Routes by job · 11 picks · Wed to Sat · Pro pass
Market numbers by day, party series by night.
For promoters and festival bookers: the organiser and agent meet-ups, the data sessions, then the series that are packing rooms this week. Watch the crowd as much as the booth.
By Songpot desk · from the ADE programme, our venue guide and artist notes
A room full of people who book festivals.
World Club Dome's David Wyrich, Audio Obscura's Jeroen Fontein, festival producer Jo Vidler and about a dozen more promoters, in a structured meet-up. Bring a one-line pitch and a link.
With David Wyrich, Emanuel Iliev, Jeroen Fontein, Jo Vidler, Kieran Ratcliffe, Matt Brockman
Booking agents from WME, ROAM and THE·TEAM, in one room.
A structured meet-up with about a dozen agents for electronic acts. The fastest way to put a face to the inbox.
With Crosby Stewart, Jack Berg, Jake Bernstein, Joe Sigmund, Laura Ruiz, Manuela Budimilic
Two of hard techno's busiest brands, one warehouse-sized night.
Teletech and Free Your Mind team up for fast, compressed techno: Azyr's pounding kicks and acid squeals, KLOFAMA's reverse-bass pressure and Kander's racing warehouse low end. Bring earplugs and stamina.
For fans of I Hate Models, Sara Landry, Paula Temple
The numbers behind electronic music's live boom.
Pollstar's Brij Gosai on what the box-office data says about dance music's growth, and where it doesn't add up. Speakers still to be announced when we checked.
With Brij Gosai
999999999 play their hardware live, acid lines first.
The Italian duo build hard techno on machines, with an improvised edge you don't get from a USB stick. DJ Hyperdrive and Supergloss bring trance-leaning, 90s-flavoured techno around them, in a high-ceilinged industrial hall.
For fans of Charlotte de Witte, Paula Temple, FJAAK
UK garage swing meets hard techno, by the water at NDSM.
De Binnenstad's new Thursday with TNT Records: Diffrent's fast garage and bassline, Shuffa's speed-garage organ basslines and vocal hooks, and Ollie Lishman's stripped, hard techno. A night that changes gear more than once.
For fans of Interplanetary Criminal, Special Request
From first party to a business that lasts.
AVA founder Sarah McBriar, Encode's Aurelia Sarah Ortiz and Gashouder programmer Raaf Verhoef, chaired by AFEM's Finlay Johnson. For promoters a few parties in and wondering what comes next.
With Aurelia Sarah Ortiz, Finlay Johnson, Raaf Verhoef, Sarah McBriar
The art of the after-hours, from the people who run them.
Breakfast Club's Brent Roozendaal, Club RAUM's Sven Bijma and DJ Doudou MD, with DJ Mag's Rob McCallum, on parties that run into the next week. ADE's after-hours culture, explained by its keepers.
With Brent Roozendaal, Doudou MD, Rob McCallum, Sven Bijma
The MC as the voice of the room.
Researcher Derk Louwes and DJ Nathan Kofi trace the MC's role from community dances to today, the year ADE puts MC culture centre stage.
With Derk Louwes, Nathan Kofi
Old MCs, new MCs, one cypher.
House of Knowledge brings generations together: Rotjoch, Latifah, Nosa, Alee Rock and 4SHOBANGERS talk, then rhyme. Generational exchange is how MC culture works; this is it in practice.
With 4SHOBANGERS, Alee Rock, Latifah, Nosa, Randall Spann, Rotjoch
Bring your track. Joseph Capriati and BT will listen.
Demolition is the long-running session where producers' demos get played and critiqued in public: this year by Joseph Capriati, BT, Pooja B and Louisahhh, with Dave Clarke. Brave, useful and often funny.
With BT, Dave Clarke, Ivan Markovic, Joseph Capriati, Louisahhh, Pooja B
Times, lineups and tickets are on each event's ADE programme page. Songpot is independent of the festival.