Thirty years of ADE. One city running on electronic music. On Thursday, 22 October, Amsterdam Dance Event moves deeper into its anniversary edition, bringing conference conversations, artist showcases and club events together across the city.
ADE is not one festival stage or one sound. It is a city-wide meeting point for DJs, producers, labels, promoters, technology makers and the crowds who live for the next record. Day 2 makes that range clear: UK garage at the warehouse, progressive sounds at Paradiso, and industry discussions about who owns music's future and how creative communities can respond to a changing world.
Thursday's essential ADE picks
DGTL Thursday — Eurodance meets UK garage
17:00–23:00 · NDSM Warehouse
DGTL's Thursday programme moves between high-energy club sounds, Eurodance and UK garage. The published lineup includes Benwal, DJ EZ, Dr Dubplate, Helena Lauwaert, LAMMER, Locky, MPH, Olive Anguz and Paige Tomlinson. One of the draws is a first ADE back-to-back from Lammer and Paige Tomlinson.
Official event details and ticket information: ADE programme page.
State OFFF — audiovisual live energy
Paradiso's Thursday programme includes State OFFF's audiovisual live show and a live synth performance from Lawrence Hart. It is a reminder that electronic performance can be as much about visuals, hardware and atmosphere as it is about the DJ booth.
Explore the venue's ADE programme: Paradiso — ADE 2026.
Anjunadeep — deep, progressive and melodic
Anjunadeep is part of Paradiso's Thursday programme, bringing its melodic and progressive identity to ADE. For listeners drawn to emotional builds, detailed production and long-form dance-floor journeys, it offers a different shade of energy from the harder warehouse events.
Check the official venue listing for current details and access information.
The conversations behind the sound
Global South: From Extraction to Exchange
16:00–16:45 · Felix Meritis
This discussion looks at the influence of music scenes across Africa, the Middle East and Latin America, and asks whether opportunity, investment and ownership are travelling across borders as easily as the music itself. Speakers listed include Eli Iwasa, Phiona Okumu and Suhel Nafar, moderated by Leila Fataar.
It is an important conversation for artists and independent platforms everywhere: global popularity is one thing; fair access, sustainable careers and a meaningful share in the value created are another.
The State of Emergency: Music Leaders at the Forefront of Change
11:00–12:00 · Felix Meritis
This ADE Pro panel explores how music communities respond to instability, inequality, displacement and climate breakdown. It asks how cultural networks can turn solidarity into tangible action, and who those networks serve.
Music does not exist in a vacuum. It can bring people together, carry messages across borders and help creative communities organise when the world gets complicated.
Why Day 2 matters
Thursday's programme captures the breadth of ADE: club sounds that cross genres, artists exploring new performance formats, and industry voices questioning how music's value is shared. The dance floor may be the most visible part, but the connections made in conference rooms, studios and label showcases help shape what listeners hear next.
For South African listeners, the Global South conversation is especially relevant. Our music has travelled. The next challenge is ensuring that artists, rights holders and local ecosystems benefit as that influence grows.
After dark: the city becomes the venue
As conference sessions wind down, Amsterdam's club programme takes over. ADE's event calendar spans large industrial spaces, intimate rooms, record-store culture and late-night showcases. Rather than trying to cover every listing, use the official schedule to find the events that match your sound and check venue-specific access and ticket details before setting off.
More Thursday events to explore
- Gashouder Presents: Eric Prydz — check the official ADE listing for the event details.
- KI/KI — Five Hours — see the ADE live programme for the Thursday listing and current status.
- Bizarre Trax x Focal Point — an intimate club setting at Hasta la Vista, Baby!, scheduled 20:00–03:00, with B.love, E.Lina, Jhobei, Oliver.r and Voigtmann listed.
- Explore the full ADE Live programme — use the official listing to browse all Thursday events, venues, lineups and updates.
What Mutha FM is watching
- Genre crossover: UK garage, Eurodance, melodic house and techno continue to share space rather than stay in separate boxes.
- Global music economics: conversations about the Global South put ownership, investment and fair opportunity firmly on the agenda.
- Performance beyond the decks: audiovisual shows and live synth performances keep expanding what an electronic music event can be.
- Local scenes, global reach: ADE shows how the music community is connected across cities, labels, independent stations and dance floors.
The Mutha FM verdict
Day 2 is a reminder that electronic music culture is both a party and an ecosystem. The lineups bring people into rooms; the conversations, collaborations and discoveries can influence the scene long after the lights come up.
From the NDSM Warehouse to Paradiso and Felix Meritis, Thursday offers a snapshot of a culture that keeps evolving — powered by curious listeners, restless artists and communities that refuse to stand still.
ADE is the event. Mutha FM is bringing you the editorial perspective.
Official links and sources
- ADE Live — official programme and event updates
- DGTL Thursday — official ADE event page
- Paradiso — ADE 2026 programme
- Global South: From Extraction to Exchange — ADE Pro
- The State of Emergency — ADE Pro
