Getting home safely: ADE festivals step up protection measures

With the Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE), the world’s biggest electronic music event, underway, extra safety measures have been put in place by festival organisers and the city to make sure, Amsterdam says, that everyone feels “safe in the nightlife scene – free from any form of harassment, violence, discrimination, or (sexual) misconduct.”

To that end, there is a host of initiatives at various festival sites where techno lovers can recharge or get help getting home safely.

Bike buddies, hosts and Check-Ins

At the DGTL festival on NDSM island, cycling buddies will be on hand to help people get safely back and forth to the ferries. They will be working in pairs to ensure their own safety.

A Safe Check-In on NDSM wharf will be open all night for people who need physical help, feel unsafe at night or just need a breather. Phones can also be charged there.

At Awakenings in Halfweg, a Goodbye Host will be stationed at the exit, keeping a watchful eye on partygoers leaving solo. Hosts can help with route planning, and phones can also be charged here.

Both locations will also feature an Awareness Crew, trained teams identifiable by badges or vests that offer support to those feeling uncomfortable or unsafe.

Taking back the night

Some of the safety measures are not new. Last year, following the August murder of teenager Lisa while she cycled home alone and the resulting Take Back the Night campaign, the biking buddies programme was set up.

“We’ve been running social safety measures at our events since Covid, through our awareness teams and social safety hub, so this is something we’ve prioritized for a long time already,” Nikki Schuurs, who deals with Social Safety at DGTL, told Dutch News.

“Bike Buddies, however, was indeed introduced in response to the Take Back the Night campaign, following the murder of Lisa. Safety doesn’t stop at the dance floor.”

Visitors can find the Bike Buddy meeting point just outside the event. Group rides depart every 30 minutes between 21:00 and 07:00, on the hour and half-hour.

Safety concerns have again risen in the city following the violent death of 29-year-old Hajar, whose body was found in a suitcase in the Amstel River last week. She had last been seen cycling with a man near the RAI convention centre. He has since been arrested in connection with her death.