Awakenings Festival News
A Last Dance at the Techno Temple: Awakenings New Year’s at Gashouder
Everyone has their own way of celebrating the end of the year, but for those who wanted to do so in the most memorable way – and with a bang – one of the three Awakenings New Year’s events on December 28th, 29th, or 31st was undoubtedly the place to be. EDMHouseNetwork had the pleasure of attending numerous Awakenings events throughout 2024, each one leaving us in awe. The event we attended on December 29th was no exception.
One of the most spectacular aspects of Awakenings is how they consistently outdo themselves with every event, especially in terms of production and stage design. It’s not just that each event offers a fresh take on design and visuals, but the way the production evolves throughout the day to create a unique atmosphere for every DJ is truly remarkable. The time, effort, skill, and resources required to pull this off are nothing short of extraordinary. Not only are attendees taken on a journey through music that continually shifts and evolves, but they’re also immersed in a dynamic visual experience that matches the energy of each set.
On December 29th, the production and stage design featured an impressive array of triangles positioned in a 360-degree configuration throughout the iconic Gashouder. This was complemented by 700 LED strips, resulting in a staggering total of nearly 1 kilometer of LED lighting. For the first time ever, Awakenings also combined two of their iconic centerpiece elements-the mirror ball and the mesmerizing mirror-into a single event. The mirror ball remained the central focal point, while the mirror shone brilliantly behind the DJ booth, creating a stunning visual synergy.
Musically, the event focused on groove techno, with a lineup that delivered an unforgettable day. Thomas Traxx kicked things off with high-energy, classic-meets-modern techno. JakoJako entranced the crowd with her modular synths and experimental beats, while Funk Assault elevated the energy with groovy, funk-infused techno. Ben Klock followed with his signature deep, hypnotic, and powerful set, and Rødhåd took the audience on a journey with his atmospheric and driving techno. Finally, Nina Kraviz closed the night with an eclectic mix of acid and experimental techno.
Once again, we were blown away by how seamlessly every element – production, stage design, and the diverse styles of the DJs – came together to create something truly extraordinary, and a standout moment of the night was the flawless transition between Ben Klock and Rødhåd. Both delivered mesmerizing sets on their own, but together, they crafted an electrifying progression, building anticipation, excitement, and an irresistible surge in tempo.
Moments like these on the dancefloor are rare – when the entire audience becomes united by a shared energy that transcends the music. It’s not just about the beats or melodies being exceptional; it’s about the entire experience reaching deep and connecting souls on a profound level. This was one of those special moments, and it will linger far beyond the last beat of Awakenings New Years on the 2024.
What made this experience even more special was the bittersweet realization that the Awakenings New Year’s celebrations at Gashouder, also called the ‘’Techno Temple’’, marked the end of an era – at least for the next 1.5 years – as the legendary venue will undergo major renovations starting in 2025. Leaving the Gashouder for the last time after an event that left us longing for more, felt like a farewell and temporary goodbye to a space that has been central to countless unforgettable moments.
However, looking ahead to what Awakenings has in store for 2025, there’s no doubt that the coming year will be filled with exciting surprises and groundbreaking experiences. In May 2024, Awakenings introduced its very first edition of Upclose, focusing on the more progressive and niche corners of techno – a concept that was enthusiastically embraced by the community. The second edition is already set for May 17th and 18th, 2025, with more information about lineups and tickets available here.
In July 2024, Awakenings celebrated the third edition of its headliner-driven Awakenings Summer Festival, a massive three-day techno extravaganza that drew nearly 100,000 visitors. The fourth edition is scheduled for July 11–13, 2025, and details about the first wave of artists can be found here. For a glimpse into the amazing experience EDMHouseNetwork had at the 2024 Summer Festival, check out our full coverage here.
We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: Awakenings and Upclose continue to push boundaries and set new standards in the music event industry. Their relentless innovation in production techniques, bold experimentation with new concepts, and unwavering commitment to quality is a great example of the kind of passion, grit, and vision needed to remain at the forefront and push the industry to new heights. We at EDMHouseNetwork extend a heartfelt thank you to Awakenings, Upclose, and every individual who contributed to the incredible experiences of 2024 – We can’t wait to see what 2025 has in store!
EDM Festivals in July 2025 are bringing some of the biggest names and experiences to the global scene.
From Belgium’s legendary immersion at Tomorrowland to the cutting-edge techno of Awakenings, here’s your ultimate run-down of ten festivals you won’t want to miss next month
1. Tomorrowland
Dates: July 18–20 & July 25–27
Location: Boom, Belgium
This year’s theme, “Orbyz,” transforms the festival into an enchanting icy realm, spanning 16 stages and featuring over 600 artists, including David Guetta, Martin Garrix, Armin van Buuren, Solomun, and many more. Expect top-tier production, global crowds, and a euphoric atmosphere at one of the most iconic festivals on the planet.
2. Awakenings Festival
Dates: June 11-13
Location: Spaarnwoude, Netherlands
As the crown jewel of techno, Awakenings brings top-tier techno artists to sprawling outdoor stages. Expect massive crowds, impeccable production, and a weekend full of pounding basslines. The 2025 lineup welcomes Nina Kraviz, Carl Cox, 999999999, Mau P, Vintage Culture & more.
3. Airbeat One
Dates: July 9–13
Location: Neustadt-Glewe, Germany
Over 250 artists bring high energy to this iconic airfield party. Mainstage stars include Afrojack, Armin van Buuren, Hardwell, Steve Aoki, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, Sebastian Ingrosso, Timmy Trumpet, and techno icons like Amelie Lens and Boris Brejcha. Expect massive crowds, huge visuals, and relentless beats.
4. Stereoparc
Dates: July 18–19
Location: Rochefort, France
Set at the historic Corderie Royale, this boutique fest focuses on Afrohouse, hard techno, and EDM. The lineup includes Amelie Lens, Afrojack, W&W, Tchami, Stella Bossi, Mosimann, and Carla Schmitt. A stylish, dance-focused weekend by the sea in a culturally rich setting.
5. Sea You Festival
Dates: July 18–20
Location: Freiburg, Germany
Mixing techno, house, and trance, Sea You features Anna Reusch, AVAION, Bad Boombox, Blastoyz, Hector Oaks, Mija, Neelix, Lexy & K‑Paul, I Hate Models, Nora En Pure, and more. Located lakeside, it’s a laid-back but energetic summer celebration known for its floating dancefloors and sun-soaked vibes.
6. Electric Love Festival
Dates: July 2–5
Location: Salzburgring, Austria
With seven stages and 200+ artists, ELF offers everything from EDM to techno, bass, and harder styles. Top acts include Bou, Dom Dolla, Lilly Palmer, Sub Focus, Azyr, and Angerfist. Set against Austria’s mountain backdrop, this is one of Europe’s most scenic electronic music festivals.
7. Shambhala Music Festival
Dates: July 25–28
Location: Salmo, BC, Canada
Canada’s beloved boutique fest returns with heavyweight bass and genre-bending acts like Andy C, Excision, Illenium, Flying Lotus, Bob Moses, Chris Lake, and more. A cult-classic experience nestled deep in nature on a family-run farm with a strong community spirit.
8. FVDED in the Park
Dates: July 4-5
Location: Surrey, Canada
Canada’s West Coast staple blends big EDM names with hip-hop, bass, and more — an inclusive, high-energy party experience under the sky in Metro Vancouver. Lineup details are coming soon, but the fest is confirmed and always delivers big.
9. Badlands Music Festival
Dates: July 3–13
Location: Calgary, Canada
Beneath Alberta’s expansive skies, Badlands serves up an eclectic EDM buffet. Expect headliners like Tiësto, Disclosure, RL Grime, Rudimental, Zedd, Lane 8, Subtronics, Zeds Dead, Gryffin, and more spread across themed nights. Held during Calgary Stampede week, it’s one of Canada’s most unique urban festivals.
10. Kappa FuturFestival
Dates: July 4–6
Location: Turin, Italy
A premier destination for techno and house, this year’s edition features Adam Beyer B2B Maceo Plex, Boris Brejcha, Charlotte de Witte, Carl Cox, Diplo, MEDUZA, Peggy Gou, Vintage Culture, Anyma, Solomun, and more. Held in Parco Dora, it’s the go-to fest for underground sounds with top-tier visuals.
Whether you’re chasing intimacy in woodland venues or epic scale under strobe-lit skies, summer 2025 has something for every kind of raver. Let the countdown begin.
DJ Mag has just announced results of their annual the top 100 festivals, receiving a record-breaking number of votes recorded in the poll once again.
DJ Mag Top 100 Festivals first started in 2019, when winners were selected by a panel of DJs. After a brief hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the poll returned in 2022 with votes being opened up to the public for the first time. Increased numbers have been recorded every year since, and, in 2025, votes came from every corner of the globe, from North and South America to Europe, Asia, Oceania and Africa. DJ Mag’s influence can be seen in the list below, where you’ll find festivals spanning a wide range of electronic music styles, from EDM and hard dance favorites with jaw-dropping production to major house and techno events and underground staples with a sound-system focus.
Topping this year’s ranking is Belgium’s legendary Tomorrowland, once again crowned the world’s No.1 festival. Known for its fantasy-inspired stages, impeccable production, and community-driven atmosphere, Tomorrowland continues to set the benchmark for global dance music events. In fact, DJ Mag readers will also note not far behind is Ultra Music Festival in Miami, which remains a defining moment on the global electronic calendar, signaling the start of the festival season with world-class lineups in the heart of downtown. Rounding out the top three is Romania’s Untold, a relatively newer giant that has quickly become one of Europe’s most iconic and immersive festivals.
The top 10 also features heavyweight names like EDC Las Vegas (4), Glastonbury Festival (5), and Kappa FuturFestival (6), each representing different ends of the electronic music spectrum—from colossal Las Vegas-style EDM spectacles to refined European techno celebrations. Coachella (7) retains its influence thanks to genre-spanning programming and cultural impact, while Sunburn Festival (8) continues to elevate India’s presence on the global dance scene. A testament to DJ Mag’s poll prestige, rounding out the top 10 are Creamfields (9), a UK mainstay for electronic fans, and Defqon.1 (10), the epicenter of hard dance in the Netherlands.
Further down the list, standout festivals like Parookaville (18), Awakenings (20), Neversea Festival (21), and EDC Orlando (22) showcase the diversity of scale and sound that the electronic music community now embraces. From techno purists at Dekmantel Festival (17) to desert dreamers at Burning Man (24), and DJ Mag supported events at Croatian beach settings like Sonus Festival (37) to global franchises like Ultra Europe (31) and World DJ Festival (32), this year’s list proves that the electronic music world is not only growing but thriving in nearly every region.
Meanwhile, up-and-coming and regional events are breaking into the top 100 in record numbers. Vision & Colour Festival (94) and Beonix Festival (69) highlight the rise of new markets, while S20 Hong Kong (78) and EDC China (80) signal Asia’s growing influence in the scene. Boutique experiences like Houghton Festival (86), Glitch Festival (83), and Love International (87) continue to receive recognition for their intimate vibes, curated sounds, and loyal followings. Also, DJ Mag and its festivals like Pitch Music & Arts (96) in Australia and Saga Festival (79) in Romania further illustrating the global appetite for unique, immersive electronic music experiences.
The full list can be seen below:
100. Sónar Lisboa
99. Beats For Love
98. Lost Lands Festival
97. Medusa Sunbeach Festival
96. Pitch Music & Arts
95. Ultra South Africa
94. Vision & Colour Music Festival
93. Outlook Origins
92. Defected Malta
91. Unseen Festival
90. EDC Thailand
89. Fly Open Air Festival
88. Ultra Australia
87. Love Internarional Festival
86. Houghton Festival
85. Sunset By Neon
84. Baum Festival
83. Glitch Festival
82. Beyond The Valley
81. Groove Cruise
80. EDC China
79. Saga Festival
78. S20 Hong Kong
77. Soundstorm
76. Ultra Japan
75. Electric Castle
74. Defected Croatia
73. Jakarta Warehouse Project
72. Ultra Korea
71. Siam Songkran Music Festival
70. Creamfields Chile
69. Beonix festival
68. Lost Village
67. Together Festival
66. Ultra Taiwan
65. Positiv
64. Ravolution Music Festival
63. Sea Star Festival
62. Tomorrowland Winter
61. Blacklist festival
60. Airbeat One
59. HARD Summer
58. Les Plages Electroniques
57. A State Of Trance,
56. Snowbombing
55. S20 Taiwan
54. Ava Festival
53. Neon Countdown
52. Nibirii Festival
51. Nameless Festival
50. EDC Mexico
49. Lovefest
48. Loveland
47. Hideout Festival
46. Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival
45. Dimensions Festival
44. Veld Music Festival
43. Panorama Festival
42. Primer Music Festival
41. CRSSD Festival
40. Untold Dubai Festival
39. Lollapalooza
38. DGTL
37. Sonos Festival
36. Arc Music Festival
35. S20 Songkran Music Festival
34. Terminal V
33. Mysteryland
32. World DJ Festival
31. Ultra Europe
30. Neopop Festival
29. 808 Festival
28. EXIT Festival
27. Movement Music Festival
26. Sónar
25. Primavera Sound
24. Burning Man
23. Electric Love
22. EDC Orlando
21. Neversea Festival
20. Awakenings
19. Monegros Desert Festival
18. Parookaville
17. Dekmantel Festival
16. AMF
15. Boomtown
14. Time Warp
13. Sziget Festival
12. Parklife
11. World Club Dome
10 – Defqon.1
9 – Creamfields
8 – Sunburn Festival
7 – Coachella
6 – Kappa FuturFestival
5 – Glastonbury Festival
4 – EDC Las Vegas
3 – Untold
2 – Ultra Music Festival
1 – Tomorrowland
Awakenings Festival News
Café del Mar Launches First Artist Album With Legendary Electronic Duo Pig&Dan
Marking a bold new chapter in their enduring legacy, Café del Mar sets to release its first-ever artist-led album ‘Journey Within’ crafted by electronic heavyweights Pig&Dan. Released on June 13th, 2025, the album represents an exciting genre shift for both artist and label, fusing Pig&Dan’s signature techno-edged soundtrack with the icon, laid-back, immersive ethos of Café del Mar’s chillout heritage.
Globally recognised for defining the chillout and Balearic sound, Café del Mar is renowned for curating captivating sunset experiences and compilations, shaping decades of musical culture far beyond the Balearics where it was born. Now celebrating their 45th anniversary, the revered Ibiza brand embraces a forward-thinking persona, expanding on their formative roots. This new format sets to elevate their legacy through a collaborative vision, starting with Pig&Dan’s‘ Journey Within’. This milestone sets a precedent for artist-led projects under Café del Mar Music, pushing boundaries whilst still honouring its sunset heritage.
Café del Mar’s resident DJ & Music Curator, Ken Fan, echoes the release’s sentiment
“Pig&Dan sent me this unsigned album last year, and after testing the tracks in my daily sets, the crowd’s reaction said it all. Every time I included them in a mix, people were asking what they were, and Shazaming with no results. It’s a brilliant start to our first artist release at Café del Mar, with more to come. Watch this space.”
For Pig&Dan, Journey Within marks an artistic evolution. Broadly known for their high-energy Techno sets on worldwide stages that include Tomorrowland and Awakenings, the creative duo pivots into a more reflective side of their identity with this compilation. The album roots itself into earthy dub textures, featuring warm psychedelia and downtempo soundscapes that create an expansive reimagining of chillout music, anchored with raw depth and emotion.
Pig&Dan share their insights and inspiration
“We wanted to explore the deeper, more emotive side of our musical identity, stepping away from the club energy to create something that reaches a bit deeper. This album is a journey into our minds, reflecting the influences and organic sounds that have always been part of our creative DNA.”
The album is both evolutionary and explorative in equal measure. With a well-curated mix of tracks and emotions, listeners will be drawn into a journey that amplifies the Ibiza vibe. The first track is a prime example, ‘Can’t Do It On My Own’ instantly sets the album’s soul-searching tone. Built upon rich, layered instrumentation, the track weaves emotive strings and atmospheric synths before breaking into an expressive vocal, elevating the track’s introspective feel. It’s a standout production that bridges Pig&Dan’s underground credibility with Café del Mar’s resilient and emotive storytelling.
This milestone release not only honours Café del Mar’s Balearic heritage, synonymous with chillout and Ibiza’s golden-hour spirit, but also signals a visionary future for the label. With stunning cover art by David Robles, Journey Within captures a deeply personal and forward-thinking sound, setting the tone for a new era of artist-led storytelling under Café del Mar Music.
Journey Within will be available June 13th, 2025, on all major streaming platforms.
Presave: https://li.sten.to/journeywithin
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