Armin van Buuren News
Ultra Music Festival Unveils Star-Studded Phase 1 Lineup For 23rd Edition!
Ultra Music Festival made its triumphant homecoming to Bayfront Park in Downtown Miami last March, welcoming 165,000 attendees from 112 countries to the sold-out event. The weekend commenced with a custom light-up drone show announcing that Ultra Music Festival would host its 23rd annual edition from Friday, March 24 – Sunday, March 26, 2023, with Swedish House Mafia headlining.
Ultra has now unveiled its star-studded Phase 1 lineup for the 2023 installment, reaffirming the festival’s legacy as a world-renowned curator of genre-crossing talent.
Swedish House Mafia leads the lineup as Ultra’s flagship headlining act, returning to the festival after their historic unannounced Main Stage comeback in 2018. The trio has spent the last few months showcasing their Paradise Again at arenas across North America, and will continue performing throughout Europe this fall.
Legendary Dutch producer and DJ Hardwell will headline Ultra 2023 after ending his four-year-long hiatus with a surprise closing set on the festival’s Main Stage last March. Having teased a majority of his new studio album ‘REBELS NEVER DIE’ during his unannounced Ultra performance, Hardwell toured the LP across the world before finally releasing the full 14-track album earlier this month.
Ultra will welcome a handful of debut headlining performances that encompass the vast spectrum of electronic music, helmed by Kaskade and deadmau5’ super-duo Kx5. The pair’s debut Ultra performance follows the release of their first two Kx5 singles ‘Escape’ ft. Hayla and ‘Take Me High’, and with the inaugural Kx5 album slated for release in 2023, fans can expect a performance brimming with exciting new music.
In addition to his back-to-back with Kaskade as Kx5, deadmau5 will perform as his techno alias Testpilot alongside Oliver Heldens’ techno moniker HI-LO in a never-before-seen world debut. The HI-LO and Testpilot projects have each garnered widespread respect amongst the underground community, serving as vessels for Oliver Heldens and deadmau5 to vaunt their deepest and darkest records.
Eclectic electronic-pop artist Grimes will also make her Ultra debut with a special DJ set to showcase her futuristic discography. French trailblazer CloZee will bring her highly-anticipated live show to mark her inaugural Ultra Music Festival performance. The classically-trained artist has quickly risen through the ranks of electronic music with her worldly bass sound and organic instrumentation. Representing the bass music genre, Ganja White Night and Subtronics will each make their long-awaited inaugural Ultra performances at the 2023 event.
Marking another first for Ultra, Dutch producer Oliver Heldens and French producer Tchami will take the stage together to fuse their signature house sounds. This back-to-back performance follows the pair’s inaugural collaboration ‘LOW’ with Anabel Englund from earlier this year. Both Tchami and Oliver Heldens have remained a vital part of Ultra’s programming over the years with Heldens recently performing at ULTRA Japan and the upcoming ULTRA Beach Bali event.
Ultra’s esteemed underground concept, RESISTANCE, will once again present a bevy of house and techno’s most in-demand acts across two stages: The Megastructure and The Cove.
RESISTANCE programming will feature Eric Prydz, who will present his highly-rare, technology-driven HOLO show in the Megastructure for the first time, dazzling fans with state-of-the-art visuals and mind-bending light effects. The coveted, holographic experience pushes the boundaries of light and audio technology, allowing fans to fully immerse themselves into the sounds of Eric Prydz.
The RESISTANCE Megastructure will also welcome back Carl Cox, who has remained an indispensable part of Ultra Music Festival since performing at the event’s third-ever edition back in 2001. The iconic British producer and DJ has helped shape Ultra’s legacy with each event. Ultra’s 2022 edition saw Cox debut his live-hybrid performance concept with a mesmeric, three-hour headlining set. The Megastructure will additionally host the return of Afterlife leaders Tale Of Us, who delivered a mesmerizing performance at the 2022 festival.
Over at The Cove Stage, West Coast-based underground label Dirtybird will host a stage takeover fronted by label boss himself Claude Vonstroke.
Armada label boss Armin van Buuren will also host a stage takeover from his global radio show A State of Trance, marking the 11th anniversary of curating performances from the genre’s most prominent talents at Ultra Music Festival. The Grammy-nominated Dutch producer/DJ has been a fixture at Ultra since his inaugural festival performance back in 2008, and holds the record for most entries in the Billboard Dance/Electronic Albums Chart, with 21 entries.
In addition to Armin van Buuren, Ultra will welcome world-renowned headliners like Dutch superstar Martin Garrix, who made his Ultra debut in 2014 when he was only 17 years old and has headlined every edition of the festival since then (besides 2018.) The STMPD RCRDS founder recently took center stage at ULTRA Worldwide events like ULTRA Korea and ULTRA Japan, and finally unveiled his critically-acclaimed debut LP ‘Sentio‘ earlier this year.
Three-time GRAMMY award-winner and multi-platinum artist Zedd will return to Ultra’s Main Stage for the first time since 2019. The globe-trotting artist has topped Billboard’s Hot 100 Chart multiple times and boasts billions of streams across platforms. Zedd is hot on the heels of his colossal ULTRA Japan set, during which he brought his ‘Follow’ collaborator Martin Garrix on stage for a surprise back-to-back performance after joining Garrix for his headlining set the night prior.
Multi-platinum producer and live instrumentalist, Timmy Trumpet will bring his jazz-infused dance music back to Ultra for the 2023 event. The Australian artist has been hot on the ULTRA Worldwide circuit with Main Stage performances at ULTRA Europe, ULTRA Japan, and ULTRA Korea.
One of Brazil’s hottest dance music acts Vintage Culture will return to Ultra’s flagship event following his highly-praised back-to-back set with Claptone in 2022. The chart-topping artist won Producer of the Year at the 2022 Electronic Dance Music Awards and has remained a top-selling artist on Beatport for the majority of the past year.
Canadian producer and two-time winner of Electronic Album of the Year at the JUNO Awards, REZZ is slated to make her Ultra return this March. She initially made her Ultra debut in 2017 and quickly rose to headliner by 2019. In her short yet prolific career, she has released four studio albums, landed a sync in an Apple MacBook Pro commercial, and was featured in the Canadian documentary film Underplayed.
Gryffin will take the stage at Ultra Music Festival as a headliner for the very first time. The classically-trained and multi-platinum selling artist initially made his Ultra debut as a supporting act in 2016 and 2017 but will finally return to Bayfront Park as a headliner for the 23rd edition. His debut album ‘Gravity’ quickly rose to the number one spot on Billboard’s Top Dance/ElectronicAlbums in 2019 and most recently he released his sophomore album ‘Alive’ followed by a string of sizable US tour stops.
Ultra will also welcome veterans to return to the stage including live sets from NGHTMRE and Big Gigantic as GIGANTIC NGHTMRE, as well as the genre-fusing producer and DJ Kayzo.
Fans can relive the magic of Ultra’s magnificent return to Miami’s Bayfront Park last year with the Final Kid’s For The People Aftermovie. The film begins with gorgeous footage of Miami’s scenic locale before unveiling the bevy of enthusiastic Ultra attendees being ushered into the festival grounds for the first time since 2019. Chronicling three marathon days at festival, ‘For The People’ uses innovative filmmaking techniques to show off each stage’s groundbreaking designs, the festival’s eclectic dance music curation, the roster of world-famous headliners, and, of course, the thousands of happy Ultra attendees dancing their hearts out.
A truly stunning filmmaker, Final Kid’s method of video production has become synonymous with the after-movie genre. Clocking up hundreds of millions of views worldwide, his footage is unmatched in the industry as he consistently captures the essence and character of each Ultra event in perfectly packaged form.
Tickets are on sale now at https://ultramusicfestival.com/tickets/miami/
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.
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.
Tiësto and Armin van Buuren confirm duo project Alibi, debuting in London on July 12 before two exclusive Ibiza sets at UNVRS.
Following months of speculation regarding a B2B set in Ibiza this summer, Tiësto and Armin van Buuren finally confirm their duo project, ‘Alibi.’ Set to debut at Tiësto’s headline show in London, 12 July, ‘Alibi‘ marks a new era in the world of trance, with the genre’s two kings uniting under one act.
Not only has Tiësto’s return to London seen huge demand, but the announcement of ‘Alibi‘ has taken anticipation to another level. Besides the act, a special stage design will also be presented by their production teams, honouring both DJs’ legacy through massive structures and visuals like never seen before.
The duo will then take the project to Ibiza, with Armin van Buuren joining Tiësto at UNVRS for two exclusive sets. After all, the long-standing Ibiza rumours have now proven true, much to fans’ excitement.
Armin and Tiësto Ask Fans to Choose Outro Track
While everything seems to be already in place for the three upcoming shows, Armin and Tiësto have an ongoing debate regarding the tracklist. The two artists are not sure what song to pick as an outro and have asked fans online to choose between the iconic ‘Adagio For Strings’ or a brand new ‘Gangnam Style’ remix they have recently finished.
Although these are the only two options shared by the DJs, it is questionable why they wouldn’t close with a track from the upcoming ‘Alibi‘ album, reportedly in the works and expected to be titled: ‘It’s All an April Fool’s Joke.’
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