distribution tips, or just checking out their favorite artists’ intimate Q&As.
A few we’re definitely checking out:
Beyond the Dance Floor | The Power of Diversification and The Story Behind Sasha and Leonardo da Vinci – Thursday, Oct 23 – 2:30 PM – Felix Meritis
A Fireside Chat with DJ-Kicks’ Modeselektor & Eris Drew – Thursday, Oct 23 – 4:00 PM – Felix Meritis
Festival Highlights
The sheer size of ADE’s party and artist lineup may give a raver vertigo upon first glance, with a sea of daytime, nighttime, and early morning offerings across just about any electronic music genre imaginable. Given the five-day, full-scale Amsterdam takeover, it’s never a bad plan to wander around and just stick your neck into the nearest door when you feel a subwoofer rumbling. However, for those who want to approach their revelry with a bit more organization, check our picks below and the full schedule here.
Wednesday, Oct 22
Ultra Naté’s Deep Sugar – Palladium Amsterdam
There’s always a certain magic and je nais se quois to the Wednesday night parties of ADE. Trending less toward all-night ragers in favor of more casual, understated energy that’s fueled by the excitement of the week kicking off properly, the pre-Thursday parties are a time to get settled in by – somewhat unintuitively – heading out to simply catch some quality music.
Ultra Naté’s showcase is one of the best options for the opening evening this go around, bringing unadulterated house royalty to the Palladium Amsterdam restaurant for a sleek early ADE rendezvous. Ultra Naté herself will be spinning back-to-back with DJ Spen, while clubland veteran Fat Tony, Detroit maven DJ Minx, and Amsterdam’s own Lady Deep round out other highlights of the lineup.
ubiyu invites – Borisov
Austin, Texas-based record label and party series ubiyu is making the long journey from the Lone Star State to the canals of Amsterdam for their first-ever ADE showing, with Giammarco Orsini, DJ Senc, E.Lina, Boss Priester, and Robert Roman taking over the decks at Borisov for the evening. For the uninitiated, the label often delves between different sides of the deeper end of house and tech-house, with sculpted, punchy drums bringing together a groovy sonic identity. If you’re in town ahead of the weekend madness, it’s worth coming through to check out a sampling of Austin’s unexpected underground club scene.
Thursday, Oct 23
Ellen Allien presents Vinylism – Radio Radio
Germany’s club queen is bringing her vinyl-only event series back to ADE this year, offering revelers an early evening at Radio Radio to pregame the official start to the Dutch weekend. Allien’s known for being a diverse selector, pairing Berlin-born techno cuts with risky, off-kilter obscurities, with a vinyl set sure to bring out even more unexpected dancefloor oddities. She’s flanked this year by sets from DJ Europarking, Freddy K B2B Olivia Mendez, Sterac, and more.
House of EFunk: House of Rhonda – Onder Hans
America’s East Coast and West Coast collide on Thursday when Brooklyn duo Soul Clap and Los Angeles’ A Club Called Rhonda party series join forces for a night of groovy, polysexual hedonism and a stacked lineup. A few highlights: Berlin’s Cinthie is on tap for wide-eyed shufflers looking for raved up heaters, while Jamie 3:26 is primed to deliver a celebration of Chicago House across soulful vocal tracks and deeply melodic grooves. Zeynep Erbay’s remix of Soul Clap and The Egyptian Lover’s “Hai Karate” has remained a highlight of 2025, so don’t sleep on her set.
Friday, Oct 24
Job Jobse – Hemkade 48
Hometown hero Job Jobse is playing across the city at three different ADE parties, but his show at the Hemkade warehouse on Friday is particularly exciting. Jobse has made a name for himself as a party-ready chameleon, able to play huge stages and deliver sets seemingly tailor-made for any event he’s playing. His headlining show of the week will see him play a four-hour set, allowing attendees to go on a full-tilt Jobse journey.
Sorry to trigger your undiagnosed FOMO, but, as of press time, this party’s already sold out. However, if you’ve got an ADE Pro badge, you might be able to get in if you head out early.
20 Years of Dave Clarke Presents – Melkweg
Dave Clarke’s annual party at Melkweg remains an absolute essential stop for ADE partygoers each year. Considering 2025 marks the 20th anniversary of the legendary event, the techno legend has booked a particularly stellar lineup for the festivities. Brash hardware techno and electro is on deck all evening, with Marcel Dettman and Helena Hauff representing highlights from the DJ portion of the lineup while eclectic Detroit duo Dopplereffekt’s live set is one to make sure to catch. Clarke himself is set to open and close the evening, so get there early and stay late.
Saturday, Oct 25
Intercell x Eris Drew & Octo Octa – Bajes Amsterdam
Separately, Eris Drew and Octo Octa are must-see DJs on any lineup. Together, their back-to-back sets have packed dancefloors across the globe. An extended five-hour set from the pair taking place in a former Dutch prison? What else needs to be said? Expect a full-body exploration of the full spectrum of clubland, from house to breaks to rave and everything beyond and in between.
Madam invites Detroit Love – Madam
For those wanting to take a break from the literal underground in favor of a sky-high party experience, Carl Craig’s Detroit Love is taking over the 20th floor of the A’DAM Tower for a full-throated European celebration of the Motor City. He’s bringing along fellow Detroit legends Moodymann and DJ Minx for an evening that’s going until 5 AM, so prepare accordingly.
Sunday, Oct 26
Todd Terry & Friends – Het Sieraad
If your feet are still functioning on Sunday night after five days of cobblestone streets and sunset-to-sunrise evenings, bring your Amsterdam trip to a close with a night of legendary New York house. This year’s installment of the annual ADE party is billed as a special celebration of Terry’s famed Freeze Records, which promises an evening of bouncing basslines and big vocals. This year’s lineup boasts two full rooms of programming, with Terry joined by ROOG, Majestic, Lovely Laura & Ben Santiago, and more.
Go to amsterdam-dance-event.nl for more information on Amsterdam Dance Event.