Cover photo by Alex Heuvink
Summer in Amsterdam has been building to this. The whispers became shouts weeks ago, and the city could not be more ready. Dekmantel is almost here.
Life is a marathon, not a sprint, they say. This summer, we would like to make it both.
There are festivals, and then there is Dekmantel. For five days, Amsterdam transforms into one giant dancefloor. What once began and ended in the Amsterdamse Bos, that particular magic of cycling through the trees with bass in your chest and sunlight cutting through the leaves, now stretches far beyond the festival gates, spilling into churches, concert halls, clubs, and for the first time, the earliest hours of the morning. This year’s edition is Dekmantel’s most ambitious yet, introducing two entirely new chapters: Into the City, a Thursday programme spread across Paradiso and Melkweg, and At Dawn, an early morning series that invites festival-goers to experience the Bos in a completely different light.
The result is nearly 5 days of almost continuous programming and more than 200 artists exploring every corner of electronic music, from ambient meditations and dub sound systems to techno, live shows, and once-in-a-lifetime b2b sets.
And then there is everything in between. The cult gathering at the wine tent where half the city seems to materialise at exactly the same moment, the bouncing and bopping and sprinting from stage to stage trying to catch everything at once and somehow catching exactly enough, and so much more. Dekmantel is as much about the spaces between the music as the music itself.
As if that was not enough, the music no longer stops when the forest closes. Throughout the weekend, some of Amsterdam’s favourite clubs become extensions of Dekmantel’s beloved stages, keeping the momentum going long after the final records have been pulled in the Bos. It is a programme that rewards endurance almost as much as curiosity.
Naturally, we could not make it to all 160 artists. Instead we have mapped out exactly where you will find us from Thursday through Sunday. Consider this our relay race through Dekmantel.
See you somewhere between dusk and dawn.
THURSDAY
Headache
20:45 – 22:00, Melkweg
We’re kicking off our Dekmantel experience with the Into the City programme, and there couldn’t be a better way to begin. What first appeared on our Spotify algorithms as this elusive spoken word project quickly found lyrical melancholists, sad ambient enthusiasts and, eventually, a devoted audience far beyond our headphones. Headache, the collaborative project by Vegyn and writer Francis Hornsby Clark, somehow manages to make an AI voice sound remarkably human, delivering confessions that feel uncannily intimate. We never thought we’d relate this deeply to a synthetic voice, but here we are. As Headache would say, the joy is ours.
STOOR Live with Aurora Halal, Azu Tiwaline, Barker, Carrier, Speedy J
17:00 – 00:00, Paradiso
One of the most exciting things about STOOR is that nobody, not even the artists themselves, knows exactly where it will end up. Founded by Speedy J, the project throws some of electronic music’s most adventurous producers into one shared ecosystem where music is composed entirely in real time. With Aurora Halal, Azu Tiwaline, Barker and Carrier joining this special Dekmantel edition, we’re expecting one of Thursday’s most unforgettable moments.
Piezo x Upsammy
19:45 – 20:45, Melkweg
Two Dekmantel favourites, Piezo and upsammy, finally unveil Eerie Enterprise, their long-awaited collaborative project on Dekmantel Records. Between upsammy’s crystal clear sound design and Piezo’s bass-heavy club mutations, we’re expecting something beautifully strange, entirely unpredictable and very, very Dekmantel.
FRIDAY
Nicolini (Live)
16:00 – 16:45, The Nest
A real Amsterdam legend, Nicola Reverda is best known for his part in the Devon Rexi trio. He’s recently been focusing on his solo project Nicolini, whose latest album, Quita Maldicion, expands his universe with hard-hitting beats and addictively weird vocals.
RHR & Skrillex
18:00 – 19:30, The Loop
This might be our most anticipated encounter of the festival: dubstep legend Skrillex makes his first-ever Dekmantel appearance, joined by baile funk legend RHR, in a b2b that’s sure to keep you buzzing for hours to come.
Skin on Skin
21:00 – 23:00, The Loop
Continuing our Friday with more hard-hitting bangers, we head to the Loop stage for Skin on Skin’s closing set. The Australian artist of Sudanese heritage brings his signature blend of techno and UK drill to the Dekmantel stage.
“The Nest at Night” with RHR, Sherelle, JLSXND7RS + Bar40 by Nachtwinkel
23:00, Garage Noord
The only fitting way to end Friday night is with more heavy bass, and there’s no better spot for that than Garage Noord, which transforms into the Nest stage and brings the likes of RHR and Sherelle to its floor. One of our favorite Amsterdam party collectives, Nachtwinkel, takes over Bar40 for a night that will keep you stomping until the early hours.
SATURDAY
Channel One
12:00 – 14:00, The Greenhouse
Straight from Garage Noord, we head back to the Bos for a bassy wind-down session, where the iconic reggae and dub soundsystem brings Notting Hill Carnival energy straight to the Greenhouse.
Novelist & DJ Slimzee
20:30 – 21:30, The Nest
For anyone with a soft spot for grime, this link-up is a must-see. Grime legend and Rinse FM founding member DJ Slimzee teams up with MC and producer Novelist, the new generation of grime, for a b2b that blends the genre’s past and future.
SASS: Moxie, Peach, Saoirse & Shanti Celeste
19:30 – 23:00, The Loop
If you’ve been following our recommendations, you’ll already know this crew needs no introduction. A match made in heaven, featuring some of our favorite female DJs whose sets are guaranteed to leave you hooked on their infectious energy — and to deliver one thing: a good time.
“Selectors at Night” with Dave Harvey, DJ Koolt, Sugar Free
23:00, ISO
Keeping the good vibes flowing into the night, ISO is the place to head after for a wind-down before the real bender that is Sunday.
SUNDAY
Sampha
12:30 – 14:00, Radar
The early bird catches… exactly. We genuinely had to rub our eyes when we spotted Sampha on the At Dawn line-up because this might just be one of the festival’s biggest surprises. While most know him for his unmistakable voice and emotionally charged records, his musical DNA has always been deeply intertwined with South London’s electronic scene. Between collaborations with the likes of Floating Points, Jamie xx and SBTRKT, this rare DJ set promises a glimpse into the sounds that shaped one of the most influential artists of his generation. If you needed another reason to drag yourself out of bed, this is it.
Trickpony
14:00 – 15:00, Greenhouse
Ever since 24/7 Heaven landed, Trickpony has barely left our rotation. The trio of Roza Terenzi, Michael Gunson and Maria Korkeila occupy a beautiful space between dream pop, trip-hop, downtempo and leftfield electronics. One of the most exciting debuts on this year’s programme and a dream come true 😉
Jasmín
19:00 – 20:00, Radar
Jasmín has become one of the most exciting names to come out of Amsterdam’s club scene, blending heavyweight bass, percussive grooves and enough unexpected turns to keep even the most seasoned dancers on their toes. Her recent Hessle Audio release only confirmed what many already knew. Catch her now before everyone starts pretending they’ve been listening for years.
Dekmantel afterparty
23:00 – 05:00, Club RAUM
Just when you think it’s finally time to call it a weekend, Dekmantel politely disagrees. The festival hands the keys over to RAUM for one final night, complete with a fully secret line-up and absolutely no hints. Go in blind. Stay until the lights come on. Worry about Monday on Monday and enjoy the last extended hours of the best summer weekend in Amsterdam.
