ADE: Values & Commitments

As a world-leading platform and a non-profit Cultural ANBI Foundation (Public Benefit Organization), the core mission of the ADE Foundation is to organize, program, and curate the most influential club festival and conference in the electronic music scene. Through this mission, we aim to push boundaries, elevate new talent, and foster a diverse and inclusive community that reflects the evolving landscape of electronic music. Our values guide everything we do, from programming and partnerships to our approach to sustainability and social impact.

Each October, electronic music takes center stage in Amsterdam. The Amsterdam Dance Event is a global gathering that unites artists, industry professionals, and audiences from around the world. With over two decades of history, the ADE Foundation has nurtured the genre's growth from underground beginnings to its position as a global cultural and economic force. As the world’s leading event in electronic music, we continue to celebrate the genre's artistic, technological, and cultural innovations, while laying the foundation for future generations of creators and professionals.

Amsterdam Dance Event is deeply connected to its local community, and we are committed to using our platform to drive positive social change. We recognize that electronic music has the power to bring people together, spark important conversations, and challenge societal norms.

Equality, Inclusion, and Accessibility for All

Music should be a space for everyone, and our commitment to equality and inclusion is reflected in our programs and partnerships, which prioritize diversity and accessibility for all.

In collaboration with initiatives like Music Moves, we host events that focus on marginalized communities, such as Liberated People, which supports survivors of sexual assault, and Movement, which creates space for asylum seekers and migrants to connect through music. Additionally, our collaborations with local organizations such as Zuidoost City and Danspaleis allow us to reach diverse communities across Amsterdam.

At our conferences, we address critical issues such as mental health, inclusion and more. Initiatives like a longstanding collaboration with Shesaid.so with a shared commitment to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in the music industry through mentor tracks and workshops allow ADE to extend our efforts by partnering with established organisations. Sessions like the LGBTQIA+ Networking event and panels on mental health ensure we create space for underrepresented voices in both onstage and backstage roles. By curating a mindful program that invites non-traditional ADE attendees, we aim to make the event more inclusive and accessible. Through ADE Green, our specialist program part of the ADE Pro Conference, we have long focused on local responsibilities such as redesigning festivals to be accessible for all, working with local governments to foster sustainable innovation on event grounds, supporting mental health in the demanding music industry, supporting artistic activists, and more.

Similarly, ADE's musical and cultural offering is home to many local initiatives with an impactful agenda. Initiatives such as Rooted In Culture and To Dance Is To Be Free focus on the freedom of expression, emancipation and creativity in Amsterdam's club scene. In addition, ADE has hosted free events to make its offering more accessible to new visitors and those that are unable to purchase tickets, with artistic daytime events at Westerkerk, De School, Het HEM, record stores and more, as well as nighttime festival events throughout the city. ADE has organised the free-to-attend ADE Hangover for a number of years on ADE's Sunday, that offers a wide variety of events and activities in collaboration with its program partners, at no charge. We have also initiated the ADE Festival Committee to ensure that our programming meets the highest standards of inclusivity, from offering tickets to newcomers to creating more equitable opportunities for artists and professionals from diverse backgrounds.

Lastly, we continue to work toward making ADE an accessible experience for all attendees, striving that every event and venue is welcoming to those with disabilities.

Key Highlights:
• Music Moves: Empowering marginalized groups through music. Events like Liberated People (support for sexual assault survivors) and ADAMMIX (open stage for diverse communities).
• Collaborations with local programs such as Zuidoost City.
• Conference topics on mental health, diversity, and inclusion to foster a more inclusive music industry, including hands-on workshops and mentor programs in collaboration with Shesaid.so and more.
• Programming focused on reaching underrepresented communities and first-time ADE attendees, such as the wide variety of free-to-attend events alongside Music Moves events for people with distance to the dancefloor (i.e. deaf people, newcomers in our country, homeless people, the elderly and more), and accessibility initiatives in cooperation with ADE Green.

ADE’s influence extends far beyond Amsterdam and the Netherlands. As a global platform, the ADE Foundation is dedicated to fostering international collaborations and addressing pressing global issues. The power of music is to unite people and create positive change worldwide.

Initiatives like Bridges for Music bring together musicians from different continents, using electronic music as a tool for education and social empowerment. Our partnerships with festivals like Homecoming in Lagos, Nigeria, help bridge cultural gaps, celebrating diversity in music and fostering cross-continental connections.

Through the ADE Conference, we address global concerns and urgent world issues, from supporting Ukraine’s community, to, discussing the origins and continued role of electronic music as a protest movement and instrument for social change and how this was expressed in territories like Georgia in world-famous club Bassiani. ADE Pro uses its platform to discuss the role of electronic music in social activism all over the world. ADE also promotes cultural exchange with global sessions in cities such as Mumbai, Aruba and more, demonstrating our commitment to the international electronic music community.

Key Highlights:
• Bridges for Music: Empowering communities through cross-continental collaboration.
• International partnerships, including Homecoming festival in Lagos, Nigeria.
• ADE Conference discussions on global issues, such as support for Ukraine and women’s empowerment in Brazil.
• ADE’s Global Sessions: Cultural exchange and connection in cities like Mumbai and Buenos Aires.

This article has been updated to reflect the ongoing conflict and war situations in 2024.

The ADE Foundation deeply believes in the power of music to unite people and foster compassion. ADE is acutely aware that many conflict and crisis situations are unfolding worldwide, each deserving attention and humanitarian aid, and our mission extends to supporting those affected by all forms of conflict, war, genocide and other humanitarian crises. We are profoundly saddened by the ongoing war in Israel and Palestine, which has caused immense suffering to countless civilians. As a community rooted in the inclusive and transformative culture of electronic music, we feel a strong responsibility to address this humanitarian crisis.

Electronic music and its culture have historically emerged from oppressed communities, serving as a voice for the marginalized and a platform for unity. We firmly value our heritage and strive to uphold these principles of solidarity and empathy. Concurrently, our role as a connecting platform is held in the highest regard, and we are committed to using our influence to promote peace and humanitarian values. We express deep concern for the oppressed and vulnerable populations in Palestine who are facing extraordinary hardships, and we call on all parties involved to pursue a peaceful resolution that upholds the human rights and dignity of every individual.

As a pivotal entity in the electronic music landscape, ADE has both an agenda-setting role in our industry conference and a facilitating role in our festival, which comprises over 1.000 events organized by various venues, promoters, and organizers. Given these roles, we are taking the following actions:

1 • We recognize the importance of discussing critical issues and ADE Pro’s responsibility in contributing to urgent discussion. Therefore, in close collaboration with conference partner ADE Green, we are to host an in-depth conference session on music in conflict zones during ADE Pro. This session aims to shed light on the role of music in fostering resilience and solidarity in conflict-affected areas.

2 • We support and encourage everyone to express their voices in a respectful manner. During the five days and nights of ADE Festival, we will embrace and facilitate all forms of expression, fundraising, and peaceful protest related to humanitarian causes. Any participant in the ADE programming for its 2024 edition has the freedom to add fundraising or protest elements to its scheduled events, and ADE welcomes submissions among its programming partners that intend to do so; as long activities take place in a respectful manner and in line with governments rules and permits.

More than a music genre, electronic music is a movement born out of a desire for freedom, expression, and unity. As we navigate these challenging times, let us stand together in support of peace and humanitarian relief, showing the world that the ADE community is united in its commitment to making a positive difference.

Sustainability is at the heart of our efforts to create a more responsible future for the music industry. ADE Green, our dedicated sustainability program, focuses on finding innovative solutions to reduce the environmental impact of festivals and events. As part of the Green Deal Circular Festivals, we have committed to making ADE as environmentally friendly as possible, with initiatives such as Plastic Promise and promoting carbon-neutral events.

Through collaborations with partners like GVB and NS, we also offer sustainable transportation options a part of our partner ecosystem, encouraging the use of public transport during ADE to reduce our carbon footprint. Behind the scenes, we use electric vehicles wherever possible, and prioritize local suppliers to minimize unnecessary emissions and ensure efficient logistics. ADE's production teams follow sustainable practices by reducing single-use materials, opting for reusable designs, and offering vegan and vegetarian catering for both staff and attendees where possible. By striving to lower the environmental impact of every aspect of ADE, we aim for a more sustainable future for the Amsterdam Dance Event itself and to set a standard for sustainability in the music industry.

Key Highlights:
• ADE Green: Dedicated program for sustainability in the music industry.
• Plastic Promise: Partner initiative to reduce plastic use at events.
• Collaborations with GVB and NS to promote eco-friendly transportation.
• Electric transport and local suppliers for event logistics.
• 80% vegan/vegetarian catering during the conference to reduce the carbon footprint.
• Committed to circular festival models as part of the Green Deal initiative.

Music should be a space for everyone, and our commitment to equality and inclusion is reflected in our programs and partnerships, which prioritize diversity and accessibility for all.

Through collaborations like Music Moves we work to ensure that ADE provides opportunities for emerging artists, underrepresented communities, and first-time attendees. We have also initiated the ADE Festival Committee to ensure that our programming meets the highest standards of inclusivity, from offering tickets to newcomers to creating more equitable opportunities for artists and professionals from diverse backgrounds. We continue to work toward making ADE an accessible experience for all attendees, ensuring that every event and venue is welcoming to those with disabilities.

The safety and well-being of ADE's attendees are paramount. We believe that music festivals should be safe spaces where everyone feels welcome, respected, and supported. Through our Celebrate Safe campaign, we provide resources and information on staying safe during the event, including harm reduction tips and support for mental health. This initiative entails a citywide Out of Home campaign before and during ADE, containing high traffic city pillars and out of home networks throughout the city to celebrate safe during ADE in close collaboration with the city government.

We also actively promote campaigns like I Love My Ears, which raises awareness about protecting hearing during loud music events, and our Are You Feeling Unsafe? initiative, which encourages festival-goers to speak up and seek help if they feel unsafe or uncomfortable at any time during the event.

Key Highlights:
• Celebrate Safe campaign: Focused on harm reduction and safety during the festival.
• I Love My Ears: A campaign to protect attendees’ hearing at loud music events.
• Are You Feeling Unsafe?: A campaign to encourage reporting of unsafe situations and create a supportive environment for all.