ADE turns 30 in 2026 and to celebrate it has teamed up with Jean-Michel Jarre for a concert on its opening day. Presented by MOJO and Insomniac, the Frenchman returns to Holland with his unmistakable sound and avant-garde audiovisual spectacle
The Amsterdam Dance Event, the world’s most important professional electronic music festival and platform, has announced the start of its special edition for the 30th anniversary. To celebrate three decades of innovation and cultural impact, ADE has invited electronic music pioneer Jean-Michel Jarre as guest of honor in this significant year. Their participation will include an opening concert at AFAS Live on October 21, an exclusive keynote interview at ADE Pro and other appearances throughout the event.. ADE 2026 will be held from October 21 to 25, 2026.
The 2026 edition will also mark a historic crossing within the legacy of electronic music: while ADE celebrates its 30 years, Jean-Michel Jarre commemorates the 50th anniversary of his album Oxygène. This pioneering work is recognized as an artistic experiment that has stood the test of time and influenced generations of artists who have found their meeting point in ADE during the last three decades.
Jean-Michel Jarre: inaugural concert at AFAS Live
As part of ADE’s Opening Concerts, Jean-Michel Jarre will return to the Netherlands for an exclusive live performance at AFAS Live, presented by MOJO and Insomniac. The show will bring its legacy of great audiovisual productions to a state-of-the-art live experience in one of Amsterdam’s most iconic venues.
»Electronic music, like ADE, has a history, a legacy and a future. The concert at ADE will celebrate its 30th anniversary, but also the 50th anniversary of Oxygène. My ambition is to maintain the surprise and move from one theme to another creating different atmospheres, with different stage designs, mapping, giant projections and light and video architectures, to share a moment that can stay in your heart and mind forever. That’s why I’m so happy to be part of this celebration in 2026.”
—Jean-Michel Jarre
Beyond the concert, Jarre’s presence at ADE 2026 will connect the origins and future of electronic music within ADE Pro, with an exclusive keynote interview and other activities to be announced soon. From his first studio experimentations to concerts that transformed entire cities into shared listening spaces, his influence spans half a century of electronic culture.
As an artist who has always placed technology, light and sound at the center of his work, Jarre will actively participate in different areas of the ADE program. More details will be announced soon.
1996—2026: ADE, 30 years promoting electronic music
Over the last three decades, ADE has grown to become the main meeting point and incubator of electronic music; building the framework that helped a new genre become recognized around the world as an art form and as a rapidly expanding business, becoming the enormous global industry it is today.
More specials, initiatives and events will be announced in the coming months to celebrate ADE’s 30 years.
