ADE Lab has split into two programmes this year, and one of them costs nothing. ADE Lab Discovery is free, needs no application, and runs from 21 to 23 October at Lab Village in Westerpark. That includes the Gear Test Lab, where you can try DJ equipment, instruments and production tools from a range of brands. Previously the Lab sat behind a pass. Now half of it is a walk-in.
It runs Wednesday to Friday of ADE week, 10:00 to 18:00 daily. No ticket, no application, open to anyone.
The Gear Test Lab sits at Het Ketelhuis. Alongside it are product demos, product showcases and a strand called Get Into, which ADE describes as accessible sessions for people with no prior knowledge of a subject.
Radio Radio hosts listening sessions with artists, collectives and Amsterdam scene figures. Partner hubs take over Het Meterhuisje, Amsterdam Flavours, Pacific Amsterdam, De Bakkerswinkel and Bar Coco, each running their own programming across the week.
ADE Lab On Track is the paid, application-only side. It is a three-day academy split into a Producer Track and a Performing Artist Track, built around masterclasses, mentoring, studio sessions and demo drops.
Applications have closed and decisions went out by 18 September, so Discovery is the only Lab route still open for 2026.
On Track also runs 21 to 23 October, with its main hub at WestWeelde and additional sessions at Het Ketelhuis and Radio Radio. Participants get access to the ADE Culture Hub at Felix Meritis on Saturday 24 October. It does not include entry to the ADE Pro conference, which needs a separate pass.
The first speaker list covers Adam Beyer, Kevin Saunderson, Moodymann, DJ Bone, Nene H, Sammy Virji, Jyoty, Grace Dahl and LYZZA.
ADE Lab used to be one programme. Splitting it separates the people who want a structured course from the people who just want to try a groovebox and hear how a record got made.
For anyone already going to ADE, that is three days of gear access and open sessions added to the schedule at no cost. ADE week adds up quickly, so a free daytime programme in Westerpark is worth building a day around.
ADE 2026 runs 21 to 25 October and marks the event’s 30th edition, with more than 1,500 artists across the festival and conference.
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