The first weekend of August marks another installment of Dekmantel Festival in the picturesque Amsterdamse Bos – a forest south of the capital. As the city’s electronic music scene continues to flourish, this relatively new festival is becoming a key event not only in the Dutch calendar but across Europe. This year’s lineup is bigger and even more diverse than ever, with the organisers expanding to some spectacular riverside venues in the city for the opening concerts.
Opening shows include Tony Allen, James Holden (both with live bands) Shackleton & Ernesto Tomasini live and a club night with Matias Aguayo and Young Marco to name a few. The only trouble is there’s almost too much to take in and that's just on the Thursday. The lineup for the three all-dayers is a who’s who of forward thinking dance music, featuring everyone from Helena Hauff to ESG and Egyptian Lover to Ben Klock and anyone you could care to mention in between.
By night the party continues at Amsterdam’s iconic Melkweg back in the city with the likes of Jackmaster, Lakuti, Legowelt, Ron Morelli and Optimo playing well into the early hours. Dekmantel have always maintained an exceptionally high standard of bookings but this year’s upscale promises a festival to compete with the more established names around the globe. If you’re looking for a dance music festival with its finger firmly on the pulse you need look no further than across the north sea.
Dekmantel runs between August 4th – 7th.
Words: Jack Dolan
