Amsterdam Dance Event continues to be the world’s largest and most important DJ and electronic music conference and festival. Consisting of different sub-conferences and sub-events (such as GDE, Amsterdam Dance Event’s little brother) ADE continues its global impact on the world’s dance music industry, and the GDE events carry a clear message during the ADE: opposition to gender discrimination, racism, and homophobia. 

The GDE started in 2010 when after two years of organising one event each year during the ADE, DJ Benjamin Evenementen and EPM Productions recognized the lack of gay, lesbian, trans, Black, and women djs and producers being recognized and spotlighted for their contribution to this global music industry. It was in the American Black and Hispanic queer dance clubs where Disco and House Music gave birth to the genres that are now played all across the world. 

GDE began as GAY.D.E., a play on the English pronunciation of A.D.E.. DJ Benjamin and Elliott Matos started introducing Amsterdam’s gay venues to the Amsterdam Dance Event as venue partners. “We were DJing and organised events at gay venues through Amsterdam but these venues were never part of the festival,” says Elliott Matos, an American DJ and music producer that lived in Amsterdam for many years. One of the first places they introduced in 2010 was a place on the Kerkstraat called BUMP. “We both worked as DJs and I also worked in the coatcheck just down the street at Club Church. This is where Benjamin and I met.” At BUMP is where the first Sounds of Blackness, a concept Benjamin and Elliott started as a reflection to dance music history, took place. “This event is important to us because we want people in the industry to celebrate the cultures that created these genres that are loved in nearly every country on earth,” says Elliott Matos. The first Sounds of Blackness had a legendary line-up of DJs like Honey Dijon, Quentin Harris, Midnight Society and Manny Ward. Singers Crystal Waters and Ultra Nate were among the guests of that party and they both did impromptu performances. The following year, Elliott and Benjamin opened their own nightclub, The Sun. “We opened a nightclub on top of a restaurant on the Nieuwendijk. It was open for one month and included a week of events during the ADE.” 

Benjamin and Elliott were also music producers and worked with a record label in the Noord called Episode Records. The label hosted a night at The Sun during the ADE along with Outland Records. The following year they worked with Club Rogue which became Club Yolo and then it became The Jungle. They also programmed GDE events at another short-lived nightclub, The Warehouse on the Warmoesstraat and they introduced many venues on the Reguliersdwarsstraat to the ADE. The Web on the Sint Jacobsstraat has been part of their GDE programming for every year. 

“This year is bittersweet because of the sudden death of my best friend and business partner, Benjamin.” 

Elliott, and the GDE team that he and Benjamin created over the 13 years, returned this year for another series of their style on unique ADE programming. “We had to downsize this year because Benjamin’s unexpected death left us unsure what we could and would want to handle. Benjamin always wanted to do more and more.” This year’s GDE includes a modest five venues GDE with only 16 events total. 

Women of House, GDE’s all-women DJ concept and ADE’s Top 10 Best Recommended Events, was be at Blend XL on Wednesday night and at two new party locations, Contrast on Thursday night and Friday night at Next. Contrast and Next are both in Amsterdam Noord. Labels and artists from Japan were back this year with a showcase with some of the best DJs and music producers in Tokyo on Sunday night at Blend XL. Blend XL was opened every day till 5am making this GDE location a unique place to party with Dj Monika Kiss taking over the Thursday and Saturday with Ron Carroll and DJs from Chicago. There was also a pure techno lineup takeover at The Web with artists from all around the world. 

Events, locations, dates and time can be found online at www.gay-dance-event.com

Amsterdam Dance Event, October 18-22, 2023