Underground culture and clubbing collide in West

Tuesday, 08 October 2019

Getting to the unusual or exquisite places in the midst of ADE is not always easy with a program consisting of more than 200 locations and 2.500 artists. Therefore our team has created several routes trough the different districts of Amsterdam, which will give you an idea of what to expect and where.

West

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Following up on our guide through the northern part of Amsterdam, we'd like to highlight various must-visits in the westside.

This year's ADE features almost 200 venues - all spread across Amsterdam - playing host to different festival and conference events throughout the week. If you like your ADE a little rough around the edges, Amsterdam West has got you covered.

From warehouses to an abandoned funeral home
Venue OT301, has been part of Amsterdam's underground culture for years. Squatters took over the former film school building in 1999, and they’re amidst the preparations for their 11th consecutive ADE with a mixed bag of drum & bass, cumbia and more. Arthouse cinema Lab111 is just a stones throw away and is where you can find a beautifully crafted film program that was tailor-made for ADE, running from Wednesday till Sunday.

There are also plenty of raw locations and warehouses in West that have been transformed into (temporary) clubs and art spaces. Think of De School, where you can watch the climax of the RA Cup unfold and dance 62 hours with their Marathon "Het Weekend". And what about Radion hosting 7 ADE events including Breakfast Club with Ben Ufo and Peggy Gou amongst others. De Marktkantine has got a program running all 5 days varying from a label night to different all-nighters.

Close to Radion you can find hidden gem VLLA, an abandoned funeral home, where now, next to a range of club nights, they have a program crafted by the International Choreographic Arts Centre, who are bringing choreographers and DJs together to explore the intersection of their art forms.

Loveland is set to take over Warehouse Houthavens and Mediahaven once again, this year with a special (seated)show including RY X and visual artist and dance maker Nina Kurtela.

Depart for Art
Officially just outside Amsterdam on the west part, the newly opened Het HEM, a home for contemporary culture, based in a former ammunitions factory, sees Nicolás Jaar and Vincent de Belleval create an ever-changing environment of interlinked reflections and feedback chains. Kunstfort is also worth a visit for art enthusiasts. The exhibition space is located inside a concrete bunker that changes into an intimate setting for Bogomir Doringer's Defence Club.

Going to the Chapel
Ruigoord is a unique creative village surrounded by an industrial harbor, nested in the western outskirts of Amsterdam. In 1973, under the threat of the village being torn down by the surrounding industry, a group of artists climbed the trees and refused to leave. After several weeks of protesting they finally prevailed and were allowed to stay, making Ruigoord the source of many major Dutch creative movements. It continues to play a central role in Amsterdam's underground art scene. The village church will form the backdrop for three ADE nights featuring events ranging from Psy-trance to Pornceptual.

Speaking of churches, Aether is the latest performance by Boris Acket, Nick Verstand and Maarten Vos, who are about to redefine Noorderkerk’s sacred interior. Expect (and experience) an evening ritual that redefines and emphasizes the church’s architecture with "air fresco's" and a surround installation that features no less than 20 speaker points.

Westerpark area
The Westerpark is a patch of beautiful greenery, and it plays host to multiple cultural events and festivals throughout the year. It also houses a range of music venues, like the cozy DJ bar Radio Radio which joins ADE for its second year with vinyl-only DJ sets, a Clone Records pop-up store and multiple day and night events. A short walk across the park takes you to de Gashouder best known for its techno extravaganzas like Awakenings. Its next door neighbor Westerunie also hosts a varied program through a range of six events. And don't forget to check out the newly renovated Pacific where you can dance to music from the Middle East, a live brass band and Chicago legend DJ Sneak.

Brazilian Beats and Hard Dance
If you head a bit more further west you will find a new addition to Amsterdam's nightlife in the form of Lofi. They’re hosting events in collaboration with Fuse10, Zeezout, VBX and Supernature, ensuring their ADE story starts out with a bang. A few blocks away at the Box expect This is Psychdelic plus a night that showcases electro and house from Brazil.

Down the street Intercell goes for a 4 night-program at H7 Warehouse, and Warehouse Elementenstraat is just around the corner filled with six day and night events starring, among others, HDE for Hard Dance lovers. While you're there, don't forget to visit hidden gem BRET, a cozy venue built from red containers that sees the likes of Joseph Capriati at the decks on ADE Sunday. If you like to dance in the open air, Thuishaven, Dockyard and Mystic Garden are your go-to’s.

Photo credits: Awakenings, Breakfast Club, Floris Leeuwenberg, Lab 111, Menno Kok, OT301 and Thuishaven.