Rave institution ADE have just announced their dates for this year's marathon events.
Last year's event, which took place in October, was a huge event that saw the many myriad worlds of rave music take over the whole city. All manners of subgenres from UK garage and deep house through to techno and hardcore were all represented in abundance. It wasn't just big warehouse raves, either. Barely a corner could be turned without stumbling up on a small intimate underground club blasting out beats and bass.
Our key lesson, which you really need to take on board if you're planning to attend this year, is that you can plan your schedule with painstaking attention to detail as much as you want, but pretty quickly you're going to find those plans completely disintegrate. Buried in an underground venue down a small side street, for example, was a surprising rave that featured Anna Wall, Maceo Plex (as Mariel Ito) and the legendary DJ Stingray were putting on a sweaty night of classic electro.
Equally, plans to catch big names like Seth Troxler, Miss Kittin or SOPHIE fell by the wayside in the chaos of all the countless clubs and venues competing for the attention of the crowds that swarmed the city. Your best bet really would be to just let go of any plans and see where the mood takes you. It's also worth checking out some of the conferences and daytime events; there tends to be a lot of surprising and genuinely interesting stuff going on, a lot of which could push you in the direction of something new or unexpected. As much as anything, that approach will also help you explore the city a bit more. In short: don't stress out, don't plan, just go with it.
Director Mariana Sanchotene commented: "During ADE, Amsterdam will once again be the centre of the global electronic music industry and the home base for music enthusiasts. Our conference and festival activities showcase what is happening around the world, but should also be a reflection of how creative, innovative, vibrant and inclusive our hometown is."
ADE 2019 takes place from October 16 to 20. Pre-register for your ticket here.
