The Ultimate NYE Lineup: Neon X Announces Hardwell & W&W World-Debut B2B to Celebrate Its Decade Milestone

Neon Countdown returns this December with a tenth anniversary edition that marks a decade since the festival first launched in Malaysia. What began as a compact New Year event has developed into one of Thailand’s leading countdown festivals, supported by rising regional attention and a steady lineup of international acts. This year also brings a notable shift as the event moves to Rajamangala Stadium, expanding its presence in Bangkok for the two-day celebration. At the centre of the anniversary is the world-debut B2B from Hardwell and W&W, confirmed as the highlight of the festival. The wider lineup strengthens the occasion with performances from Alesso, KSHMR, Third Party, Amelie Lens, Dimension, Mesto, Nicky Romero, and others across both days. With its tenth edition set for Bangkok, Neon Countdown returns for a year-end weekend that brings together many of the festival’s most recognisable names.

From Malaysia Beginnings to Neon’s Ten Year Milestone in Thailand

Neon Countdown began in Malaysia, where it introduced a New Year festival format featuring international electronic acts and large-scale December celebrations. The festival gained recognition through lineups that included W&W, KSHMR, Armin van Buuren, Blastoyz, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, Vini Vici, and Martin Garrix, among others. These artists contributed to the event’s visibility and helped establish Neon within Southeast Asia’s electronic music landscape. The consistent year-end timing also allowed audiences to associate the brand with New Year celebrations. Across its Malaysia editions, Neon maintained a focus on internationally recognised performers and a clear identity tied to December festivities. This initial period set the foundation for the festival’s later transition.

Neon eventually moved into Thailand, where it introduced its established format to a broader audience while continuing its December tradition. Bangkok editions allowed the festival to operate in a market with strong interest in electronic music and a growing demand for year-end events. Each appearance continued featuring global headliners, ensuring continuity with the artists who had performed throughout its earlier years. The move into Thailand also enabled the festival to scale production in line with a larger regional audience. Over time, repeated editions in Bangkok strengthened Neon’s recognition among returning fans and positioned the city as its primary home. Reaching its tenth anniversary under the name Neon X, the festival now reflects a timeline that spans its origins in Malaysia and its long-term establishment in Thailand.

From Wonder World to Rajamangala Stadium

Past Thailand editions of Neon Countdown were held at Wonder World Extreme Park, a location known for its open layout and festival-style setting. For the tenth anniversary, the event transitions to Rajamangala Stadium, placing Neon X in one of Bangkok’s most prominent central venues. The stadium offers a wider setting for staging and visual design, giving the festival room to expand its creative direction for the year-end celebration. Its circular structure naturally surrounds the main field, creating a unified viewing area that brings the crowd together around the stage. Fireworks and lighting effects can be presented on a larger scale within the stadium’s open top, adding impact to the New Year countdown. The move to Rajamangala Stadium aligns the anniversary edition with a venue known for hosting major events and sets a strong backdrop for Neon’s ten year milestone.

A Lineup Led by the First Hardwell B2B W&W

The lineup for Neon X is led by the world-debut Hardwell B2B W&W, an announcement that came as a complete surprise and immediately gained the most attention for the tenth anniversary edition. Both Hardwell and W&W have performed at Neon Countdown in different years, which makes their first time playing together a meaningful moment for the festival community. KSHMR returns to Thailand after not appearing in the country for two years, reconnecting with supporters who have followed him since Neon’s early editions in Malaysia. This year’s lineup also includes Timmy Trumpet, Alesso, Nicky Romero, and Third Party, names that consistently pull strong interest from Thailand’s electronic music audience. Their appearance strengthens the New Year celebration and matches the scale of the anniversary edition. Together, these artists shape the primary announcement for Neon X and reflect the significance of its tenth year.

 

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Amelie Lens brings the techno element to Neon X, widening the festival’s range. Dimension contributes the drum and bass direction, offering a different tempo and feel for attendees looking for variety across the weekend. Rising favourite Mesto is also on the lineup, with added anticipation around Caramelle, a track many people hope to hear live during the festival. Support from Mark Bale B2B Jost and Honey Gee completes the announcement with acts already familiar within Thailand’s club and festival circles. The combination of surprise pairings, long-awaited returns, and multiple genres gives Neon X a tenth anniversary lineup that speaks to different parts of the electronic scene. It sets up a New Year weekend designed for both long-time followers of Neon Countdown and those discovering the event in Thailand.

What My Past NEON Countdown Years Mean Going Into Neon X

I first started attending Neon Countdown in Thailand in 2019, and certain editions stand out clearly whenever I think back on them. In 2022, the Infinity Stage made a strong impression because the structure looked different from what most festivals were doing that year, and it became the visual everyone remembered once the weekend was over. In 2023, counting down to 2024 with DJ Snake felt like one of those rare New Year transitions where everything lined up naturally. The excitement in the crowd built up slowly, and when the clock hit midnight, it felt like the entire venue reacted at the same time. Last year, closing out 2024 and stepping into 2025 with Martin Garrix stayed with me for similar reasons. The lead-up before his countdown moment felt steady and intentional, and it reminded me why Neon always leaves an impression.

 

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Across the different editions I have attended, it has often been the smaller parts of Neon Countdown that make the festival feel familiar to me. The Neon Downtown area became a comfortable place to sit with friends, take photos, and recover before moving back toward the music. The swings turned into a spot where my group could meet without needing to message or search for each other. Over time, I started recognising the same faces at different editions, and that sense of familiarity made the festival feel more personal. Those moments between sets, walking through the food stalls, or catching up with people I had not seen in a year all add something I remember long after the lineup is announced. Going into Neon X, all of those memories give the tenth anniversary a different meaning for me because it feels like returning to a place that has become part of how I spend New Year’s Eve.

Looking Ahead to Neon X and the Countdown Into 2026

The tenth anniversary edition of Neon Countdown feels like the right place to close out the year, especially with the mix of returning artists, surprise moments, and the move to Rajamangala Stadium. After everything the festival has built across both Malaysia and Thailand, Neon X carries a sense of anticipation that goes beyond the lineup. It brings people together who have been attending for years, as well as those joining for the first time. With the world-debut Hardwell B2B W&W, the return of KSHMR, and a New Year setting inside one of Bangkok’s most recognisable venues, the final weekend of December already stands out. With KSHMR having released “Power” with Hardwell and “Bad” with W&W, it naturally raises the question of whether he could appear during the B2B. Neon X brings ten years into one weekend, and the countdown into 2026 already feels like something people do not want to miss.

Martin Garrix returns to North and South America in 2026, following his historic Red Rocks run earlier this year.

Confirming the tour through STMPD RCRDS’ social media channels, the Dutch DJ will bring his unique production to 16 cities across the two continents. While cities and dates are still to be confirmed, the trailer includes hints of potential stops. Venues in New York City, Chicago, Mexico City, Toronto and Washington D.C. all appear in the announcement video.

Garrix’s only confirmed U.S. date for 2026 so far is Ultra Miami in March, where he’s set to play a B2B with Alesso. Meanwhile, he’ll close out 2025 in Brazil with a series of seven shows.

2025 & What’s To Come

The Americas tour announcement follows a spectacular year for Martin Garrix, in which he released several new music including a club-focused EP. Titled ‘Origo,’ it features Garrix’s signature progressive house sound while also experimenting with new genres, including a trance collaboration with Armin van Buuren. The momentum will continue into 2026, with Garrix confirming that his second studio album is set for release early in the year.

The project will take a more pop-driven direction, featuring dream collaborations that mark a fresh musical landscape for him. Continuing to lead the scene in every aspect, Martin Garrix is gearing up for an explosive 2026. His upcoming Americas tour will be yet another reminder of why he remains at the top of the game.

 

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2 years after it first appearing, Steve Aoki and Alan Walker are finally returning to their once thought forgotten project Lonely Club.

It’s a project that’s been a long time in the making as Aoki and Walker first discussed the idea over 5 years ago. The pair had worked together previously on ‘Are You Lonely’ in 2019 which could have been where the idea for the collab was first sparked. However, the only appearance of Lonely Club since then came back in 2023 on Alan Walker’s ‘Walkerworld’ album with the track ‘Spectre 2.0.’

But recently the name Lonely Club has made a resurgence with some tracks being debuted live and now they’ve officially released a new single. ‘Welcome to Lonely Club’ has reignited fans excitement for the project with it being a wonderful display of how Aoki and Walker’s styles complement each other. This track is only the beginning as on December 5^th they’ll be releasing a full album ‘Quantum Beats.’ In a couple videos on Steve Aoki’s Tiktok they gave a little peak behind the curtain into their writing camp where there are some hints of what’s to come.

While it sounds like the album will be roughly 20 tracks, Aoki mentions that they have “music for the next ten years.” The promise of an album is exciting enough but it’s sounding like this will be a longstanding project which is even better. In the videos on Tiktok you see the team behind the album beyond Aoki and Walker including the very familiar face of Mike Posner. Whether he contributed vocals or just assisted with writing, his style and talent is sure to be felt amidst the record. There’s been a very clear visual style set out for ‘Quantum Beats’ with the music video for ‘Welcome to Lonely Club’ being set in a futuristic, dystopian world. The description for the video gives an insight into what the Lonely Club is, saying: ‘In this world, Lonely Club represents a quiet, almost hidden community of melodists – a creative space where sound and storytelling can turn fear into growth and self-reflection.’

Lonely Club is a project that looks to have been carefully curated and has plenty of legs for the future. They’ve laid down the gauntlet with ‘Welcome to Lonely Club’ and now the anticipation for December 5^th is high. Get ready, ‘Quantum Beats’ is almost here.

You can follow Lonely Club on their socials below:

Instagram

Spotify

YouTube