Visionary producer Jean-Michel Jarre will headline the opening ceremony of Amsterdam Dance Event 2026, as the global electronic music gathering launches its milestone 30th edition this fall (Oct. 21).
Organisers announced Tuesday (March 10) that Jarre will perform an exclusive gig at concert hall AFAS Live on Oct. 21, kicking off ADE’s five-day programme, which runs Oct. 21–25 across the Netherlands’ capital. The performance will coincide with the 50th anniversary of the artist’s landmark 1976 LP Oxygène.
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Presented by MOJO and Insomniac, according to a press release, the concert will feature a venue-scale immersive performance with stage mapping, large projections and elaborate lighting architecture.
“Electronic music, like ADE, has a history, a legacy and a future,” said Jarre in a video posted to Instagram. “ADE is an essential pillar of the electronic music scene. ADE is in constant evolution; it’s a perfect reflection of what the electronic music scene is all about.”
Jarre is also set to participate in an exclusive keynote conversation at ADE Pro, the festival’s industry conference. Further announcements regarding the 77-year-old appearances throughout this year’s ADE will arrive over the coming months.
Founded in 1996, ADE has grown into one of the world’s largest electronic music festivals and industry conferences, drawing thousands of execs and fans each year. Recent editions have featured more than 3,300 artists performing across 1,200 events in over 200 venues throughout Amsterdam.
Speaking to Billboard U.K. at ADE 2025, festival’s director Jan-Willem van de Ven set out the event’s mission statement. “ADE is both an experience and business meeting point. You can discover well over a thousand events in the city, get marketing intelligence and find yourself in a space where creative communities are celebrated,” he said.
“For music pros, the priority is to come back every year because everybody is there; we want it to be the best moment of the year to do business.”
Tickets for Jarre’s AFAS Live show go on sale March 13 via MOJO. Earlybird passes for ADE Pro become available Mar. 11 via the festival’s official website.
