In its eleventh edition, the Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE) will bring over 1300 dance music professionals for a daytime conference with informative panels and workshops and a nighttime program dubbed "the world's biggest club festival" featuring more than 300 DJ's and artists at 30 clubs around the city. ADE will take place at the Felix Meritis from October 19th to 21st.

Seemingly inspired by the infamous Pink Floyd/Wizard of Oz mashup, there will be a special Rocket Cinema program featuring old moviews with new music soundtracks by DJ's at six locations during ADE.


This year there will also be a special focus on Eastern Europe, China and Japan.

Already confirmed for the nighttime program are DJ sets from Paul Van Dyk, Norman Cook (aka Fat Boy Slim and Mighty Dub Katz), John Digweed, DJ Spooky, Ricardo Villalobos, Krafty Kuts, Sven Vath, Dennis Christopher and A-Skills. Live performances are confirmed from Kraak & Smaak, Illicit, Jagged Soul, and Grandadbob. Label nights are confirmed from Southern Fried, Klakson, Delsin, Fingerlicin, and Against the Grain.

I've attended the Amsterdam Dance Event for the past two years and one day I was in a rush between meetings and ran into Burger King for a quick meal. I sat down next to a table with three women - a young girl, her mother (30ish) and her grandmother (60ish). Basement Jaxx's "Red Alert" came on the sound system and all three started singing along. Would this ever happen in the United States? Probably not, as BK would never play BJ, and even if they did, the average person wouldn't know the song.

That's just a hint of the influence that dance music has on popular culture in Amsterdam which has helped make the Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE) such a wonderful event.

Check out the links below for more stories from past years ADE and Amsterdam:

GoAmsterdam.About.Com site - for more information about Amsterdam

) Amsterdam Dance Event 2005 - First Day Report

Amsterdam Dance Event 2005 - Second Day Report

Amsterdam Dance Event 2005 - Third Day Report

Amsterdam Dance Event 2005 - Final Day Report

Amsterdam Dance Event 2005 - Pictures

First Day in Amsterdam 2004

Amsterdam Dance Event 2004 Overview

Tips for attending Amsterdam Dance Event and visiting Amsterdam

Top 10 Records from ADE 2004

Pictures from ADE 2004

Pieter Van Adrichem Interview

Pictures from 2003