ADE 2025 Second Wave

ADE 2025: Second Wave Lands, Sugarfactory Debut for Awakenings, Culture in High Definition

Amsterdam Dance Event has dropped its second-wave announcement and the scope is, once again, absurd - in the best possible way. We’re now north of 1,200 artists with 450+ events already locked, and the citywide spreadsheet clearly still has tabs left to fill. Names span the spectrum: Jeff Mills, Moodymann, Ben UFO, Indira Paganotto, TOKiMONSTA, Seth Troxler, Chris Stussy, Sally C, DJ Pierre, and many, many more. ADE’s familiar yellow glow backed by serious depth across scenes and tempos. If you needed a sign to block out October 22–26, this is it.‍

Awakenings, up close: Sugarfactory is the new techno address

This year’s headline venue shake-up: Awakenings trades the cavernous Gashouder for Sugarfactory, a 19th-century industrial site near Sloterdijk, turning its ADE series into a tighter, more tactile affair. Seven shows across five days bring Drumcode, Spectrum, Exhale and more into a space designed for pressure and proximity, the kind that makes kick drums feel like handshakes. The move follows Gashouder’s temporary renovation closure and reads like a creative pivot rather than a compromise: less spectacle, more sensation.‍

Arts, culture, and the “only-at-ADE” venues

Beyond the clubs, ADE continues to flex its cultural muscle. ZeeZout takes over the Concertgebouw, yes, the gold-and-velvet temple of classical music, for a one-off that fuses club night dynamics with concert hall acoustics (Carista, Eris Drew & Octo Octa, Young Marco). It’s the kind of collision that keeps ADE singular.

Meanwhile, ZERØBPM parks a 39.5-hour ambient meditation marathon inside Thomaskerk (bring water, leave your sense of time), while Intercell is basically speed-running the city with 16 events in five days. Also back: the Bajes/Levenslang prison complex, now a certified rave playground - and the Veronica Schip, Amsterdam’s legendary pirate-radio vessel turned floating micro-venue. ADE remains unbeatable at venue storytelling; there’s nowhere else you can dance in a courtroom yesterday and a rave tomorrow.

ADE Pro, now with a new home base

On the conference side, ADE Pro levels up with talks and masterclasses from Skepta & Más Tiempo, Eris Drew & Modeselektor (DJ-Kicks at 30), Luke Slater & Chris Liebing, Nicole Moudaber, and teams behind No Art and Tomorrowland Brasil, a sharp snapshot of where the business and the culture meet. The Pro program also expands into Rosewood Amsterdam with a new Business Hub, signaling ADE’s intent to keep executive-level networking as premium as the programming. (Rates recently stepped up from the previous tier, if you’re Pro-curious, don’t linger.)‍

Zooming out

This “second wave” is only the halftime whistle: ADE projects 3,000+ artists across 1,000+ events by October’s end. Add the first-ever No Art ADE Festival (Taets Art & Event Park) and ADE Lab’s free, public Lab Village at Westerpark, and you’ve got a citywide laboratory for every corner of electronic music, from headline techno to quiet, glowing experiments. Amsterdam doesn’t just host club culture; for five days, it is club culture.

ADE 2025 runs October 22–26 across Amsterdam. Full lineup, tickets, and passes are live on the ADE site.

Quick Hits (bookmark these)

• Awakenings → Sugarfactory: intimate, industrial, and stacked all week.
• ZeeZout @ Concertgebouw: club night meets concert hall - gorgeous and already hot.
• Intercell x16: five days, sixteen signatures - catch at least one.
• Ambient marathon @ Thomaskerk: 39.5 hours of deep drift.
• Bajes/Levenslang & Veronica Schip: iconic spaces, back in the mix.

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Among the second wave of artists and DJs are:AAT (NL), Adiel (IT), Afra (NL), Akua (US), Amaliah (GB), Ammara (GB), Anetha (FR), Anfisa Letyago (RU), Azyr (GB), BABii (GB), Bae Blade (DE), Bart Skils (NL), BELLA (NL), Ben UFO (GB), Benjamin Berg (NL), Benny Rodrigues (NL), BIIA (PT), Blackchild (IT), Bullet Tooth (GB), Burnski (GB), CARISTA (NL), Carl Craig (US), Cera Khin (TN), CHAMOS (NL), Chloé Caillet (FR), Chris Stussy (NL), Danilo Plessow (DE), Dasha Rush (RU), Deer Jade (CH), Dennis Quin (NL), DJ AYA (CH), DJ Jean (NL), DJ Michelle (IT), DJ Pierre (US), DJ Tennis (IT), Ellen Allien (DE), Enrico Sangiuliano (IT), Entasia (AU), Essy (NL), Estella Boersma (NL), EYCEE (NL), Fantasm (FR), Faster Horses (GB), Fenrick (BE), Fiene (NL), FJAAK (DE), Fka.m4a (DE), Francis Mercier (US), FRANCK (GB), FS Green (NL), Fukhed (AU), Gabrielle Kwarteng (US), Guy J (IL), Hannah Laing (GB), Héctor Oaks (DE), Indira Paganotto (ES), JakoJako (DE), Jasmín (NL), Jeff Mills (US), Jenny Cara (CH), JOPLYN (DE), Joris Voorn (NL), Joseph Capriati (IT), Kamma (NL), Katy Horwitz (GB), Kikelomo (GB), KiNK (BG), Kitty Amor (GB), Kyle Starkey (GB), Kyra Khaldi (NL), Lilly Palmer (DE), Linska (GB), Lisa Korver (NL), Lizz V (NL), lola cerise (FR), Lola Palmer (UA), Lovefoxy (DE), Lucky Done Gone (NL), Luke Slater (GB), mad miran (NL), Mahmut Orhan (TR), Masalo (NL), MCR-T (DE), Mind Against (IT), Modeselektor (DE), Moody Mehran (IR), Moodymann (US), Morgan (AU), Naone (KR), Nathan Alzon (FR), Nèna (NL), NEUX (GE), Newtone (NL), Novah (BE), Olivia Lensen (NL), Ollie Lishman (AU), Paolo Rocco (CA), Paul van Dyk (DE), PHIA (NL), Philou Louzolo (NL), Polygonia (DE), PRADA2000 (DE), Prunk (NL), Qrion (JP), Quest (IT), Raresh (RO), Reeshy (GB), Rødhåd (DE), Ryan Elliott (US), S.A.M. (DK), Sally C (GB), Salute (AT), Seth Troxler (US), Slimfit (NL), Soul Mass Transit System (GB), Spacer Woman (TR), THC (CO), Tjade (NL), TOKiMONSTA (US), Toman (NL), TWIENA (NL), Vera Grace (NL), VICTORIA WHYNOT (AR), Vuur (NL), X CLUB. (AU), Yass & Mali (ES), Young Marco (NL), YoungWoman (NL), and many more.

The complete program will be announced in the coming weeks. Individual tickets are available through ADE’s program, and the ADE Pro Pass Available here.

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_{Words: Zvjezdana Lastre for Ibiza Live Radio}