Amsterdam Dance Event is turning 30, and if the latest lineup announcement is any indication, ADE isn’t planning on celebrating quietly. The world’s largest electronic music festival and industry gathering has revealed its second wave of artists for ADE 2026, pushing the lineup beyond 1,500 confirmed names — and the event isn’t even halfway through announcing its full program.
Âme, Angel D’lite, Bad Boombox, BASHKKA, Ben Klock, CARISTA, DJ Stingray 313, Eric Prydz, HAAi, Hunee, Kittin & The Hacker, Maceo Plex, Max Cooper, Miss Monique, Narciss, Paul Kalkbrenner, Scooter and Todd Terry are among the latest additions heading to Amsterdam this October. By the time the complete program is revealed, more than 3,300 artists are expected to take over 200+ venues across Amsterdam from October 21–25.
But for its 30th anniversary, ADE is clearly thinking well beyond the dancefloor. One of the things that has increasingly separated ADE from virtually every other electronic music gathering is its ability to transform an entire city into a creative playground, and ADE 2026 looks ready to take that idea even further.
Boris Acket will present his monumental EINDER installation, while Het Nationale Ballet and ISH will open the week with Swan Lake Remixed for ADE, bringing electronic music into an entirely different performance environment. Dome Concerts will return to the ARTIS Planetarium and expand into Fabrique des Lumières, pairing immersive environments with performances from artists including Max Cooper and Colin Benders. Even the new ARTIS Aquarium is getting involved, becoming the setting for an immersive 4DSOUND experience.
It’s an ambitious mix of club culture, visual art, technology and live performance that shows just how far ADE has evolved over the past three decades.
Of course, ADE wouldn’t be ADE without some enormous parties. Amsterdam’s legendary Gashouder will once again become one of the week’s major destinations, with Eric Prydz, Armin van Buuren b2b Benwal, Job Jobse and MOCHAKK CALLING among the standout shows announced so far.
Elsewhere, techno heavyweight Paul Kalkbrenner will bring his signature live concert experience to Theater Amsterdam with Loveland, while iconic German electronic group Scooter is going considerably bigger, taking over the Ziggo Dome for a massive show appropriately called SCOOTER CRUSHES ADE.
Several of ADE’s biggest promoters have also started showing their hands. Awakenings has unveiled eight shows at the SugarFactory featuring a stacked roster that includes Adam Beyer, Ben Klock, Benwal, DJ Gigola, DJ Heartstring, FUMI, Helena Lauwaert, JakoJako, Jeff Mills, Pegassi, Philippa Pacho and Prospa.
SPIELRAUM is preparing for an endurance test of its own with SPIELRAUM 55HRS at Club RAUM, where BASHKKA, Dasha Rush, DVS1, Mary Lake, Kittin & The Hacker, Octo Octa and Pariah are among those joining the marathon program. Audio Obscura has also dropped more than 40 names across its ADE events, including Amelie Lens, Bad Boombox, LAMMER, Patrick Mason b2b SPFDJ and WhoMadeWho.
And with weeks still remaining before ADE begins, there is plenty more to come.
While Amsterdam’s clubs will be packed after dark, some of the industry’s most interesting conversations will be happening during the day. ADE Pro is expanding its 2026 conference lineup with artists, executives and technology leaders examining where electronic music — and the wider music business — goes next.
Electronic music pioneer Jean-Michel Jarre will be joined by Lady Starlight for “Music & Machines,” while Marcel Dettmann and Luciano will look back on more than three decades of shaping electronic music. Tinie Tempah, Nastia, Thys of Noisia, Kikelomo and Sofia Kourtesis are also joining the conference program.
And this being 2026, artificial intelligence will be impossible to ignore. “Artists on AI: No-BS Roundtable” will bring Boys Noize, BT, Dave Clarke, Mathame and Portrait XO together for what promises to be a candid conversation about AI’s rapidly growing influence on music and creativity.
Google DeepMind will tackle the future of music in the AI era as part of ADE’s Insider Knowledge Series, while SoundCloud will explore how independent talent is breaking through alongside Silva Bumpa. Believe founder and CEO Denis Ladegaillerie will discuss local artist development, longtime music executive and manager Troy Carter will explore the next generation of artist management, and Warner Music will examine the future of music and publishing.
ADE Startups is returning too, with nowon, Smash, Sonura, AIDAR, Groovian, Exibeat, EventSynth and zig~zag selected as the eight music-tech startups joining this year’s Chorus founder program.
There’s something particularly fitting about ADE using its anniversary to look forward rather than simply looking back, but three decades deserves some reflection. A special “30 Years of ADE” session will bring together Anna Knaup, Maria Jimenez, Richard Zijlma, Jan-Willem van de Ven, Gary Smith and Mariana Sanchotene, with Dave Clarke moderating a conversation about the people and moments that helped shape ADE into what it is today.
Since launching in 1996, Amsterdam Dance Event has grown from an industry-focused gathering into something considerably larger: part festival, part conference, part cultural takeover and, for five days each October, arguably the center of the electronic music world.
Thirty years later, ADE is still expanding the definition of what an electronic music event can be. More than 1,500 artists have already been announced, over 3,300 are eventually expected, and more than 200 venues will participate.
And Amsterdam gets five days to somehow fit it all in.
Amsterdam Dance Event 2026 takes place October 21–25 throughout Amsterdam.
