Europe’s biggest festivals join sustainability pact
Sziget, Pohoda and Øya are among a slate of European events that have joined the Green Deal Circular Festivals (GDCF) sustainability pact.
Launched in 2019 by the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, GDCF brings together participating festivals to share knowledge and experience on sustainability practices in a bid to become circular and climate-neutral by 2025.
Festivals from the GDCF, along with the municipality of Amsterdam and other European cities and regions, gathered at the ADE Green conference during the Amsterdam Dance Event on 21 October in Amsterdam, where 23 new festivals joined the initiative.
Mysteryland (NL), NorthSide (DK), Amsterdam Dance Event (NL), EXIT Festival (RS), Awakenings Festival (NL), Awakenings Summer Festival (NL) and Paradise City Festival (BE), join Sziget (HU), Pohoda (SK) and Øya (DK) in signing on to the cause.
With the 23 new additions, the number of participating parties has more than doubled to 43 festivals from 14 countries
Other new signatories include Boom Festival (PT), Castle Fest (NL), Department Festival (SE, DK), Georgie’s (NL), Komm schon Alter (NL), Lago Lago (NL), Le Guess Who? (NL), Meadows in the Mountains (BG), Orange Blossom (DE), Welcome to the Village (NL), Wild Paths Festival (UK) and Wonderfeel (NL).
With the 23 new additions, the number of participating parties has more than doubled to 43 festivals from 14 countries.
Existing members of GDCF are Amsterdam Open Air (NL), Best Kept Secret Festival (NL), Boardmasters (UK), Body & Soul (IE), Boomtown (UK), DGTL Amsterdam (NL), Down The Rabbit Hole (NL), Eurosonic Noorderslag (NL), Into The Great Wide Open (NL), Lowlands (NL), Mañana Mañana (NL), Milkshake Festival (NL), North Sea Jazz (NL), Pukkelpop (NL), Roskilde Festival (DK), Shambala (UK), Superbloom (DE), Vierdaagsefeesten (NL), We Love Green (FR) and Zwarte Cross (NL).
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Amsterdam Dance Event announces Specials series
Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE) is presenting a series of Covid-proof concerts this autumn, in place of its regular flagship event.
The series will go under the banner of ADE Specials and will take place between 21 and 25 October in venues across Amsterdam.
Speedy J, Peaking Lights and Satori are among the artists who will peform in limited-capacity, seated venues including Concertgebouw, Melkweg, Muziekgebouw, Paradiso and Tolhuistuin.
The ADE Specials program also features artist talks, studio tours, masterclasses, artistic cross-overs and a film program.
Grammy award-winning artist James Blake will be in conversation with mental health expert Jennie Morton
ADE Pro, the festival’s conference, will take place in an online-first format, combining an extended digital program with limited physical networking element.
Grammy award-winning artist James Blake will be in conversation with mental health expert Jennie Morton on the underlying links between the processes driving creativity and mental conditions such as depression, as well as managing the challenges of a life dominated by artistic creativity and more.
Deborah Mannis-Gardner will go in-depth with a workshop based around what you need to know about clearing music for sync use and the reasons behind what sort of music works best across a range of contexts and other insights.
The conference program will also feature panel talks and interviews with Bandcamp’s Aly Gillani, VFX specialist and filmmaker Angelo White, VEVO’s Claudia de Wolff, BBC Radio 1 DJ Jaguar and music industry entrepreneur Merck Mercuriadis.
The Dutch government recently announced €482 million aid for the region’s culture sector, which includes €150m to be allocated towards music venues and theatres.
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ADE director Mariana Sanchotene leaves role
Mariana Sanchotene, the director of electronic music conference and festival Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE), is leaving her position after one year in the role.
Sanchotene, who led the 24th edition of ADE in October this year, will depart from the ADE Foundation on 6 December.
Prior to becoming ADE director in October 2018, Sanchotene worked for Dutch electronic music promoter ID&T, Cirque du Soleil and Stage Entertainment, and now plans to continue her career in the cultural sector.
“This has been a special year, where we have worked hard to give ADE the place in the creative sector that it now has and deserves,” says Sanchotene. “I am very proud of it”.
“We are indebted to Mariana Sanchotene for her full dedication to ADE”
Willemijn Maas, chairman of the ADE Foundation supervisory board, comments: “We are indebted to Mariana Sanchotene for her full dedication to ADE. We wish her every success in her further career.”
The board is now looking for a successor to lead the event, which became independent in last year.
The 25th edition of Amsterdam Dance Event will take place from Wednesday 21 to Sunday 25 October 2020, organised by ADE Foundation founding partner, Buma, with support from the municipality of Amsterdam and VSB Fonds.
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‘A space of music discovery’: New ADE boss talks first year
The 24th edition of Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE) will take place under new leadership, as director Mariana Sanchotene looks to boost daytime offerings, incorporate different art forms and explore the crossover between music and technology.
From 16 to 20 October, ADE festival and conference will take over the concert halls, clubs, and theatres of the Dutch capital. More than 2,500 artists and 600 speakers are expected to take part in the event.
“ADE is massive, it really is mind blowing to be in charge,” Sanchotene tells IQ ahead of her first year leading the event. “The planning is going well so far and it is looking like we will have a strong programme this year.”
The festival recently released its second wave of artists, with DJs Avalon Emerson, Peggy Gou and Carl Craig joining previously announced acts Martin Garrix, the Black Madonna, New Order, Carl Cox and Helena Hauff.
A record 400,000 people attended ADE last year, but Sanchotene states the event has no ambition for growing attendance further.
“We are staying with the same number of venues [140] as last year and expect to match attendance,” says the ADE boss, explaining that the city of Amsterdam is “overwhelmed” by visitors as it is.
“My advice to anyone attending ADE is to experiment with new artists”
“The focus is on increasing artistic quality and on growing the day programme in particular to showcase the crossover between electronic music and different cultural forms such as the visual and performing arts,” explains Sanchotene.
The crossover between different musical styles is important for the ADE director too, who believes that people are “more curious” these days and more likely to deviate from what they know.
“My advice to anyone attending ADE is to experiment with new artists. Don’t just go for the usual suspects, really dig into what new talent is on offer,” Sanchotene tells IQ. “ADE is a space of music discovery – I am very much looking forward to seeing how all the acts turn out.”
The 2019 conference will focus on the celebration of 100 years of electronic musical instruments, with exhibits of old equipment and experts speaking about antique gear. The event will also look to the future with an exploration of how technology is shaping the industry, particularly of how augmented reality and gaming are interacting with electronic music.
Health will also be another important topic at the conference, with panel discussions on wellbeing and relaxation spaces to “remind people of the balance” between work, socialising and rest.
Tickets for ADE 2019 are available here, priced at €450 for a five-day festival and conference pass and at €300 for a four-day conference-only pass. Prices go up on Sunday 1 September.
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EU festivals rank as fastest growing worldwide
European festivals including Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE), Glastonbury Festival, Boomtown and Mad Cool are among the fastest-growing events in recent years, according to new research by StubHub.
The research shows the capacity increases of 50 festivals worldwide, ranking the fastest-growing in terms of percentage growth. Out of the music festivals examined, leading electronic festival and business conference ADE came out as the most rapidly growing event overall.
The multi-venue festival, which this year takes place from 16 to 20 October, has grown to more than 230 times its original size, from just 300 in 1995 to 70,000 in latest editions. Last year, ADE welcomed a record-breaking 400,000 visitors across five days.
Increasing capacity from 1,500 to 135,000 (210,000 including all staff), Glastonbury Festival has the strongest growth of any participating event in terms of raw numbers. New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival also showed impressive growth, up to 60,000 capacity from its original 350 in 1970.
Adding more than 11,000 fans per year, Madrid’s Mad Cool festival has expanded rapidly in its four years of activity
Adding more than 11,000 fans per year, Madrid’s Mad Cool festival has expanded rapidly in its four years of activity. The festival, which this year was headlined by Bon Iver and the Cure, has increased capacity by almost 80% since its inaugural edition, from 45,000 to 80,000.
Founded in 2009, the UK’s Boomtown Fair has undergone the biggest growth of the past decade. The event, which started out with just one stage and 1,000 guests, has increased capacity by 65,000 people in its lifetime.
India’s Magnetic Fields festival, founded in 2013, recorded the second fastest growth of the decade, expanding 500% to a capacity of 3,000.
European festivals made up 13 of the top 20 fastest growing events on the list. US festival South by Southwest, Electric Daisy Carnival (Las Vegas) and Ultra Music Festival in Miami also showed strong growth.
Lake of Stars festival in Malawi – the only African festival to appear in the research –also makes it into the top 20, although remaining relatively small. The boutique festival now accommodates 5,000 attendees, up from 700 in its first year.
A full list of results can be found here.
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ADE announces France as focus nation
The Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE), the world’s leading festival and business conference for electronic music, has appointed France as its main focus country for 2019.
“France has been one of the most important and influential music territories for decades, and in more recent years a really innovative market when it comes to electronic music and its sub-genres, in both the popular genres and more underground sounds such as electro and hip-hop,” states ADE director Mariana Sanchotene.
“On top of that the French technological scene has been a successful breeding ground for music and culture related start-ups. During ADE we aim to showcase the best of the new players as well as pay homage to the rich culture that France has to offer.”
In addition to conference and festival events, the French Electronic Lab will take place at the ADE Guesthouse, De Balie, on 17 October. Major figures of the French electronic scene will meet to celebrate the rebirth of a European house and techno powerhous through a day of workshops, panels, keynotes and presentations.
“During ADE we aim to showcase the best of the new players as well as pay homage to the rich culture that France has to offer”
“It’s now 20 years since the French Touch, so we’ll be presenting the new generation of producers and DJs; the emerging stars, and examine what has changed in the clubs and in the festival and live event scene. We will also outline key contacts for all of those sectors,” says Technopol’s Tommy Vaudecrane, co-organiser of the French Electronic Lab.
“Our aim is to guide visitors towards optimising their business exchanges both in France, and with French companies abroad. Ultimately we hope to provide people with the tools to maximise their import and export activities and to facilitate networking and engagement with new talent.”
ADE will run from 16 to 20 October in Amsterdam. Last year’s event attracted over 2,500 artists and 550 speakers across 200 venues.
More information can be found here.
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ADE announces dates for 2019
The Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE) will take place from 16 to 20 October 2019. The organisers of the world’s leading event for electronic music expect to welcome around 400,000 visitors to the 24th edition of the event.
Following a record-breaking 2018, ADE returns with multiple conference tracks addressing the latest business, cultural and technological trends in the industry, alongside festival programming showcasing the diversity of electronic music and its many sub-genres.
For the 2019 edition, organisers are committed to enhancing the event’s daytime activities, entering into cross-sector collaborations and partnerships with cultural institutions in order to maximise involvement with a wide range of creative industries.
“During ADE, Amsterdam will once again be the centre of the global electronic music industry and the home base for music enthusiasts,” states Mariana Sanchotene, who became ADE’s director last October.
“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 has grown into the world’s largest club-based festival and conference for electronic music. The five-day event continues to develop each year, attracting visitors from over 100 countries and featuring every aspect of electronic music across its conference, live music and pop-up programming.
This year, major conference topics will include the changing landscape faced by festivals in the Netherlands and across Europe, and issues of inclusivity and tolerance within the music industry globally.
“We look forward once again to welcoming creative minds from all over the world to connect, create, do business or simply be inspired,” says Sanchotene.
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ADE wraps up record-breaking year 23
The 23rd edition of Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE), which wrapped up on Monday morning, for the first time welcomed more than 400,000 visitors, in what general manager Richard Zijlma describes as a “fantastic edition”.
From 17 to 21 October, visitors from over 100 countries attended ADE’s day and night programme, which featured more than 1,000 events, including live shows, keynotes, masterclasses and workshops. Speakers involved in this year’s conference program included Bonobo, Jean-Michel Jarre, David Guetta, Imogen Heap, Orbital and Nile Rodgers.
A major focus for year 23 was marking 30 years of Dutch dance music, with celebrations including the premiere of a three-part VPRO documentary and the launch of a reference book featuring many of the scene’s leading lights.
South Korea, which has a rapidly growing local dance music scene, was the 2018 focus country.
ADE 2018 was the last edition under Zijlma’s supervision, with new director Mariana Sanchotene taking over as of next year.
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Mariana Sanchotene appointed new director of ADE
The Amsterdam Dance Event Foundation, organiser of the Amsterdam Dance Music Event (ADE) has today announced the forthcoming appointment of Mariana Sanchotene as director, who will take up the role as of 1 October.
Sanchotene has worked for more than 20 years in the international live entertainment industry. Her past roles include work for Stage Entertainment and Cirque du Soleil and Dutch entertainment group ID&T, where she oversaw the group’s international growth as vice president of business development.
On her appointment to the head of the world’s largest club festival and conference for electronic music, Sanchotene comments: “ADE has been very special to me for years.
“I’ve always been proud to say that Amsterdam organises the best electronic music conference and the largest club festival. I’m looking forward to working with the ADE team and all other organisations involved in the success of this event.”
“ADE has been very special to me for years”
Alongside a newly appointed director, ADE will also welcome Willemijn Maas, former director of the Dutch public broadcasting association AVRO, as chairman of the supervisory board. The appointments are part of the ADE foundation’s transition into independence. Since 1995, the ADE has been a part of Buma Cultuur.
Sanchotene will succeed Richard Zijlma, who alongside Buma Cultuur director Frank Helmink, is still responsible for this year’s event, which will take place between 17 and 21 October.
The reshuffle has been welcomed by the ADE, with Frank Helmink commenting on behalf of the organisation that, “the step towards independence, Mariana’s start as director and Willemijn’s start as chairman, all contribute to the reinforcement and sustainability of ADE as the world’s most important event for electronic music.
“We are confident that with Mariana Sanchotene at the helm the Amsterdam Dance Event will remain as such.”
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Dutch EDM boom as festivals triple ticket revenue
Revenue from ticket sales to Dutch dance music festivals tripled between 2011 and 2016, new research reveals.
According to Denis Doeland, a former ID&T exec and the founder of DDMCA (Denis Doeland Management Consultancy and Advisory), growth in visitor numbers and higher average ticket prices contributed to the value of sales topping €140 million in 2016, compared to €46m five years previous.
In addition to an almost doubling of visitors – from 1.6m to 2.9m – the number of major events has also grown two-fold, to 268, with around 80 smaller festivals.
After a period of tremendous growth, however, Doeland predicts the Netherlands’ electronic festivals are rapidly approaching a revenue “ceiling”. The total number of unique visitors will not increase in 2017, he says, and revenue from ticket sales “will remain at the same level as in 2016”.
Promoters’ association VNPF estimates a record 23 million people attended a music festival in the Netherlands in 2015 – 6m more festivalgoers than there are Dutch people. No data for 2016 is yet available.
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