ADE is running party events in 2021, but not a music business conference.
Holland’s Prime Minister, Mark Rutte has announced that social distancing will end on the 25th of September, but there are new restrictions forcing clubs, bars, restaurants, and other nightlife businesses to shut before midnight.
This news follows a second day of live music protests from the Unmute Us movement, which across Holland saw over 150,000 take to the streets in protest of nightclub closures.
ADE Festival organisers have announced that they will still be running festival events between October 13th and 17th, but it will only be the live music side of the festival.
Many music industry professionals from around the globe usually travel to Amsterdam for the conference talks hosted by ADE, and also to meet and greet others from the industry. This conference part of ADE has been cancelled, so 2021’s event will officially just be about dancing and live music.
This could be seen as an odd decision, due to the fact that the country’s nightlife industry is still restricted, but people can soon meet and socialise during daytime activities. Although COVID-19 restrictions are probably stretching the resources of the organisers, and it would seem logical to focus on the side of ADE that’s most profitable, which is no doubt the party events.
People from within the electronic music industry may still decide to meet in Amsterdam, but they will have to do that unofficially.
In an official press release, the organisers released a statement, saying: “The decision to postpone ADE Pro, for many music professionals the most important business moment in the year, was especially difficult in the time that the industry needs it the most,” then continued: “On top of that, we need all of our available resources to coordinate the ADE Festival events as efficiently, and to the best of our ability, within the few weeks we have left.”
“Ever since the press conference, we have been overloaded with messages from organizers willing to do everything they can to push forward with their events within the current measures,” then added. “And we want to do everything we can to support them in their efforts to get the live industry moving again.”
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