Photo Credit: Katarina Cvetko
Last weekend marked the 6th annual edition of Amsterdam Music Festival (AMF). The overnight event hosted by ALDA Events takes place at the end of Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE), a week-long electronic music conference in the heart of the Netherlands. Featuring some of the biggest names in the world, the festival is also home to DJ Mag’s Top 100 DJ award ceremony, with the winner featured to play an exclusive set amongst the world-class lineup. After an incredible week exploring the entire spectrum of electronic sub-genres and getting a behind the scenes look into the music industry, I ended my ADE experience at my very first AMF! Here’s what I loved about it!
THE VENUE
Held at Amsterdam’s Johan Cruijff Arena, the overnight event took place in one of the largest indoor festival venues in the country. With a capacity of almost 70,000 for concerts and music events, this venue was the perfect location to hold the annual celebration. The venue was easily accessible from the city and getting in and out of the stadium was quick and easy. There was more than enough room to stand and dance as well as a copious amount of seats surrounding the stage to sit and enjoy the music.
THE VIBE
Not only was this the biggest indoor music festival I have attended, but it was also one of the most diverse. The entire crowd was made up of travelers and ravers from around the world, waving their flags and representing their countries proudly. The crowd was one of the friendliest I have come across and the overall vibe of the festival was very united.
THE PRODUCTION
Aside from music, my favourite part about music festivals is the production and AMF definitely delivered! Despite being an indoor festival, the Dutch will stop at nothing to provide the best possible production. I was absolutely blown away at this event. The combination of lasers, fireworks, pyro, and just about anything else you could imagine, perfectly complemented the stunning stage. I was particularly blown away by the large fireworks that were scattered throughout the venue all the way up to the back!
THE MUSIC
Featuring a world-class lineup including a special performance from the number one DJ in the world, AMF definitely delivered a state of the art event. With some of the biggest names in the world and the world premiere of David Guetta and Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike’s alias Two Is One, this festival had something for everyone! Here are my top three sets from the evening.
MARTIN GARRIX
For the third year in a row, Dutch superstar Martin Garrix took the title of #1 DJ in the world and surprised the crowd with an exclusive performance. Following a sold-out show the night before, the DJ and producer amazed the crowd with his latest tracks and unparalleled visuals and showcased exactly why he is worthy of his title.
AXWELL /\ INGROSSO
Swedish house veterans Axwell /\ Ingrosso have been building the hype train since the Swedish House Mafia reunion earlier this year. With a special announcement scheduled for Monday, all eyes were on the Swedish DJs for what was one of their last performances as a duo. Filled with their timeless classics as well as some Swedish House Mafia teasers, the two put on yet another incredible performance.
KSHMR
American born DJ and producer KSHMR wowed fans with an unforgettable set. Drawing inspiration from his Kashmiri-Indian roots, the artist is known for combining cultural elements and putting his own unique electronic twist on them. With a set filled entirely with original music, dabbling into the world of hardstyle and even a guest appearance from Mexico’s own Mariana BO, this was easily one of the best performances of the evening.
Overall, my first Amsterdam Music Festival experience completely blew me away and exceeded all of my expectations. Having watched the event for the last four years on the live stream, experiencing the event in person is an entirely different ball game! From the production quality to the people, everything about this event was nothing short of amazing and this was easily the best indoor music festival I have attended.
Pre-register for AMF 2019 here to be the first to get access to the lowest prices!