Armin van Buuren News
Tickets Now Available For Tomorrowland: New Year’s Eve
People around the world can start planning their magical New Year’s Eve celebration at Tomorrowland 31.12.2020. After releasing the full line-up of its next digital chapter, tickets for Tomorrowland’s unique digital festival on the biggest night of the year are now available as of today, 17:00 CET via tomorrowland.com. The digital New Year’s Eve festival will start at 20:00 (8pm) local time in all of the world’s time zones and will have a special countdown at midnight with dazzling fireworks in every time zone, ensuring that fans from all corners of the world can count down to the new year in style, no matter where they are located. Tomorrowland offers several options for tickets: a NYE Pass costs €20.00 and includes 1 access to all 4 stages, while a NYE Pass + on-demand Pass lets you relive all the performances on-demand from January 1 until January 14 for €25.00. The Home Celebration Pass (€50.00) is perfect for celebrating magical New Year’s Eve moments together with friends and family (if local legislation allows) and includes 4 on-demand Passes. Special Tomorrowland Gift Packages and additional add-ons are also available, giving people plenty of inspiration to spoil their loved ones with magical gifts and make this holiday season even more special.
Giving millions of people a unique opportunity to ring in 2021 and celebrate New Year’s Eve with Tomorrowland, their favourite artists and people from all around the world, Tomorrowland 31.12.2020 promises to be an unmissable night and a magical gift to surprise friends, family and other loved ones. There are plenty of special Tomorrowland Gift Packages to choose from for this holiday season, including exclusive printed NYE tickets, limited-edition premium gift packages of Tomorrowland’s own sparkling wine Solo Vida, limited-edition Tomorrowland speakers, TML by Tomorrowland items, unique event posters NYE edition and a selection of the best New Year’s Eve accessories and party supplies – definitely lots of original gift ideas to celebrate music, magic and friendship during this year’s holiday season. Separate on-demand Passes (€12.50) will go on sale on January 1, giving fans a chance to relive Tomorrowland’s New Year’s Eve celebration and all its stellar performances on-demand at naoz.live as from January 1 until January 14.
Preparing to deliver yet another spellbinding experience for fans tuning in from all over the globe, the digital New Year’s Eve festival covers the spectrum of dance music in its concentrated line-up with more than 25 of the world’s best artists. The creative team and 3D artists behind Tomorrowland have created the entirely new and dazzling world of entertainment NAOZ where Tomorrowland’s digital New Year’s Eve festival will take place – a brand-new digital entertainment venue that will be used for the first time and that will be transformed into the biggest digital celebration hall in the world for the occasion. NAOZ consists of 4 magical worlds, in which some of the festival’s most iconic themes will be used, inviting visitors to explore 4 mesmerizing and meticulously designed digital stages across the venue’s digital grounds.
The Melodia stage, resembling a fabulous opera house, will unveil a new chapter in the Secret Kingdom of Melodia, graced by the biggest industry heavyweights as Armin van Buuren, Charlotte de Witte, David Guetta, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, Jack Back, Lost Frequencies, Major Lazer and Martin Garrix.
Exhibiting grandeur and majesty of style and size and ready to welcome seas of people, the Atmosphere stage is the largest area and will be headlined by the likes of techno legends and house music tastemakers Artbat, Camelphat, Kölsch b2b Joris Voorn, Maceo Plex and Meduza.
Some of the world’s most eclectic artists in electro, dancehall, trap, hip hop and future house – Boys Noize, Diplo, Duck Sauce, Netsky, DJ Snoopadelic and Tchami – will dive into the Planaxis stage, a magnificent and mythical underwater world which rises from the sea upwards and carries on The Story of Planaxis.
Exclusive preview of the brand-new Planaxis stage – giving visitors a first taste of what they can expect at Tomorrowland 31.12.2020
A mysterious undersea tunnel leads to the Pulse stage, home to hardstyle acts Brennan Heart presents I AM HARDSTYLE ft. Villain, Ran-D, Wildstylez; Coone, D-Block & S-te-Fan, Da Tweekaz and Sub Zero Project.
With 2020’s New Year’s Eve set to be unlike any before, Tomorrowland wants to give the People of Tomorrow across the world a night to remember, all from the comfort of their home and accessible on all devices (PC, laptop, smartphone or tablet). Continuing with the success of Tomorrowland’s first ever digital festival Tomorrowland Around the World – documented in the behind-the-scenes documentary Never stop the music – The Creation of Tomorrowland 2020 – the festival is again using the world’s best technology in 3D design, video production and special effects to bring together a spectacular and immersive experience in the brand-new revolutionary and future-proof digital entertainment world NAOZ. The People of Tomorrow are invited to experience this unique event virtually together with friends and family – this night is all about uniting through the power of music in a responsible and safe way.
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A State of Trance returns to London on November 14th 2026 at Drumsheds, marking the brand’s first indoor UK festival edition and 25th anniversary.
Following two successful outdoor editions at Silverworks Island, A State of Trance will return to London in 2026, this time moving indoors to Drumsheds. Taking place on 14 November 2026, the event will be part of ASOT’s 25th anniversary celebrations, marking the brand’s first indoor festival edition in the UK.
Set at one of London’s premier rave venues, ASOT London will bring a festival-sized production, delivering the ASOT experience at full scale. While the full line-up is yet to be announced, the brand’s icon, Armin van Buuren has been confirmed as the first name to join the celebration.
The Drumsheds edition will also mark another major UK appearance for Armin in 2026, following his recent show at Barking Park and a performance in Bristol.
Looking back at ASOT’s two previous instalments in the British capital, the event has welcomed some of the biggest names in trance, including Ben Hemsley, Nifra, Gareth Emery and Cosmic Gate.
The move to Drumsheds will allow organisers to take the event to the next level. Given the brand’s famous large-scale indoor shows at its home in Rotterdam, the venue feels like a natural fit for a more immersive visual and stage design experience.
Following an almost sold-out debut in 2023 and a second show that welcomed up to 20,000 ravers in 2025, demand is high for the Drumsheds edition. Pre-sale access goes live at 10am on Tuesday 9 June. Fans can sign up for the ticket sales via the official ASOT London website.
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Ultra Europe 2026 Drops Phase 2 Lineup with Armin van Buuren, Hardwell, DJ Snake and more confirmed for Split this July
Ultra Europe 2026 has dropped its Phase 2 lineup, adding more names to its return to Split, Croatia from July 10 to 12, 2026 at Park Mladeži. Now heading into its 12th edition, the festival’s latest announcement brings in Armin van Buuren, Hardwell, DJ Snake, AFROJACK, and Subtronics, joining a Phase 1 lineup that already included Calvin Harris, Martin Garrix, FISHER, John Summit, and Amelie Lens. The update gives the 2026 edition a much fuller look across the Ultra Main Stage and RESISTANCE, while keeping more names saved for the next announcement.
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Phase 2 Adds Trance, Big-Room, Bass, Techno and House to Ultra Europe 2026
The Ultra Europe 2026 Phase 2 lineup strengthens both sides of the festival. The new additions bring more mainstage names into the July weekend, while RESISTANCE also gets a heavier presence through techno and house bookings. With Phase 1 already led by names such as Calvin Harris, Martin Garrix, FISHER, John Summit, and Amelie Lens, this second announcement gives the 2026 edition a fuller lineup across its main festival stages.
Phase 2 additions:
- Adam Beyer
- AFROJACK
- Armin van Buuren
- CamelPhat
- DJ Snake
- Hardwell
- Jamie Jones
- Nico Moreno
- Oliver Heldens
- Subtronics
- HALO
- Maddix
Subtronics Stands Out Among Returning Ultra Europe Regulars
While several Phase 2 additions are familiar names for Ultra Europe, Subtronics still gives the 2026 announcement one of its more interesting talking points. He played Ultra Europe 2024, appearing on the same day as AFROJACK and DJ Snake, so his 2026 booking is not a debut. What makes it worth noting is the context around the booking. Ultra Europe has long been associated with mainstage EDM, house, techno, and its RESISTANCE programming, while large-scale bass bookings have not been as constant in the festival’s Croatia lineup. Bringing Subtronics back after 2024 keeps that part of the lineup visible and gives the July weekend a different pull next to the festival’s more established returning names.
For many of the other additions, Ultra Europe 2026 reads as a return to artists with a longer history in Split. Armin van Buuren, Hardwell, AFROJACK, and DJ Snake have all appeared at past editions, while Adam Beyer, CamelPhat, Jamie Jones, and Oliver Heldens have also been part of previous Ultra Europe lineups in recent years. That matters because Phase 2 is not relying only on newness. It brings back names already tied to the festival’s mainstage and RESISTANCE identity, then places Subtronics inside that structure as one of the less typical bookings for the Croatia edition. For a lineup that already had Calvin Harris, Martin Garrix, FISHER, John Summit, and Amelie Lens in Phase 1, this second announcement makes the 2026 edition feel more complete without giving away the full final lineup yet.
Ultra Europe 2026 Still Has More Names To Come Before July
With Phase 2 now out, Ultra Europe 2026 has a much clearer outline, but the lineup is still not complete. The festival has already confirmed a strong mix of mainstage names, RESISTANCE artists, and newer additions across the first two announcements, while the poster also confirms that Phase 3 is still on the way. That next update will likely help fill out the remaining stage programming, daily structure, and support acts as the festival moves closer to its July return to Split.
For now, the 2026 edition already has enough confirmed names to show how Ultra Europe is building its 12th edition. Calvin Harris, Martin Garrix, Armin van Buuren, Hardwell, DJ Snake, Amelie Lens, Sara Landry, Adam Beyer, FISHER, John Summit, and Subtronics give the lineup both familiar Ultra names and bookings that widen the festival’s appeal. More artists are still expected to be announced before Ultra Europe 2026 takes over Park Mladeži from July 10 to 12, with tickets and updates available through the festival’s official channels.
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Why Armin Van Buuren Nearly Quit Music in 2011 Despite Reaching a Peak in Trance
At the Winter Music Conference 2026 in Miami on March 25, Armin Van Buuren joined Stephen Campbell and Tim Sweeney for a keynote discussion on the future of electronic dance music. During that conversation, he opened up about a period in his career that did not match how things looked from the outside, explaining that 2011 was the year he came close to walking away from music altogether. That detail gives more weight to the story because 2011 was not a low point in public terms. By then, Armin Van Buuren was already operating at a high level across trance, radio, and international touring, which makes the idea of nearly stepping away during that period far more striking.
Why Armin Van Buuren Considered Walking Away at His Peak
When Armin Van Buuren reflected on that period, the reasoning was not tied to visibility or output. He stated, “I almost quit music in 2011,” referring to a point where the connection to the music no longer felt as direct as it had before. That distinction matters because the surrounding context was stable. His presence in trance was already established through years of releases, radio broadcasts, and festival performances, and his role within the genre had been reinforced repeatedly through that consistency. The uncertainty came from within the process itself, where repetition and structure began to change how the music was felt rather than how it was received.
The conditions around that period also show how a fixed routine can begin to limit creative space at that level. Touring cycles, radio commitments, and production schedules continued without interruption, which left little room to step back and engage with music outside of expectation. At the same time, trance was moving through a phase where its position in the wider electronic scene was being questioned, which added another layer to how the genre was being experienced from within. He addressed that directly when he said, “Trance isn’t a dirty word anymore,” pointing to a shift in how the genre was perceived and discussed. That combination of internal disconnect and external pressure created a point where continuing was no longer assumed, even at a stage where everything externally remained intact.
What Brought Armin Van Buuren Back to Music
What brought him back was not a change in schedule or a reduction in expectations. It came from recognising what had shifted in his relationship with the music. He explained, “I felt like I lost the connection with the music,” which clarifies that the issue was not fatigue alone, but distance from the core reason he started. That moment reframes the entire situation, because it places the turning point inside the music itself, not in the surrounding structure. Reconnecting with that feeling allowed him to continue, not as a response to external demand, but as a decision grounded in whether the music still held meaning.
That return is closely tied to trance as a genre and to the role it has played across his career. A State Of Trance continued to expand beyond a radio format into large-scale events and stages, maintaining its position as a central platform for trance globally. His sets across festivals and ASOT-branded shows remained consistent, but what changed was the basis on which that consistency was maintained. Instead of operating through routine, the continuation came from restoring a direct connection to the sound, structure, and progression that define trance. That shift explains why the period did not result in withdrawal, but in a continuation that carried more clarity, where the music itself remained the point of reference rather than the system around it.
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Why This Moment Still Matters in Electronic Music
The significance of that period is not limited to one artist. It highlights how continuation in electronic music is not determined solely by visibility, output, or position within a genre. Even at a stage where everything appears stable, the decision to continue can shift if the connection to the music changes. In Armin Van Buuren’s case, the moment came after years of sustained involvement in trance, which makes it a reflection of how long-term careers develop rather than a reaction to short-term conditions. The question was not whether he could continue, but whether continuing still held the same meaning.
Looking at what followed, his ongoing presence across global festivals, releases, and A State Of Trance shows how that connection translated into continuity over time. The period in 2011 did not interrupt his trajectory, but it did redefine the basis on which it continued. That is what gives the moment weight. It shows that staying active in electronic music is not only about maintaining a position, but about maintaining a relationship with the music that remains consistent across different stages of a career.
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