Top 5 ADE venues in Amsterdam: the essential guide for ADE 2025

Every October Amsterdam becomes a global dance-music hub as the Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE) transforms the city into thousands of simultaneous parties, showcases and conferences. ADE 2025 runs across dozens of neighborhoods and hundreds of venues, meaning your ideal night might be a church-turned-concert-hall, a subterranean techno bunker, or a giant industrial gas-holder with festival-scale production. If you only have time for five places, these are the ADE “avenues” that consistently deliver memorable nights.

1) Paradiso

Paradiso’s image does more than look good on a poster: the former church’s high ceilings, stained-glass windows and balcony-lined main hall create a theatrical atmosphere that’s rare in clubland. At ADE, Paradiso programs everything from leftfield live-electronic showcases to tighter club nights and label takeovers. It’s the kind of venue where the setting becomes part of the set, great for photos, press, and those nights that feel like a mini-ritual. If you want a night with personality (and reliably strong sound and sightlines), Paradiso belongs near the top of your list.

Why go

• Fantastic for hybrid live/DJ bills and label showcases.
• Central location makes it easy to combine with late-night venues.
• Iconic architecture = instant social media appeal.

2) Melkweg

Melkweg is ADE’s multi-room workhorse: cinema screens, main rooms and intimate spaces let promoters mix club nights, film, and experimental performances under one roof. During ADE the venue often curates a dense, day-to-night program so you can catch a panel or screening early and still finish at a banging headline slot. For festival-goers who want variety without a long commute, Melkweg is indispensable.

Insider tip

Check Melkweg’s ADE page early, their first-wave announcements often reveal standout cross-genre events that sell fast.

3) De School

De School was synonymous with Amsterdam’s 24-hour underground energy: a club, restaurant, gallery and more housed in a former technical school that put marathon sets and immersive nights on the map. Important note for 2025 visitors: De School permanently closed in 2024, but its influence lives on across Amsterdam’s scene and in the lineups of other clubs and pop-ups each ADE. Understanding De School’s legacy helps you read the city’s current program, look for nights and collectives that trace their roots back to its ethos.

Practical takeaway

If you loved De School’s programming in previous seasons, look for the collectives and promoters that used to book there, they often host nights at Melkweg, Westergas, and pop-up warehouse spaces during ADE.

4) Shelter

Shelter’s subterranean, windowless setting (beneath the A’DAM Tower) gives it a classic “club bunker” feel that’s perfect for serious, late-night techno and house. With attention to sound quality and two-area bookings, Shelter often hosts marathon sets and international selectors who want a no-frills environment dedicated to the music. It’s an ADE pick for dancers who want the club experience without distractions.

What to expect

• Long sets and late doors, plan logistics accordingly.
• Strong Funktion-One-style sound and a focused crowd.

5) Gashouder (Westergas)

If ADE’s program calls for a large-scale audiovisual spectacle, promoters often choose the Gashouder at Westergas. The domed industrial hall is built for lighting rigs, smoke, and headline bookings that need volume and space. For festival-style ADE nights, Gashouder is where you’ll find arena-level sound and production,  perfect if you want to blow the cobwebs off with a crowd of thousands.

Logistics

Large capacity means tighter door policies and earlier ticket sell-outs; check event pages and arrive early to avoid lines.

Matchfy x Monetunes: the Matchfy Party

An exciting offsite opportunity this year is the Matchfy x Monetunes initiative. Matchfy ran a DJ contest that asks emerging DJs to record a 15-minute DJ set and submit before September 30, 2025 for a chance to perform live.

The winning prize is a coveted performance at the exclusive Matchfy x Monetunes event to be held inside the  the Aitana Hotel during ADE on October 23, 2025, a compact but high-value slot for exposure to industry professionals, tastemakers and fellow artists.

Quick practical tips to navigate ADE like a pro

• Download the ADE app and plan your schedule: ADE runs simultaneous events across 200+ venues, so the app is invaluable.
• Book transport and arrival windows: cluster venues geographically (city centre, Westergas, A’DAM / north) to minimize transit time. Ferries and trams are fast, but popular times get busy.
• Respect door policies and age limits: bigger venues and festivals often have stricter controls; bring ID and expect bag checks.
• Balance headline nights and discovery: splurge on a marquee show (Gashouder/Paradiso) and save space for a hidden gem at Melkweg or Shelter.
• Network if you’re an artist or industry pro: ADE Pro, ADE Lab and many showcase nights are where A&R and promoters scout new talent, the Matchfy Party is a good example of a targeted industry-facing slot.

Conclusion

The Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE) remains the single most concentrated moment in the year for electronic-music culture: a city-wide collision of clubs, showcases, conferences and discovery that each October turns Amsterdam into a global meeting place for fans, artists and industry professionals. Whether you chase the stained-glass drama of Paradiso, the multi-room surprises at Melkweg, the subterranean focus of Shelter, or the festival-scale production at Gashouder, ADE 2025 is built to reward planning, curiosity and late nights. Treat the week as equal parts programmed highlights and intentional discovery: book the marquee shows you really want, then leave room in your schedule for unexpected pop-ups and newcomer showcases.

Alongside the city’s established venues, initiatives like the Matchfy x Monetunes Matchfy Party demonstrate how ADE also functions as a springboard for emerging talent. Matchfy’s DJ contest  and the resulting performance slot at the Matchfy x Monetunes event on October 23, 2025 show the real, practical opportunities available to unsigned DJs and producers during ADE.