Amsterdam Dance Event · 21–26 October 2026

ADE Official Demo Drop

Dare to send in your best demo: Demolition XXIX gives producers live, on-stage feedback from renowned electronic music professionals at ADE 2026, hosted by Dave Clarke. Free with an ADE Pro Pass or ADE Lab On Track acceptance ticket.

Open call · live on stage Open

Demolition XXIX

Your demo played and critiqued live on stage at ADE, hosted by Dave Clarke. One winner and two runners-up win prizes from Arturia, Reloop, AIAIAI, Yamaha and Roland.

Panel
Aroha Harawira, Louisahhh, Pooja B, BT and Joseph Capriati, moderated by Dave Clarke and Ivan Markovic
Live session
Sat 24 Oct · 16:15 · Felix Meritis
Prizes
Winner + two runners-up · partners Arturia, Reloop, AIAIAI, Yamaha and Roland
Deadline
Wed 21 Oct · 23:59 (Amsterdam time)

Official demo submission partner of ADE Amsterdam Dance Event · amsterdam-dance-event.nl (ADE website)

01 / From upload to stage

How it works

  1. 13 – 21 Oct

    Enter

    1. Submit your demo

      One unreleased track, WAV or 320 kbps MP3 (max 190 MB), with the start of your 60-second fragment marked.

    2. No AI-generated music

      AI-generated music is not allowed and entries can be checked for it. AI tools for mixing and mastering are fine.

  2. Wed 21 Oct · 23:59

    Deadline

    1. Submissions close

      Entries close on Wednesday 21 October at 23:59 (Amsterdam time).

  3. Sat 24 Oct · 16:15 · Felix Meritis

    Live session

    1. Played live

      Demos are played live and get on-stage feedback from the panel, hosted by Dave Clarke. Which demos are played is not announced in advance, so be in the room with your pass.

    2. Wildcard round

      At the end, the host invites everyone in the room to bring their USB to the stage. One demo is picked at random and also competes for the prizes.

    3. Winners

      At the end the jury picks one winner and two runners-up, with prizes from our partners Arturia, Reloop, AIAIAI, Yamaha and Roland. Only those physically present in the room are eligible.

02 / 13–26 October 2026

Programme

ADE runs 21–26 October.

  1. Tuesday13 Oct
    • Submissions openDemolition XXIX
  2. Wednesday21 Oct
    • ADE opens
    • Demolition submissions close23:59 (Amsterdam time)
  3. Saturday24 Oct
    • Demolition XXIX — live sessionFelix Meritis · 16:15–17:45 · hosted by Dave Clarke
  4. Monday26 Oct
    • ADE closes

03 / Last year

ADE 2025

  • A full conference room at ADE 2025, audience facing a panel on stage
    Photo: Tom Doms / ADE
  • Two speakers in conversation on stage at ADE 2025
    Photo: Enrique Meesters / ADE
  • A packed club night at ADE 2025
    Photo: Enrique Meesters / ADE

04 / With

Partners

Amsterdam Dance Event 2026 VIRPP

Demolition is part of the ADE 2026 Conference programme (21–26 October 2026), on the collaborative Saturday between ADE Pro, ADE Lab On Track and Team Beats. VIRPP runs the demo submissions.

05 / Questions

FAQ

How do I submit a demo to ADE 2026?

Use the form on the Demolition page: upload one unreleased track (WAV or 320 kbps MP3, max 190 MB), mark where your best 60 seconds start (the 60-second fragment the jury hears), add your details and your ticket or transaction number, and confirm the statements. It takes about 3 minutes and you get a submission ID straight away.

Is it free, and which ADE pass do I need?

Submitting is free. You need an ADE Pro Pass or an ADE Lab On Track acceptance ticket, and you must be physically present at the Demolition session on Saturday 24 October. We check your ticket or transaction number with ADE.

When is the deadline?

Demolition submissions close on Wednesday 21 October at 23:59 (Amsterdam time).

Which file formats work?

WAV, or MP3 at 320 kbps. Maximum 190 MB. Upload the full track and mark where your best 60 seconds start: the jury hears that 60-second fragment.

Can I use AI tools?

AI-assisted mixing and mastering is fine. AI-generated music is not allowed, and entries can be checked for it.

Do I keep the rights to my track?

Yes. You keep all your rights. You only allow ADE and VIRPP to name you and play your demo as part of Demolition.

How do I know if my demo is played?

Demos are played live at the session; which ones is not announced in advance, so be at Felix Meritis on Saturday 24 October at 16:15 with your pass. At the end the jury picks the winners. After you submit you get one receipt e-mail with your submission ID; we never ask for passwords or payment. Questions: [email protected].

06 / Your data

Privacy

Who is responsible. Stichting Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE), Wilgenweg 6, 1031 HV Amsterdam, Chamber of Commerce (KvK) 34292016, is responsible for your personal data (the controller). VIRPP runs the submission platform on ADE’s behalf (the processor). ADE’s full privacy statement: amsterdam-dance-event.nl/en/privacy.

We collect only what we need to run Demolition XXIX:

  • Your e-mail address and mobile number, to contact you about your entry.
  • Your legal name, artist name, country and ADE ticket, transaction or order number, to verify your pass with ADE. Only the organisers see your legal name.
  • Your track and its details (title, genre, BPM, fragment start), so the jury can listen to it.
  • Gender, only if you choose to share it, and only reported as anonymous totals of 10 or more.

We use this data only to run the session you entered, which you asked to take part in. The jury sees your artist name and track, not your legal name or contact details. ADE sees anonymous statistics and, for selected artists, the details needed to run the session.

How long. Your data and audio are deleted automatically 90 days after the contest ends (25 October 2026). Technical logs are kept shorter; IP addresses are shortened after 30 days.

Service providers. VIRPP uses providers for hosting, network security (Cloudflare) and e-mail (Mailgun). Cloudflare and Mailgun are US companies, so some data may be processed outside the EU.

Cookies. These pages set no cookies and use no tracking or analytics. Only the staff login (jury and ADE) uses one strictly necessary session cookie.

Your rights. You can ask to see, correct or delete your data at any time: [email protected] (ADE) or [email protected] (VIRPP). You can also complain to the Dutch Data Protection Authority (Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens).