Hero's Journey
Line-up
Hero's Journey
“They love themselves in their country, and their country in themselves. They will watch with indifference as the most diverse governments pass over their heads, becoming attached to none of them.”– Arthur de Gobineau, Three Years in Asia (1859), “La Nation”.
On 25 October, as part of ADE Arts & Culture, musician and troubadour Sepand Dadbeh and poet Ofran Badakhshani take the stage at the Embassy of the Free Mind in Amsterdam. For one evening only, live music, poetry, and wine tasting weave together into a single story.
Through a sequence of short musical performances, each paired with a wine and its story, the evening explores how sound and taste carry memories across places and generations. Each musical passage opens onto a different landscape within the interconnected modal traditions of Central Asia, the Iranian plateau, and the wider region extending towards the Mediterranean. Alongside the music, the wines offer a parallel journey through the histories, places, and traditions held within a glass.
At the heart of the programme lies an invitation to inhabit the present. In Persian poetic thought, dam evokes the breath and ān the fleeting instant. Through attentive listening and tasting, familiar measures of time and distance give way to an encounter with the moment. A melody becomes a remembered place. A flavour awakens a story.
The music also draws on the Persian epic imagination and the idea of Farr, the divine glory entrusted to a hero. That glory endures only as long as the hero honours it through ethical choices and commitments. Within this programme, the hero’s journey of departure, transformation, and return gives the music its movement.
Price & Admission:
€30,- in-person, including complimentary wine - in partnership with De Filosoof.
€20,- recording
House with the Heads
Museum Embassy of the Free Mind is about you and your place in the world. It hosts the Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica, a UNESCO library collection consisting of more than 28,000 special and ancient books. In the books and pictures, you can discover everything about Hermetic philosophy, alchemy, Rosicrucianism, Freemasonry, Kabbalah, mysticism, magic, astrology, tarot and more. Philosophers and free thinkers who have played a role in Amsterdam, such as Spinoza, find their place here. The museum is also home to an alchemical flower garden and a cafe.
The Embassy of the Free Mind is located in the House with the Heads on the Keizersgracht, an atmospheric historic canal house built in 1622.
House with the Heads
Museum Embassy of the Free Mind is about you and your place in the world. It hosts the Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica, a UNESCO library collection consisting of more than 28,000 special and ancient books. In the books and pictures, you can discover everything about Hermetic philosophy, alchemy, Rosicrucianism, Freemasonry, Kabbalah, mysticism, magic, astrology, tarot and more. Philosophers and free thinkers who have played a role in Amsterdam, such as Spinoza, find their place here. The museum is also home to an alchemical flower garden and a cafe.
The Embassy of the Free Mind is located in the House with the Heads on the Keizersgracht, an atmospheric historic canal house built in 1622.
Festival FAQ
ADE Festival tickets are sold individually by the festival event organizers, but you’ll also be able to purchase them through the ticket links on the event pages on our website here.
Not to worry! Make sure to contact the event (or their ticketing provider) you are visiting as soon as possible with as many details about your order; name, email address, amount of tickets, etc. Once they've recovered your order, the tickets can be resent to your email.
Need help to find your event's contact details? Message us at [email protected] and we'll be happy to help.
Most festival events have an age limit of 18+ (and sometimes even 21+ or 23+). These are Dutch governmental rules which state that below the age of 18 you are not allowed to enter a club.
Please double-check the promoter's or venue's website to be sure you can access the event!
Yes, the ADE Pro Pass grants you access to all ADE official festival events. Unless otherwise stated on the individual event page.
Please be aware that for all events happening at Johan Cruijff ArenA, Ziggo Dome or AFAS Live, ADE Pro Pass holders must first visit the accreditation desk at the ADE Pro Pass & Info Hub on ArenA Boulevard before heading to the venue. Please bring both your ADE Pro Pass badge and wristband and allow enough time for accreditation. You can find the Hub here.
For the other Festival events during ADE:
Be aware though that there are over 1,200 events during ADE that you can enter with the Pro Pass wristband and that ADE cannot guarantee access. There is a limited capacity that each venue can take into account for Pro Pass holders. This means for some of the more crowded events you have to arrive early. Once capacity is reached, we will go over in a full-for-now policy. The festival event organizer will decide when and if more people are allowed to go in.
The ADE Pro Pass is the perfect fit if you are planning on enjoying the combination of day and night events. If you want guaranteed access to a particular festival event, we advise you to get a single festival ticket instead.
We dance together, so please be mindful of yourself and each other. We expect an open attitude from our visitors towards other guests, regardless of their origin, gender, sexual orientation, religion and age. If you see or experience any unwanted attention, harassment or behavior of any kind that makes you uncomfortable, please speak out and notify staff.
Please keep in mind: we love being your annual host, therefore, we would like to ask you to enjoy yourself responsibly.
ADE is proud partner of the Celebrate Safe campaign.
Check out Unity's tips to Celebrate Safe during ADE:
♥ I love my ears
♥ Using alcohol or other drugs is never without risks
♥ Know your limits and respect those of others
♥ Enjoy safe sex without regrets
♥ Love your body
♥ Get home safe
♥ Take care of each other
♥ The crew is there to keep you safe
Have fun and Celebrate Safe!

