For decades, Awakenings has defined the sound and scale of Amsterdam Dance Event. Its home at the Gashouder became a symbol of techno’s grandest moments — a cathedral of light, lasers, and precision. But this year marked a new chapter. For ADE 2025, Awakenings left its iconic dome behind and moved into the SugarFactory, a 19th-century industrial landmark on Amsterdam’s western edge.
Built in 1863, this former sugar refinery has never before hosted a rave. Awakenings became the first and only promoter to turn its steel beams, concrete floors, and towering halls into a new kind of dance floor — one that feels raw, tactile, and close.
From Steel and Silence to Sound and Sweat
Walking into the SugarFactory, you immediately sense the difference. The grandeur of the Gashouder is traded for something intimate, physical, and immersive. The venue’s central hall is framed by a suspended balcony that wraps around the dance floor, offering multiple levels to move and breathe while never losing the pulse of the room.
The production was unmistakably Awakenings: two kilometres of LED strips, 360° lasers slicing through the haze, and a moving rig that seemed to respond to the music itself. Every surface resonated. The sound didn’t just hit you — it enveloped you.
This was a deliberate reset — what Awakenings described as “a return to the essentials.” Industrial bones. Pure sound. No distractions.
Eight Events, One Unforgettable Week
Across five days, Awakenings hosted eight shows inside the SugarFactory — each with its own mood, sound, and audience.
- Hard Opening Night kicked things off on Wednesday, debuting 999999999’s AV show and an Azyr × Cloudy back-to-back that tested the room’s full sonic range.
- Thursday was classic Drumcode territory, led by Adam Beyer, Enrico Sangiuliano, Eli Brown, and Bart Skils.
- Friday split into two distinct flavours: USS presented by Chris Stussy during the night, and the free BUD × Charlotte de Witte party celebrating her new album in the afternoon.
- Saturday delivered dual showcases — the daytime Spectrum curated by Joris Voorn and the nighttime ARTCORE debut from Indira Paganotto, where trance-infused techno met a whirlwind of strobe and colour.
- Finally, Sunday brought the Sunday Sessions and Exhale by Amelie Lens, AIROD, and Kobosil, closing ADE 2025 with pure, relentless energy.
Each event transformed the space completely — from deep groove to hard industrial, melodic to acid — proving that the SugarFactory could adapt to every corner of the techno spectrum.
Saturday Afternoon: Spectrum by Joris Voorn
I attended the Saturday day show, Spectrum, curated by Joris Voorn. It was one of those rare afternoons that remind you why you fell in love with this culture in the first place.
Freddy K and Ogazón opened with a vinyl-only set that felt slow-burning and hypnotic, laying the groundwork for Rødhåd and Rene Wise, who turned the energy darker and more driving.
When Voorn finally took the decks, the crowd was fully locked in. His “Trip to Galaxy” concept combined emotive melody with propulsive rhythm — a perfect reflection of the venue’s balance between intimacy and scale. As the moving rig tilted and the lasers washed the balcony in blue light, the energy shifted from heavy to euphoric. You could feel every heartbeat in sync with the kick drum.
The Crowd and the Feeling
Despite the new setting, the Awakenings DNA was unmistakable: polished production, seamless flow, and that communal electricity that makes strangers move like one. The no-phone policy gave the crowd a focus I haven’t felt in years — all eyes on the stage, all minds on the moment.
From the balcony, you could see faces glowing in the laser light, people grinning mid-drop, friends hugging at breakdowns. It felt real. Less spectacle, more soul.
A New Chapter for Awakenings
This move was more than a change of address — it was a creative evolution.
Where Gashouder represented scale and legacy, the SugarFactory represents exploration and connection. Awakenings partnered with Red Bull (who transformed one of the rooms into an artist lounge), Flâneur (whose interactive art installation visualised crowd heat maps), and BUD, whose Friday pre-party with Charlotte de Witte captured the week’s most spontaneous moment.
And beyond the production, Awakenings introduced thoughtful touches like the Goodbye Host — someone stationed outside to check in on solo ravers leaving late at night. It’s the kind of small detail that shows how deeply they understand their community.
Final Thoughts
Awakenings at the SugarFactory wasn’t just a new venue — it was a statement. Proof that even after 25 years, Awakenings can reinvent itself without losing its essence.
Leaving the venue that night, still buzzing from Joris Voorn’s closing set, I realised what made this ADE special. It wasn’t just the sound or the size of it all — it was the way the night pulled everyone together. A smaller space, a bigger sense of connection.
The Gashouder will always be part of Awakenings’ DNA. But this year, at the SugarFactory, something shifted — and it felt like the beginning of a new era.
And if you’re already counting down the days until your next dance, Awakenings will return to the Sugarfactory for three NYE shows from December 30th to January 1st — a fitting way to close out the year where this new chapter began. Get your ticket now!
