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Sophie has already made a huge impact on the Málagan scene in its first month and now it announces further headliners to come including all new names Damian Lazarus, Move D, Guti, Dani Ramos, Rakim Under and Dorado on August 14th, while Luciano has been added to the closing party on August 28th next to Mathew Jonson (live), Sonja Moonear and Priku.
Artists from all over the world have now already performed at Sophie including Paul Kalkbrenner, Enzo Siragusa, Francesco Del Garda, Sweely, Traumer, Jamie Jones, Chris Stussy, Giorgia Angiuli, Archie Hamilton, Mandar, Janeret, and more. The location is a 3000-capacity open air and sun-kissed venue that’s been specially built for this series. It pairs the natural beauty and culture of the area with a dance floor surrounded by nature, with lush greenery and plenty of organic materials making for a place where people can really feel they belong.
Say the founders, “The truth is we are delighted with this first month of the festival because we have accomplished something that the people from Málaga could only dream of a couple of months ago. There was nothing going on in the city that properly represented electronic music culture in its realest form, but with crazy production and a world class sound system that wouldn’t be out of place in Ibiza, it feels we have achieved this.”
The team is set to build on the early success of the season with four more essential parties. August 14th sees Crosstown Rebels boss Damian Lazarus play with Guti b2b Dani Ramos and Rakim Under b2b Dorado on August 14th, then on August 21st French house trio Apollonia lineup with cult diggers Craig Richards b2b Nicolas Lutz, plus Gene on Earth and Sugar Free. Finally, Swiss Chilean minimal master Luciano has been added to the irresistible closing party on August 28th next to Mathew Jonson (live), Sonja Moonear and Priku, with a secret closing party yet to be announced.
Sophie is easily accessible from all over Europe with Málaga-Costa del Sol airport connected to 133 destinations. Make sure you make a trip out before the end of this historic first season.
Camp Bestival is the best family festival of the year.
As well as being the ultimate festival for children of all ages, this year, Camp Bestival went one step further.
It smashed the Guinness World Record for the World’s Largest Disco Dance in Dorset!
In celebration of this year’s Desert Island Disco theme, on Saturday 30 July, 598 disco dancers headed to the festival’s giant glittering ball, where kitchen-disco legend Sophie Ellis-Bextor danced with the crowds into the record books, smashing the previous record by over 274 people.
Sophie Ellis-Bextor said in an interview “From my own Kitchen Disco to a fully-fledged all-sequin disco extravaganza in the glorious grounds of Lulworth Castle, I am so thrilled to have played a sparkling part in helping Camp Bestival achieve the official GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title for the Largest Disco Dance. Congratulations to all you fabulous disco Kings and Queens!”
Camp Bestival curator Rob da Bank added: “It was amazing to see families and people of all ages come together and show off their best disco moves under the dazzling glitter ball. As well as having a huge amount of fun, we’re incredibly proud that the attempt has raised funds for the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust. Huge congratulations to all dancers involved!”
From extreme bike battles, the world’s biggest bouncy castle, flying trapeze artists, a science tent, yoga retreats, through to educational workshops and an incredible musical line-up including Rag’n’Bone Man and Rudimental, Camp Bestival really does have something for everyone.
On Friday, festival favourites The Cuban Brothers shocked crowds with their own unique style of breakdancing mixed with semi-nudity, before joining the crowd in an attempt to create the world’s largest conga line. Unfortunately the Guiness World Record adjudicators weren’t on site to verify this hilarious attempt.
Later Jo Whiley played her crowd pleasing 90’s anthems, mixing all the best tracks from the arguably the greatest decade for music. Think Blur vs Oasis, Fatboy Slim, Primal Scream, The Verve, The Chemical Brothers, Faithless, The Prodigy and a whole lot more.
Saturday at Camp Bestival always begins with acts for the younger fans and this year was no exception with Mr Tumble, Brainiac Live, and Dick & Dom for the older kids who have never grown up or get tired of shouting ‘boggies’.
The disco theme continued throughout the day with the Earth Wind and Fire Experience and headliners Kool and the Gang – neither band understandably had the energy of their former years, but very few people in attendance would have even been born when both groups enjoyed their biggest successes in the 70’s.
Sunday at Camp Bestival is always a more relaxed family affair, but Mr Motivator ensured that everyone got on their feet and re-energised.
Shed Seven took to the stage in the late afternoon, and it appears the singer must have a fountain of youth in his garden and he doesn’t seem to have aged a day since their big hits in 1996. Saying this, at one point he thanked Big Feastival so possibly he didn’t realise where he was.
Clearly touched with emotion at the young crowd, while his own children were thousands of miles away in Australis, Example proclaimed this was the best family festival in the world. While he used a few extra expletives, he’s not wrong.
Rudimental played hit after hit before the annual fireworks are always such an amazing site over Lulworth Castle. The castle itself was lit up with images of the festival’s icon Lovebot, while One Love rang out.
Next year is the festival’s 15th anniversary and it’s clear why so many return each year.
I can’t wait for the next Camp Bestival, and fortunately the wait isn’t too long this year. As well as the annual festival which takes place in Dorset, the festival is expanding!
Those in Shropshire can now look forward to their own Camp Bestival later in August. With an incredible musical line-up including Fatboy Slim, Rag’n’Bone Man and Becky Hill, Camp Bestival Shropshire really does have something for everyone.
Dread MC Gloucester born Bristol based MC, named as the rave specialist in Mixmag, has dominated the bass scene with his vocal talent on tunes as well as hosting for some of the biggest names in Bassline and Bass Music.
Signed a single to Warner alongside Majestic and Foor called Fresh from the success of the National TV advert campaign for Coors Light. Has performed at some of the most prestigious festivals in Europe and UK as well as mini tour dates in Canada and the US with My Nu Leng and Redlight.
With array of music across multi genres, Dread MC has established himself as a prolific Electronic Dance vocalists with production alongside names like Chris Lorenzo, AC Slater, and receiving DJ support from international names like Skrillex, Afrojack, Holy Goof. Moksi, Tokimonsta plus many more
Dread MC has worked on many labels from Nightbass, DnB Allstars, Playaz, Crucast to Deep and continues to be a active vocalist and performer. Hosting for My Nu Leng, Shy FX, Clipz and Friction.
Having hosted sets with Artists such as Skream, Pinch, Goldie, SHY FX, DJ Zinc, Friction CLIPZ plus many more he is currently the stage show frontman for the diverse award winning bass act My Nu Leng. Performances in Europe and The US playing at countless festivals including Glastonbury, Reading and Leeds, Exit Festival, Made in America to name a few.
Mixmag named Dread MC as the ‘rave specialist’ having his vocals used for various established producers like, Shift K3Y AC Slater, Redlight, Chris Lorenzo, Flava D Holy Goof, NOTION, Volac, BIJOU, Dr. Fresch, Taiki Nulight to newly emerging artists like HODA, Eloquin, NuBass, Kendoll, Nostaglix plus many more to name a few. Delving inbetween different spectrums of underground music. Multiple top ten spots across various genres on Beatport and Juno. Dread MC Signed his first major label release with Warner Music from the success of “Fresh” with Foor & Majestic that was used for the Coors Beer national TV ad campaign.
As well as having music used for for Soccer Am, Love island and BBC informer With a host of releases and remixes on Stanton Warriors label PUNKS, as well as featuring on tracks for CRUCAST, Night Bass Records, Insomniac, Bite This, Ram Records, Playaz plus loads more expect to hear the talents of this vocal driven heavyweight constantly push his unique sound.
Following the news of their early-access Future Pass arriving on July 29th, innovative Ibiza-based music and arts platform OpenLab today announces a very special set of art x music collaborative NFTs. The project is the first initiative with TokenTraxx and it brings together cutting-edge music talent with some of the most exciting names in visual art to create new and highly collectible audio-visual works.
The project, called ’New Mycelium Network’, is inspired by the networked roots of fungi and takes collaboration as a jumping-off point for imaginative and creative departures in difficult times. On 29 July, a highly limited number of OpenLab Future Passes will be made available through TokenTraxx for early access to this exclusive NFT drop.
This is the first of many ambitious cross-platform creative collaborations between OpenLab and TokenTraxx, which is on a mission to be at the centre of a new independent music and arts creator economy by providing a platform driven by NFTs which supports and financially benefits the whole arts community.
Ellie Pritts x Kate Simko
Ellie Pritts creates richly saturated and psychedelic artworks that spellbind her viewers. Her digital practice is a tangled collaboration with AI, old school analogue technology and the latest in coding techniques. A classically trained cellist, we have paired Ellie Pritts with Kate Simko, a classical pianist and composer as well as a DJ and electronic music producer. Originally from Chicago and now based in London, Kate founded LEO – the London Electronic Orchestra, which is an all female fusion of classical and electronic music. Kate is currently teaching electronic music at The Royal College of Music and yet still found time to collaborate on electronic music productions with esteemed producers Seth Troxler and Jamie Jones.
Saeko Ehara X Xiaolin
Japanese digital artist Saeko Ehara is the Queen of all that sparkles. Bringing her fascination with glitter to digital art, her practice spans NFTs and generative video. As a VJ, her incredible immersive installations respond in real time to the music playing alongside them. In tune with the sound, Saeko generates enchanting organic patterns that create a euphoric experience. Her NFTs are lauded for their intense detail and coveted for their fantasy feel. Saeko will be working with Xiaolin (Olivia Xiaolin) – a producer, sound explorer, DJ and instrumentalist from Hong Kong. Xiaolin has an impressively wide sonic spectrum that includes jazz fusion, acid house, dreamy synths and organic breaks. She attained a double master’s degree in jazz and music technology at Berklee College of Music.
MOGA was born in 2016 in Essaouira in Mogador and after 3 Moroccan editions and two editions exported to Caparica in Portugal, it’s now set to return to Morocco from September 28 to October 2, 2022. Five days of dance, music, food and discoveries in the heart of the pearl of the Atlantic awaits with final lineup additions John Talabot, Francesco Del Garda, Moullinex, Alyssa & Gia, Parallells, and HabibiFunk, who will join phase 1 artists such as Polo & Pan, Acid Arab, Sébastien Léger, CC:DISCO!, DJ Python, Jimi Jules, Petre Inspirescu, Lee Burridge, DJ Tennis, Soichi Terada and many more.
A bastion of hippies in the 1960s, Essaouira remains a haven for digital nomads and surf and yoga enthusiasts from all over the world. MOGA was born in 2016, with a thoughtful programme that blends the avant-garde of international sounds and local scenes. The boutique festival works with local curators to promote the destination and the Souiri lifestyle through free access events such as culinary courses, yoga classes, free performances in the Medina, brunches, masterclasses and more.
The festival is organized in two parts — on September 28 and 29, MOGA OFF offers free access throughout the city: open parties, art, wellness, food, talks and more with a programme revealed soon.
On September 30, October 1 and 2, MOGA IN at SOFITEL Essaouira Mogador Golf & Spa, from 13:00 until midnight, allows festival-goers to enjoy the panoramic swimming pool surrounded by a garden of olive trees and a programme that welcomes more than 50 artists on five stages within the property. Yoga classes and a “souk” designer market will also be part of the weekend programme.
FINAL LINEUP ANNOUNCEMENT
Additions to MOGA Essaouira 2022 include revered Italian selector Francesco Del Garda, Habibi Funk — the Berlin label founded by DJ Jannis Stürtz which explores the funk, jazz and disco treasures of the Arab world — the mysterious Barcelona DJ and producer John Talabot, Moullinex — an essential artist of the Portuguese electronic scene — as well as Dutch brothers Parallells who offer electro-acoustic live sets, and the ultra dynamic Berlin duo Alyssa & Gia.
These artists join the likes of Polo & Pan, Acid Arab and Sébastien Léger, CC:DISCO!, DJ Python, Jimi Jules, Petre Inspirescu, Lee Burridge, DJ Tennis, and Soichi Terada, as well as a host of Moroccan performers such as Mr. ID, Kawtar Sadik and Guedra Guedra.
LINEUP (A-Z)
ACID ARAB dj set (fr) ADAM DIRK’HEIM (ma) AHM RED (ma) ALYSSA & GIA (de) ATLASSI (ma) BEL ÂGE (ma) BLOSSOM DOUDOU (ma) CC:DISCO! (aus) CORTEGA (sen) DEL AMICO (ma) DIASS (bg) DJ PYTHON (usa) DJ TENNIS (it) DJ VIBE (pt) FRANCESCO DEL GARDA (it) FUNKTONIO (fr) GUEDRA GUEDRA dj set (ma) HABIBI FUNK (de) HASSAN (ma) IRENEE S (ma) JIMI JULES (ch) JOHN TALABOT (es) KAWTAR SADIK live (ma) KICH (ma) LADYGOULE (ma LEE BURRIDGE (uk) MAOU (ma) MEIBI (pt) MONILE (ma) MOON.WAV (ma) MOULLINEX (pt) MR. ID (ma) NATHABES (ma) NOMADS (ma) PARALLELLS live (nl) PETRE INSPIRESCU (ro) POLO & PAN dj set (fr) RAMMÖ (nl) RETRO CASSETTA (ma) RUI VARGAS (pt) SAIB (ma) SASSY J (ch) SÉBASTIEN LÉGER (fr) SHIMON (fr) SIMO JETTOU (ma) SLIM PEACE (ma) SOICHI TERADA live (jp) SONJA MOONEAR (ch) TIMINU (ma) VLADA (ru) YAHYA live (ma)
Essaouira, first called Amogdul (“The well-kept” in Berber) then Mogador following the passage of the Portuguese and Spanish conquerors. The medina of Essaouira, the old traditional city, with its ramparts and its souks, is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and was also the setting for Game of Thrones and many films (Othello, Kingdom of Heaven). It is now a popular spot for surfers and kite surfers from all over the world who appreciate its relaxed lifestyle and its inherited hippie lifestyle. Indeed, the libertarian movement of the 1960s experienced a great boom in Morocco. These young travelers in search of enjoyment, coming from all over the world, have found in Essaouira a favorable place to live their libertarian dream. Among them Jimi Hendrix and Cat Stevens found refuge there.
ABOUT MOGA
MOGA is a boutique festival dedicated to electronic music and inspired by bohemian culture, the Atlantic and its laid-back, surf-oriented lifestyle. The singularity of the festival lies in its unique experience connecting festival-goers from all over the world of different cultures and origins around dance, music, art and well-being but also values of sharing, openness, exchange and interculturality. MOGA has created a tribe over the years — a strong community of nomads, the #mogatribe now stretches from Portugal (MOGA Caparica edition in June) to Morocco (MOGA Essaouira edition in October) and soon beyond. MOGA is the discovery of a place, a culture, a city at the heart of the concept of the festival, in association with the local tourist offices in both Morocco and Portugal.
The Radio 1 Weekender is always a special few days with the broadcasting behemoths bringing plenty of big name stars and epic production to each event. That will be the case at Amnesia when the team rolls in with host Sarah Story heading up proceedings live on air.
She will be joined by Amnesia’s long time resident and Spanish house king Mar-T, plus Drumcode label head and contemporary techno tastemaker Adam Beyer, Ellum Audio’s astral techno explorer Raxon and Newcastle’s Christoph.
This one off is always an extra special date in the year so get your tickets now at amnesia.es
Spanish clubbing institution SIGHT is to host a brand new residency at Opium Beach Marbella, one of the top-tier clubs in Southern Spain. This season is their biggest best yet with the likes of Marco Carola, Loco Dice, WhoMadeWho, Mathame, Miss Monique, CAMELPHAT, Agents of Time, Solardo, Boris Brejcha, Anna Tur, Claptone and more all set to perform.
SIGHT came to life in March 2017 with a Sunday party that brought something all new, groovy and fresh to Pacha Barcelona. It soon became one of the most acclaimed events in the city and now takes on a new challenge with its first residency outside of the Barcelona. It’s not the party’s first time at Opium Beach Marbella as SIGHT hosted three different events last year with high class acts Jamie Jones, The Martinez Brothers and Michael Bibi.
The spectacular Opium Marbella is a beach club with an astonishingly well located stage just in front of the sea and a 3000-person capacity. Because it is located on the beachfront, Opium has spectacular views of the Mediterranean and a chic, minimalist design with a huge infinity pool, gorgeous terrace, Balinese beds and numerous VIP areas with a sophisticated atmosphere throughout.
Say the people behind SIGHT, “The amount of effort that we put into this project is reflected in the events we throw. Our team loves what they do, the clients enjoy the result and the artists are always happy to be a part of such extraordinary experiences in which every detail is taken care of.Our main goal is to consolidate our SIGHT sessions both in Barcelona and Marbella so we are able to keep on working on tours, the residency sessions and make the brand known worldwide.”
Each lineup this summer is a balancing act between headliners and upcoming artists with a real investment in local DJs to warm up the sessions. The party runs every Sunday and Wednesday with a fine mix of house, tech, prog and techno stars. Consistency is essential and next up on Wednesday 27th July are Marco Carola and Manu González and then Loco Dice and Folamour on July 31st. In August WhoMadeWho, Pablo Fierro, Mochakk, Hector Couto, Mathame, Miss Monique, Boris Brejcha, Anna Tur, Claptone, CAMELPHAT, Agents Of Time, Solardo, Viviana Casanova, Marco Carola and Chelina Manuhutu all play.
Sun-kissed clubbing doesn’t come much more special than SIGHT at Opium Beach Marbella.
LINEUPS
Wednesday 27.07: Marco Carola, Manu González Sunday 31.07: Loco Dice, Folamour Wednesday 03.08: WhoMadeWho, Pablo Fierro Sunday 07.08: Mochakk, Hector Couto Wednesday 10.08: Mathame, Miss Monique Sunday 14.08: Boris Brejcha, Anna Tur Wednesday 17.08: Claptone Sunday 21.08: CAMELPHAT, Agents Of Time Wednesday 24.08: Solardo, Viviana Casanova Sunday 28.08: Marco Carola, Chelina Manuhutu
Scotland’s biggest electronic music event is back with a bang on 29th October 2022 as Terminal V returns with its first Halloween edition in 3 years
Taking over the huge halls and warehouse spaces of the Royal Highland Centre with 12-hours of irresistible global techno /electronic talent including RICHIE HAWTIN, CAMELPHAT, REINIER ZONNEVELD, Fjaak (Live), Ellen Allien, Mind Against, Klangkuenstler, Pan-Pot , Partiboi 69, Sama Abdulhadi, Anetha, blk, SHDW & Obscure Shape, Shlomo, T78, Charlie Sparks, Elli Acula, and many more.
An allocation of Early Bird Tickets that were released earlier this year sold out in record timing. Further tickets will be released this Friday July 29th, with a 24 hour pre-sale for all who sign up via the link below on Thursday July 28th.
Terminal V Halloween is undoubtedly a notable date in the annual global party calendar. It has an international reputation for its mind blowing production and all-round immersive festival experience. That’s why thousands of party people now flock to it from all over the UK and Europe, keen to experience one of techno’s most mesmeric and spine tingling parties.
One of the few UK festivals which runs not once but twice per year, the Halloween edition is a strictly indoor affair, utilising the vast internal space of the Royal Highland Centre running for 1 day only, midday to midnight.
The event shall see influential pioneers, returning favourites and red hot newcomers head to the Scottish capital. There will be pummeling, futuristic sounds from Richie Hawtin, rave-fueled acid techno from Reinier Zonneveld, a scintillating live show from Berlin duo Fjaak, the uncompromising Australian artist Partiboi69, heavy frequencies from BPitch boss Ellen Allien and 90’s/2000’s influenced techno from Klangkuenstler. World renowned, grammy nominated melodic house & techno duo Camelphat bring their hypnotic big room sounds, and Pan-Pot exist in their own intricate techno world.
On top of this you can expect all shades of techno from deep and dubby to melodic to main room from Mind Against, Klankuenstler, Anetha, Partiboi 69, Sama Abdulhadi, blk, SHDW & Obscure Shape, Shlomo, T78, Charlie Sparks, Elli Acula, and more.
There really is no other experience quite like TerminalV: Halloween. Don’t miss out!
International, free-thinking, inclusive clubbing collective HE.SHE.THEY have announced three huge shows this summer taking place at the mighty Amnesia Ibiza in July, August and September, partnering again with mixed-reality music startup Volta after a hugely successful collaboration between the brands on the Greenpeace stage at this year’s Glastonbury festival.
The Volta team will be bringing their mind-bending and immersive visual experience to Amnesia across each of the three parties on 29th July, 26th August and 9th September, with the likes of Maya Jane Coles, Ben Klock, Horse Meat Disco’s music further enhanced by the free, self-service mixed reality creation platform.
This news comes off the back of an exciting run of announcements for Volta this summer, having worked on hugely successful shows in Glastonbury and New York as well as news of a £400k grant from the government-backed agency Innovate UK. Now getting wider recognition throughout the global entertainment industry, Volta’s innovative technology enables artists to turn their physical concerts or live streams into mixed-reality shows in which automated visual 3D effects are synced in real-time with their music.
HE.SHE.THEY. is a record label, fashion brand and event series for people of all races, genders and sexualities. The party has a cutting edge house and techno soundtrack and Volta will be powering the visuals live in the club across both rooms of Amnesia at three different HE.SHE.THEY events this summer.
This first is on July 29th with headliners including the likes of Anastasia Kristensen, Cassy, Chaos in the CBD, Horse Meat Disco, Mall Grab, Willow, VTSS, Freddy K and more. The second is on August 26th with the likes of Maya Jane Coles, Derrick Carte, Horse Meat Disco, Floorplan, Kittin, Patrick Mason, Jennifer Cardini and more, and the final show is on September 9th with Hector Oaks, Ben Klock, Rebekah, Syreeta, Midland, Gerd Janson, Maya Jane Coles b2b Mella Dee and more.
Says Volta’s Mitchell Bayer-Goldman, “It’s incredible just how a chance encounter can turn into something so much more. I met Steven Braines, Co-Founder of HE.SHE.THEY in NYC back in March whilst grabbing a drink at a bar. We immediately hit it off in terms of our alignment in bringing a safe & inclusive environment to everyone, whilst bringing bleeding-edge technology to any creator, no matter their background, financial & social standing. We met again by chance at the airport on the way to the International Music Airport in Ibiza and the rest is history. We’re immensely proud to be supporting their mission and bringing the next generation of live music to such an iconic venue like Amnesia.”
Steven Braines and Sophia Kearney of HE.SHE.THEY add “Working with Volta has been an absolute dream in helping us further unlock the experiential potential of HE.SHE.THEY. as we scale up to our biggest ever international live shows with our run at Amnesia, Ibiza. What we achieved with Volta at Glastonbury was phenomenal but what we have set up in Ibiza feels on another level still. We can’t wait for our family to come and experience it all for themselves.”
HE.SHE.THEY and Amnesia provide another huge platform on which Volta can showcase their game-changing new technology.
Ultra Europe 2022 took place across three days (or should I say, nights) from July 8th to 10th this year in the idyllic coastal city of Split in Croatia. Split is known for its ancient old town, glimmering blue waters, and buzzy nightlife scene – making it a wonderful destination for Ultra Europe.
I’d heard about the epic Ultra festivals that take place all around the globe and had always been keen to attend one of the events myself. So, I was more than happy to make my debut, especially in Split, one of my favourite cities.
Ultra is renowned for hosting many of the globe’s most recognized and talented DJs, and this summer in Split, there was no exception. Ultra Europe 2022 welcomed the likes of Armin Van Buuren, Alesso, Tiësto, Martin Garrix, and many, many other top-name DJs.
With the music starting at 7 pm each day and powering on until the early hours of the morning at 5 am, I mentally prepared myself for a long, eventful weekend – and I was right to.
Day one Ultra Europe 2022
Ultra Europe was hosted in Park Mladeži football stadium, so there was plenty of space for dancing. We entered the festival around 10 pm, and the crowds were slowly growing. Flitting through the swarms, we could see the excitement plastered across everyone’s faces, ready for a full weekend of EDM music and revelry.
One thing we noticed on day one of Ultra Europe was that there was only one set of toilets – far from ideal for a festival designed for over 140,000 people.
We made a beeline to the end of DJ duo Sofi Tukker’s set at the main stage, and I was soon mesmerized by the bright, flashing colours and thudding beats. The main stage kept us well and truly captivated for the night, with a string of high-energy sets, including from Israeli psytrance duo Vini Vici, Dutch DJ Afrojack, and American EDM producer Marshmello.
Renowned for protecting his identity by wearing a distinct Marshmallow mask (surprise), we bounced around to Marshmello’s famous hits, including his popular collaboration with Brit pop-rock band Bastille’s, ‘Happier’.
Of course, we couldn’t miss a closing set from legendary Dutch DJ Armin Van Buuren. The misty, hypnotic lights and trance tunes kept us moving until the wee hours of the morning – in fact, we wanted more.
Ultra Europe
Day two Ultra Europe 2022
The late start to the festival meant we could sleep in without missing any music, which was very necessary after leaving the festival grounds at 5 am.
A little slower than the day before, but just as excited, we made our way to Park Mladeži just in time for Oliver Heldens’s set – another talented Dutch DJ.
I hadn’t known much of Oliver Heldens’s music previously, but I was instantly impressed as we snaked our way into the crowds. Oliver Heldens spun an animated, gripping set filled with fun remixes of well-known popular chart songs – the types everyone knows the words to.
Next up was Swedish DJ Alesso, who put on a spectacular show with all the works – flames, fireworks, you name it. Alesso even played ‘Heroes’ – one of my favourite songs of his.
We barely strayed from the main stage for the second night in a row, letting loose to two more performances from French DJ Snake and Australian musician Timmy Trumpet. As you may or may not already know, the latter is famous for DJing with the trumpet live, something I’d never experienced before.
Ultra Europe
Day three Ultra Europe 2022
After another morning of dancing until sunrise, day three was the biggest struggle yet. But, this was the night I was keenest for, with sets from Above & Beyond, Tiesto, and Martin Garrix.
After a lie-in and another much-needed nap on the beach, we managed to take our sorry bodies to the Ultra Europe grounds for the third day (night?) in a row.
With the entry queues taking significantly longer than the previous two nights, we only managed to get into the venue in time for the end of Above & Beyond’s set. But fortunately, some luck was on our side as the group played one of our favourites – the euphoric ‘Blue Sky Action.’
By the time Tiesto was hitting the decks, the crowds were thick and thriving, but we still managed to wind our way into our usual spot. As expected, it was one of my favourite sets of the weekend.
Tiësto’s well-known hits were teamed with vivid, flashing lights and, of course, plenty of glittering fireworks. We threw our hands up with the rest of the fans, jumping and flinging ourselves around to exhilarating beats, including my personal Tiësto favourite, ‘Wasted.’
The euphoria of the evening continued as Martin Garrix took to the decks spinning hit after hit after hit. We danced and sang along to the likes of ‘Follow’, ‘Scared to be lonely’ along with the rest of the vigorous celebrators. At one point, a circle had formed for a ‘mosh pit’, but it ended up being pretty harmless and innocent.
Riding high from the sets on the main stage, we decided it was time to venture further afield. Feeling the early morning chill (yes, I even get cold during the summer in Croatia), we joined the masses of heaving bodies at the tented Resistance stage to bop around to Italian DJ Marco Carola.
Exhausted yet wanting to make the most of the elusive festival atmosphere, we tiredly attempted to move around to Hardwell’s heavy tunes before making one last early-morning trip home.
While it’s not the best-organized festival I’ve ever been to, Ultra Europe 2022 gifted me incredible memories of dancing to some of the planet’s most famous DJs with old and new friends I’ll never forget. And if you decide to take on Ultra Europe yourself – buckle up because you’re in for a rollercoaster of a ride (don’t worry, it’s a very, very fun rollercoaster).
