[Advance Planning] Five Tips for Enjoying ADE (Amsterdam Dance Event) More Than 100%

I hadn't been following the information in real time, but ADE (Amsterdam Dance Event) has already set its 2018 dates.

In 2017, I pieced together information and experienced ADE for the first time, and came to love dance music even more.

Because information was scarce, there were quite a few things that made me think, “I should have done it this way!” So this time I'll put together the things future ADE visitors should watch out for.

I hope this information makes going to ADE feel easier, or makes you say, “I'm glad I knew that beforehand!” It's also to keep mistakes from turning into bitter memories. Somehow bitter memories can make you dislike an event, place, country, people or music, and I'd like to avoid that.

1: Don't Cram In Too Many Events

Since it was my first ADE, I put too much faith in the phrase “Eat Sleep Rave Repeat” and crammed in events as if this were my one big chance... That was a mistake.

To give my conclusion first, I think it's best to relax in Amsterdam and go to a few events you really like while you're there. Pick one absolute must-see among them, and take the attitude that it's okay if you don't make the others.

First of all, the Netherlands is far from Japan, so you're already quite tired by the time you get there.
Of course, jet lag also takes its toll.

The events are crowded, of course, with all-star lineups. And they're long.
For example, some start at 6 p.m. and run until 5 a.m. the next morning, or even around 7 a.m.

In the end, most days I left the venue before 4 a.m.
And it's quite normal for headliner-level acts to start at 4 or 5 a.m.
(Sometimes I couldn't find a taxi back to the hotel, and even UBER would easily cost ¥5,000 or ¥6,000, leaving me feeling taken advantage of and unable to do anything about it.)

After days like that, I was already pretty worn out by about Day 5.
What's more, if you sit down somewhere at an event and start dozing, in Japan you'd probably be left alone or woken up by staff, but at ADE the person sitting next to you wakes you up, haha.

“Hey! You came all this way to have fun and you're sleeping? What a waste! Wake up!”

That's the sort of thing they mean. Probably, haha.

2: Choose Airbnb or a Reasonably Priced Hotel

Hotels in Amsterdam are quite expensive.
If you can stay somewhere for ¥10,000 a night, it feels like, “Great, I found a cheap place!”

I chose a hostel dormitory that was ¥4,500 cheaper and not far from Amsterdam Centraal station, but that was a mistake. Western and Chinese group travelers were noisy while I was sleeping, and spread their luggage beyond their own space. In other words, it wasn't comfortable, haha.

They weren't staying there for ADE either, so our sleep schedules didn't match.

Next time I'd like to stay at an Airbnb with people I know, aiming for both affordability and comfort.

3: Get Early-Bird Tickets for Popular Events, and Use TicketSwap for the Rest

There are two ways to attend ADE: buy an ADE PASS or get tickets for individual events.
Of course, as I wrote in point 1, I recommend buying individual tickets because of the physical demands.
You can also plan properly, making it efficient.

Event announcements begin in July, and the full program is available around the beginning of October.
Ticket sales follow those announcements, so you need to keep tracking the information.

Techno events in particular are very popular in Europe and sell out earlier than you might expect (especially Elrow and Awakenings), so get your tickets early, ideally early-bird tickets.

A common problem as more events are announced is that something you want to attend later clashes with an earlier choice.
Unlike Japan, reselling event tickets is perfectly normal in the Netherlands, and sites such as “Ticket Swap” are commonly used.

But I think it's better not to keep changing your mind.
There are so many events that it's normal for about three to clash, and there's no end to it. Also, “Ticket Swap” doesn't support receiving money at Japanese financial institutions when you sell.

Tickets for events sold out on the official website are expensive on “Ticket Swap”, but tickets still on sale officially are sometimes sold cheaply there. In those cases, using “Ticket Swap” would be a good option.

4: Bring a Credit Card (and Know Your PIN)

Credit cards are widespread in the Netherlands.
(It even feels as though credit cards are the default.)

Using a credit card for club lockers, drinks, merchandise and toilets (some charge a fee!!) lets you pay quickly and accurately. If you regularly use a credit card in Japan, you should be fine, but if you haven't used one much, be careful. VISA and MASTER should work in most cases.
(It's safer to avoid AMEX and JCB.)

When traveling, ideally bring at least two cards, including a backup.

5: The UBER App and a High-Capacity Phone Charger

UBER is very useful at ADE too.
While attending events, you end up taking taxis a lot for one reason or another (especially in remote places like NDSM or KBF Complex, where a taxi is almost the only way to leave early), and UBER offers clear pricing and cashless payment.

Incidentally, ordinary taxis may run the meter, but charge the driver's stated price and accept cash only.