The Amsterdam Dance Event kicked off in the Dutch capital on Wednesday to the sound of church bells performing with a dj.

DJ and composer Wouter Snel came up with a special piece of music which he performed next to the city’s Westerkerk church, together with carillon player Boudewijn Zwart.

The unlikely combination used classic dance anthems and typical Amsterdam folk songs to start of the ADE, which features 300 events and 2,000 djs in 80 clubs.

Every year the ADE festival attracts 300,000 visitors from around the globe and the organisers say it is the biggest international club festival covering the whole spectrum of electronic sub-genres.

Moneyspinner

The first ADE was held in 1995. The city council suggests the event generates up to €30m for the city and dance music is increasingly important to the Dutch economy.

In December 2012, MPs agreed to include pop and dance music in the Netherlands’ top industrial sector focus, by officially adding it to the creative sector definition.

Dutch djs such as Armin van Buuren, Tiësto and Afrojack are among the best in the world and MPs agreed they are a ‘valuable addition’ to the Dutch economy and the Netherlands’ image abroad.