Side to Side strijkt neer in de Amsterdamse Houthavens: hoe de dansscene ontstond
About the event
As major festivals become larger and more anonymous, Zijkant is returning to the intimacy and atmosphere of the early dance scene. On 12 September 2026, the collective launches Side to Side in Amsterdam’s Houthavens. Four DJs will bring UK Garage, Deep House, Tech House and Minimal House into one close-knit space, where the crowd does not simply watch the night unfold but becomes part of the energy around the DJ booth. Throughout the night, Melle & Melle, Bram and Jens will play UK Garage, Minimal, Deep House and Tech House from 22:00 until 04:00. In Amsterdam’s Houthavens, Zijkant creates a place where fans of UK Garage, Deep, Tech and Minimal House can witness a personal DJ set by four DJs who want to share their love of music. A place where they do not simply watch the night pass them by, but become part of the energy that emerges from the DJ booth.
During Side to Side, there is no main stage where the DJ looks down at the audience from a lonely height. Zijkant’s DJs stand inside the room, allowing direct contact with the crowd. They will share, rather than simply transmit, the energy they experience and, above all, feel behind the decks.
Zijkant from the other side
Zijkant developed organically when four friends discovered their love for DJing and producing House music.
“We noticed that something was missing from the parties we attended: personality, contact and being taken along in what the DJ experiences during a set. Meanwhile, we had started DJing ourselves, including with vinyl, and thought: ‘Why should we wait for someone else to create the night we would like to experience? We stopped talking about it and decided to create it ourselves,’” explains initiator Melle van der Heijden.
