If you’re into electronic music, there’s a good chance you might have heard of Dekmantel. After all, its niche is electronica: a festival dedicated to all things beats, DJs and pounding techno.
With all the buzz around Glastonbury, it’s easy to overlook the fact that Europe is bursting with other great festivals, some of whom offer an even better electronic line-up than the IICON Stage and Shangri-La.
And if spending time at Glastonbury’s south-east corner is all you care about, then good news: Dekmantel has all of that, plus more. Even better, its location close to the centre of Amsterdam means it’s entirely possibly to have a good time whilst also making the most of the spectacular Dutch capital.
The 2025 edition of the festival took place across a bank holiday weekend in August; now, 2026 beckons. Here’s what to know.
The details
The festival itself has been going since 2013, and has developed a reputation for being the firm favourite of many festival DJs – unlike many other festivals, they’re encouraged to take risks and be creative with their music.
As ever, the main event takes place in the Amsterdamse Bos: the woods on the outskirts of the city of Amsterdam, right by the Schiphol airport. Basically, picture lots of trees, interspersed with stages and sets from some of the best electronic artists in the world.
This year, the festival started on the Wednesday August 30 with an event at Oude Kerk, before moving to the banks of the Amsterdam river for its second day at Het IJ. There were performances from British artists Leftfield and The Orb at the Muziekgebouw concert hall, while next door at Bimhuis, James Holden and Polish artist Wacław Zimpel will played alongside erbert & Momoko, Young Marco & John Moods, and Polygonia.
After the first two days in the city, comes the festival proper: three days at the Amsterdamse Bos, where artists like Floating Points, Four Tet and Avalon Emerson spin the decks alongside 150 other artists in the middle of the leafy woods.
The line up
This year, the lineup was excellent – and extensive. Seasoned industry pros like Avalon Emerson, Honey Dijon, Four Tet and Shanti Celeste took to the decks over the course of the three-day party, but there will also be performances from artists like Floating Points, Jeff Mills, Ritchie Hawtin and Leftfield.
Check out the full line up here. And read our review of the festival here.
How can I get tickets?
Tickets for 2026 aren’t available yet, but information on pre-registration, line-ups and dates will be coming soon on the Dekmantel website here.
How to get there
Fortunately, Amsterdam is easy to get to. The Eurostar has just opened a new terminal in the city, which means that getting to the capital from London is just under four hours by train – not bad, when you consider that getting to the airport, checking in, flying and then getting into the city from Schiphol probably takes longer.
Going by train is the eco-friendly option (an important ethos of the festival), and pretty easy: security takes 15 minutes, then, on the other side, you’re free to step off the train straight into the heart of the city. From £35 a ticket, you can’t really go wrong (book here).
Where to stay
Dekmantel does offer camping facilities (which cost extra), but if the idea of hunkering down in a field doesn’t appeal, then good news: the capital is teeming with hotels just waiting to be booked.
Top of the list – if you’re wanting to marry partying with quality downtime – is the Park Plaza. There are several branches around the city (there’s one near Schiphol Airport, if you really want to stay right next to the festival), but for a spot that blends access to the city centre with good transport links to Dekmantel, the Park Plaza Vondelpark is an excellent place to start. It’s located next to the park, and the rooms themselves have sweet bird-themed decorations that fit in with the natural setting.
The huge beds are comfortable (a must) and the rooms themselves are rather stylish: all black walls and low lighting. If you’re wanting to wash off the mud, their power showers are also killer. Finish things off with a trip to their Italian restaurant Tozi for some top-notch pasta and aperitivi (rooms start from £169, book here).
There’s also the Hoxton. Based in two locations (central and the Eastern Docklands), it’s the perfect blend of chic and fun. The central location is right by the Herengracht canal, in the famous nine streets at the city’s heart, and offers flexible check-in and check-out times for those who book via the website. The building itself was originally the Mayor’s home, and still retains the herringbone floors and wood-panelled walls as nice nods to its history (rooms start from £150, book here).
If the Hoxton is fully booked, then Sir Albert, waiting just around the corner, is a great option too. Based in Amsterdam’s De Pijp district, within walking distance from Museum Square, the hotel boasts an Asian bar and restaurant – Izakaya – as well as a comfortable, snug Study for guests to unwind and relax in in front of a roaring fire (if it’s winter). Plus, the rooms offer lovely views of the canal (rooms start from £150, book here).
Where to eat
Dekmantel does offer food options, all of which are vegetarian, locally produced and climate-neutral. The food options here are also a cut above most festivals, making grabbing lunch and dinner a breeze (though be warned, the festival doesn’t take cash, which means all money has to be changed into food and drink tokens beforehand).
That said, there aren’t a lot of food options on the ground, but on the plus side, Amsterdam is also bursting with great eating spots. So what better excuse for dropping by Dekmantel after an excellent lunch?
One of the best spots for doing just that is Bak, a fine dining restaurant located on the top floor of a former warehouse. The views (as seen through massive windows) onto the river beyond are stunning, and the restaurant serves up ethically sourced food, including locally-caught fish, fresh seasonal salads and fun twists on dishes. The menu changes pretty much every day, and the tasting menu comes lovingly prepared in an endless stream of tiny plates. For the full experience, we’d recommend going for the wine pairing: the ever-attentive staff explain every bottle in detail.
It also does an excellent lunch menu, making it the perfect stopping-off point en route to the festival grounds, which open at 1pm (bakrestaurant.nl).
