Dekmantel Festival

History

Dekmantel started small and stayed independent on purpose. Thomas Martojo and Casper Tielrooij, childhood friends from The Hague, moved to Amsterdam in their early twenties and threw their first party under the Dekmantel name in 2007, at a venue that held about 200 people, with San Proper on the bill. It grew fast from there: the illegal Nachtmantel parties, a sold-out monthly clubnight at Club NL, and one-off nights at Studio 80 and Flexbar built a local following well before Dekmantel had a fixed home.

The label followed the parties, launching around 2009 to 2010 with early releases from Juju & Jordash and San Proper, largely because the crew wanted a way to put out music that wasn't finding a home elsewhere. By the time Matthijs Theben Terville joined as a partner, Dekmantel Soundsystem, the label and the club nights, had become one of Amsterdam's more influential independent electronic music operations, well before any of it involved a festival.

That came in August 2013: an event in the Amsterdamse Bos, the woodland park on Amsterdam's southwestern edge, first planned as two days and stretched to three (23 to 25 August) once demand arrived, with a capacity of 5,000 tickets a day. Four Tet and Jeff Mills were on the bill alongside Carl Craig, Marcel Dettmann and Surgeon. The second edition, on 1 to 3 August 2014, grew to 8,000 to 9,000 tickets and added camping. It was led by a Three Chairs set from Moodymann, Marcellus Pittman, Rick Wilhite and Theo Parrish, and also booked Jeff Mills and Surgeon again. The festival has continued expanding since while staying in the same patch of forest every summer.

The booking has always sat somewhere between Detroit lineage and Amsterdam's own scene. Motor City Drum Ensemble, Move D, Donato Dozzy and Nina Kraviz were all on the 2015 bill, and Motor City Drum Ensemble, Dozzy (in a hybrid set with Peter van Hoesen) and Kraviz returned in 2017. More recent editions kept the same mix: Jeff Mills, Dozzy, Batu and Spekki Webu appear in the 2025 listings, and the 2026 edition opened its Bos weekend with a live improvisation from James Holden and Surgeon, with Jeff Mills and Batu also on the bill.

Dekmantel marked ten years in 2024 with an expanded, ten-day program that spread well beyond the Bos itself: shows at Het HEM, a converted munitions factory, conference programming at Aan Het IJ, and screenings at EYE Filmmuseum, alongside a newly built, 360-degree stage called The Loop and a lineup including Jeff Mills, Carista, Young Marco, Jyoty and Palms Trax. The label side of the operation stays just as active: Steve Rachmad released his orchestral debut album "Light And Time" on Dekmantel in August 2026, a record RTS.FM named among the best techno albums of summer 2026, proof the label's A&R instincts still extend well past the festival's own stages.

The 12th edition ran from 29 July to 2 August 2026, opening at the Oude Kerk with a concert by Space Afrika, moving to Paradiso and Melkweg for a first "Into the City" day, and then settling into three days in the Bos, with a new "At Dawn" morning program presented with Resident Advisor. Tickets for the 2027 edition are on sale through the festival's official ticket shop. As of 10 October 2026 dekmantelfestival.com has not published the 2027 dates, and a city listing shows programme days from 28 July 2027 marked subject to change, so treat the dates on this page as an estimate until the festival confirms them.

Getting there and practical info

Dekmantel's main site is the Amsterdamse Bos, which sits in the municipality of Amstelveen just south of Amsterdam. The details below come from the festival's own FAQ, written around the 2026 edition, so check dekmantelfestival.com for any 2027 changes before you book.

• Address: Amsterdamse Bos, Nieuwe Meerlaan 1, 1187 NW Amstelveen. Use "Nieuwe Meerlaan 1, Amstelveen" in your navigation.
• Nearest airport: Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. The festival's suggested public transport route is a train to Schiphol, then bus 199 (about 20 minutes) to the festival.
• Shuttle: A festival shuttle bus ran from Amstel Station (stop A1) in about 15 to 20 minutes in 2026, sold as a separate ticket.
• By bike: The festival calls this the most sustainable option, around 45 minutes from Amsterdam Centraal and about 20 minutes from Amsterdam Zuid, through the park. Bikes must go in the festival bike racks.
• By car: The festival strongly discourages driving and taxis. Limited paid parking was offered at Rietwijkeroordweg 59 in Amstelveen, roughly a 15-minute walk from the campsite, and taxi pick-up gets very busy at closing time.
• Camping and accommodation: The official campsite is EuroParcs Amsterdamse Bos (Kleine Noorddijk 1, 1187 NZ Amstelveen), about a 15-minute walk from the festival. Bringing your own tent requires a camping ticket, and pre-set options (tents, cabins, lodges, mobile homes) are sold in limited numbers. Cars, caravans and campers are not allowed into the park during the festival.
• Age policy: The main festival is 18+, and ID or a passport may be checked at the gate. The city-centre Into The City concerts were all ages in 2026, with hearing protection required for under-18s, and the night program carried its own 18+ or 21+ limits by venue.
• Tickets: Sold only through the official ticket shop, with Paylogic as the official resale platform at face value or below. Weekend wristbands are personal and cannot be transferred, and the festival says there are no changes, cancellations or refunds.

FAQ

When did Dekmantel Festival start?

Dekmantel Festival launched in August 2013 in the Amsterdamse Bos, four years after Thomas Martojo and Casper Tielrooij's Dekmantel clubnight had already grown into a record label.

Is Dekmantel a record label or a festival?

Both. Dekmantel began as a clubnight and record label in Amsterdam in 2007, and only became a festival in 2013; the label continues to release music from artists including Steve Rachmad independently of the festival's yearly lineup.

When is the next Dekmantel Festival?

Tickets for the 2027 edition are on sale, but the festival had not published official 2027 dates as of 10 October 2026. The main weekend normally falls at the end of July or the start of August, and a city listing points to programme days from 28 July 2027, subject to change.

Where exactly does Dekmantel take place?

In the Amsterdamse Bos, a large woodland park on Amsterdam's southwestern edge (Nieuwe Meerlaan 1, Amstelveen), where the festival has been held every year since its 2013 debut. Recent editions have added shows at city-centre venues including the Oude Kerk, Paradiso and Melkweg.

How do I get to Dekmantel from Amsterdam?

The festival recommends cycling (about 45 minutes from Amsterdam Centraal) or taking its shuttle bus from Amstel Station, which took 15 to 20 minutes in 2026. Public transport via a train to Schiphol and then bus 199 is also suggested, while cars and taxis are discouraged.

What is the age limit at Dekmantel?

The main festival in the Amsterdamse Bos is 18+, and ID or a passport may be requested at entry. Some city-centre concerts have been open to all ages, and night-program venues set their own 18+ or 21+ limits.

Can you camp at Dekmantel?

Yes. The official campsite is EuroParcs Amsterdamse Bos, about a 15-minute walk from the festival, and it needs a camping ticket if you bring your own tent. Limited pre-set tents, cabins and lodges are also sold.

Has Dekmantel's capacity grown a lot?

Yes. The first edition in 2013 was capped at 5,000 tickets a day; by 2014 that had grown to 8,000 to 9,000, and the festival has continued to expand in the years since.

RTS.FM artists connected to this festival

• Batu
• Donato Dozzy
• Jeff Mills
• Motor City Drum Ensemble
• Move D
• Nina Kraviz
• Spekki Webu
• Surgeon
• Theo Parrish

Only sourced appearances at past editions or on announced lineups are listed.