PHOTO CREDIT: Airbeat One Festival Facebook
By: Katarina Cvetko
Northern Germany’s largest festival Airbeat One returns to Neustadt-Glewe this summer for its massive 17th edition. Originating as a small local festival, Airbeat One has grown to become one of the biggest contenders in the European festival scene with over 100,000 people expected to attend from all over the world. Known for its next level visual production and jaw-dropping stage designs, the three-day festival is held on an old airfield. It features a diverse range of artists, an international food court, and a wide variety of carnival rides and activities. What sets this festival apart from the rest is its unique ‘destination’ themed editions each year. The most recent edition was centered around a USA theme with the main stage resembling the Capitol Building. Other American landmarks such as the Hollywood Sign and Mount Rushmore featured around the festival grounds. This year’s destination theme is Great Britain and I am super excited to see how they bring this vision to life. The second wave of artists was recently announced with close to 100 international names expected to hit the stage and more artists still to be announced. Check out the lineup below.
This year’s lineup features a wide range of international artists spread out across five unique stages. It promises to be the ‘most spectacular lineup in the festival’s 17-year history!’ The main stage has confirmed five of the top 10 DJ Mag top 100 artists among many other big names and headlining acts. The official Q-Dance stage will be making a return with all of your hardstyle favorites and is anticipated to be one of the most popular areas of the event. For the first time in the festival’s history, Transmission will be taking over the arena stage over the weekend for two days of mind-blowing trance and a world-class production to match. Finally, the Second Stage and Terminal Stage will showcase a wide variety of new and up and coming artists from across the globe. This year will be my second year attending this incredible event and I can’t wait to explore all of the stages. Here are my top artists to see at each stage:
MAIN STAGE: Steve Angello
Swedish house veteran Steve Angello will be making his Airbeat One debut on the main stage this year. It is expected to put on an unforgettable performance. One of the most daring and innovative artists in the scene, Steve Angello is not afraid to push the boundaries and experiment with new and different sounds. Despite the recent Swedish House Mafia reunion, he has continued to maintain his successful solo career, recently releasing his newest album ‘Human’. This festival season is expected to be a big one for him and as he does not make many festival appearances, this is one set you won’t want to miss! Check out one of the most anticipated tracks from his latest album below.
Q-DANCE STAGE: Headhunterz
Dutch DJ and producer Headhunterz will be playing at the official Q-Dance stage this year and is not one to miss. Since announcing his return to hardstyle just under a year ago, he has released multiple tracks across two albums under both himself and his Project One alias with Wildstylez. In 2017, Headhunterz closed out the Airbeat One main stage during the sunrise and it was easily one of my most memorable festival experiences to date. His 2018 performance will definitely be one to remember! Check out one of his latest tracks below.
ARENA STAGE: Above & Beyond
One of the biggest trance events in the world, Transmission, is hosting their very own stage at Airbeat One this summer. Transmission is known for its world-class production with one of the biggest and best light shows in the world Headlining the official Transmission stage this year is none other than English trance group Above & Beyond. The trio has created a unique space and common ground in the dance world for people to come together and experience the spirit and warmth of the music. Selling out shows across the globe with their unique and euphoric sound, this set is sure to fill the entire arena. Check out their Common Ground mini mix below.
TERMINAL STAGE: Klingande
French DJ and producer Klingande will be dominating the terminal stage at Airbeat One this year. As one of the most original and refreshing producers of this generation, Klingande combines elements of melodic house with traditional instruments to create a distinct sound and immersive experience for the crowd. Spending most of his time between tours and the studio, Klingande is constantly searching for new and creative ways to express himself and is sure to put on an exciting performance. Check out one of his latest tracks below.
SECOND STAGE: Berg
The second stage features a variety of smaller up and coming artists with many names I have yet to discover. For this stage, I’ve decided to check out Israel based artist Berg. The psytrance artist has become one of the leading acts in the world in only four short years with his large international fan base pleading for him to make an appearance at major events. His desire to mix different sounds and styles that inspire him has ultimately taken his career to the next level with many collaboration opportunities constantly in the works. This artist is definitely one I look forward to seeing. Check out one of his most popular tracks below.
With a world-class lineup and state of the art production at a fraction of the cost, this festival needs to be added to your summer bucket list. Weekend tickets are still available at 129 Euros for GA and 199 Euros for VIP. Grab your tickets here.