Presenting the six Opening Specials of ADE 2025
Live performance is at the heart of ADE. These Opening Specials show how classical traditions and global club sounds meet in bold, new interpretations.
DBN Gogo & Metropole Orkest @ Melkweg
Metropole Orkest and Melkweg open ADE Wednesday together in true ADE tradition once again, this time joined by South African DJ and producer DBN Gogo. Known for her dynamic presence and eclectic sets, she brings a special tribute to Amapiano, the hybrid sound of deep house, jazz, kwaito, and lounge that has become one of South Africa’s most influential exports.
24classics presents: Canto Ostinato by Helena Basilova x Nick Verstand @ Zuiderkerk
For two shows on ADE Wednesday only, 24classics invites pianist Helena Basilova and contemporary artist Nick Verstand to take over the iconic Zuiderkerk for a special rendition of Simeon ten Holt's iconic, hypnotic masterpiece Canto Ostinato. She will be merging solo piano with deep electronic textures that heighten its intensity and emotional power. To amplify the experience, Nick Verstand's immersive light installation reimagines the Canto Ostinato in a completely new dimension, responding in real time to every powerful nuance of the music.
The first show starts at 20:00 CET, and the second at 22:00 CET.
Live performance is at the heart of ADE. These Opening Specials show how classical traditions and global club sounds meet in bold, new interpretations.
DBN Gogo & Metropole Orkest @ Melkweg
Metropole Orkest and Melkweg open ADE Wednesday together in true ADE tradition once again, this time joined by South African DJ and producer DBN Gogo. Known for her dynamic presence and eclectic sets, she brings a special tribute to Amapiano, the hybrid sound of deep house, jazz, kwaito, and lounge that has become one of South Africa’s most influential exports.
24classics presents: Canto Ostinato by Helena Basilova x Nick Verstand @ Zuiderkerk
For two shows on ADE Wednesday only, 24classics invites pianist Helena Basilova and contemporary artist Nick Verstand to take over the iconic Zuiderkerk for a special rendition of Simeon ten Holt's iconic, hypnotic masterpiece Canto Ostinato. She will be merging solo piano with deep electronic textures that heighten its intensity and emotional power. To amplify the experience, Nick Verstand's immersive light installation reimagines the Canto Ostinato in a completely new dimension, responding in real time to every powerful nuance of the music.
The first show starts at 20:00 CET, and the second at 22:00 CET.
When music merges with digital art, the audience becomes part of the work. These Opening Specials create multisensory experiences where sound, image, and movement intertwine.
Dome Concerts presents: Julius Horsthuis & Suzanne Ciani @ Artis Planetarium
From ADE Wednesday to Friday, the dome of the ARTIS Planetarium becomes a 360° canvas for fractal artist Julius Horsthuis. On ADE Wednesday, as one of the Opening Specials, he joins forces with Suzanne Ciani: pioneer of electronic sound and five-time Grammy nominee. Her Buchla synthesizer performance unfolds beneath Horsthuis’ fractal worlds, setting the tone for three nights of live A/V concerts and screenings inside the Planetarium, where music and image move as one.
CYCLES: GiGi FM x Lumus Instruments @ Felix Meritis
‘POLYNODE: CYCLES’ is a digital media installation by Lumus Instruments. Conceived as an instrument, it explores cycles through its physical form and a dynamic system of virtual nodes. For this special live AV performance, ‘POLYNODE: CYCLES’ meets the artistry of GiGi FM. A sound artist, DJ, and trained dancer, GiGi FM creates immersive journeys where movement, storytelling, singing, poetry, and sonic textures converge. Influenced by cosmology, philosophy, and movement, her work invites audiences into sensory experiences that expand the relationship between body, sound, and space.
Pre-register via the link below.
When music merges with digital art, the audience becomes part of the work. These Opening Specials create multisensory experiences where sound, image, and movement intertwine.
Dome Concerts presents: Julius Horsthuis & Suzanne Ciani @ Artis Planetarium
From ADE Wednesday to Friday, the dome of the ARTIS Planetarium becomes a 360° canvas for fractal artist Julius Horsthuis. On ADE Wednesday, as one of the Opening Specials, he joins forces with Suzanne Ciani: pioneer of electronic sound and five-time Grammy nominee. Her Buchla synthesizer performance unfolds beneath Horsthuis’ fractal worlds, setting the tone for three nights of live A/V concerts and screenings inside the Planetarium, where music and image move as one.
CYCLES: GiGi FM x Lumus Instruments @ Felix Meritis
‘POLYNODE: CYCLES’ is a digital media installation by Lumus Instruments. Conceived as an instrument, it explores cycles through its physical form and a dynamic system of virtual nodes. For this special live AV performance, ‘POLYNODE: CYCLES’ meets the artistry of GiGi FM. A sound artist, DJ, and trained dancer, GiGi FM creates immersive journeys where movement, storytelling, singing, poetry, and sonic textures converge. Influenced by cosmology, philosophy, and movement, her work invites audiences into sensory experiences that expand the relationship between body, sound, and space.
Pre-register via the link below.
The visual language of nightlife carries memory, identity, and cultural weight. These Opening Specials turn archives and portraits into living artworks.
Opening Exhibition: ClubCult
‘ClubCult’ is a project by JOHNNY BLOOD, and transforms more than 200 portraits of clubgoers, captured during the closing weekend of De School. The portraits will be turned into large-scale projections, video works, and a book launch. With music curated by De School regular Beste Hira, the exhibition captures the gestures, intimacy, and energy of Amsterdam’s underground nightlife.
Photography: Lonneke van der Palen, Barrie Hullegie, Tim Verhallen, Jorre Janssens
Video: Jelmar van Belle, Dorith Mous
Opening Exhibition: A Scan Through Dutch Rave Culture: 1990 - 2005
With ‘A Scan Through Dutch Rave Culture’, One Eye Witness, Bastiaan van Berkel, Thunderboom, and Podiumkunst.net present a digital flyer archive and book that trace the history of Dutch rave. Built from last year’s Flyer Scan Day at Sexyland and expanded with contributions from figures like Antal and Shinedoe, the archive brings decades of visual culture together. At Door Open Space, the exhibition turns this archive into a living experience. Augmented reality and large-scale projections show how rave aesthetics have shifted from warehouses to clubs, presenting rave not as nostalgia but as a cultural force shaping identity and community.
The visual language of nightlife carries memory, identity, and cultural weight. These Opening Specials turn archives and portraits into living artworks.
Opening Exhibition: ClubCult
‘ClubCult’ is a project by JOHNNY BLOOD, and transforms more than 200 portraits of clubgoers, captured during the closing weekend of De School. The portraits will be turned into large-scale projections, video works, and a book launch. With music curated by De School regular Beste Hira, the exhibition captures the gestures, intimacy, and energy of Amsterdam’s underground nightlife.
Photography: Lonneke van der Palen, Barrie Hullegie, Tim Verhallen, Jorre Janssens
Video: Jelmar van Belle, Dorith Mous
Opening Exhibition: A Scan Through Dutch Rave Culture: 1990 - 2005
With ‘A Scan Through Dutch Rave Culture’, One Eye Witness, Bastiaan van Berkel, Thunderboom, and Podiumkunst.net present a digital flyer archive and book that trace the history of Dutch rave. Built from last year’s Flyer Scan Day at Sexyland and expanded with contributions from figures like Antal and Shinedoe, the archive brings decades of visual culture together. At Door Open Space, the exhibition turns this archive into a living experience. Augmented reality and large-scale projections show how rave aesthetics have shifted from warehouses to clubs, presenting rave not as nostalgia but as a cultural force shaping identity and community.
Dance culture connects people across disciplines, generations, and spaces. These Opening Specials celebrate the club as a stage for experimentation, community, and performance.
Opening Performance: The Grid: Embodied – Victor Dissel, Bram van Ravenhorst & Arno Schuitemaker @ Door Open Space
Door Open Space opens on ADE Wednesday with the Opening Special ‘The Grid: Embodied’, a new premiere by Victor Dissel and Bram van Ravenhorst, with choreography by Arno Schuitemaker. Light, sound, and dance merge in an immersive twenty-minute performance where sixteen moving light columns and a solo dancer explore the tension between human and machine. Staged at Door Open Space, the work reimagines the club experience through installation, choreography, and sound. After the premiere, ‘The Grid’ remains on view as a standalone installation, alongside the exhibitions ‘ClubCult’ and ‘A Scan Through Dutch Rave Culture.’
ARK x Before/After present GATE @ Van Gogh Museum
On ADE Wednesday, ADE collaborates with the Van Gogh Museum and turns the museum into a stage for a truly unique and interactive dance performance.. Collectives Alyson Sillon (Before/After) and Connor Schumacher (ARK) move with the audience in a program that places expression, connection, and community at the heart of nightlife. Performances unfold among the crowd, inviting visitors to step into dance culture as both art form and shared experience. The evening coincides with the exhibition ‘Van Gogh and the Roulins. Together Again at Last.’
Dance culture connects people across disciplines, generations, and spaces. These Opening Specials celebrate the club as a stage for experimentation, community, and performance.
Opening Performance: The Grid: Embodied – Victor Dissel, Bram van Ravenhorst & Arno Schuitemaker @ Door Open Space
Door Open Space opens on ADE Wednesday with the Opening Special ‘The Grid: Embodied’, a new premiere by Victor Dissel and Bram van Ravenhorst, with choreography by Arno Schuitemaker. Light, sound, and dance merge in an immersive twenty-minute performance where sixteen moving light columns and a solo dancer explore the tension between human and machine. Staged at Door Open Space, the work reimagines the club experience through installation, choreography, and sound. After the premiere, ‘The Grid’ remains on view as a standalone installation, alongside the exhibitions ‘ClubCult’ and ‘A Scan Through Dutch Rave Culture.’
ARK x Before/After present GATE @ Van Gogh Museum
On ADE Wednesday, ADE collaborates with the Van Gogh Museum and turns the museum into a stage for a truly unique and interactive dance performance.. Collectives Alyson Sillon (Before/After) and Connor Schumacher (ARK) move with the audience in a program that places expression, connection, and community at the heart of nightlife. Performances unfold among the crowd, inviting visitors to step into dance culture as both art form and shared experience. The evening coincides with the exhibition ‘Van Gogh and the Roulins. Together Again at Last.’
