The third return of the Netherlands’ techno Awakenings Festival was one for the books. This multi-day festival set in Hilvarenbeek, Netherlands, draws attendees worldwide for three days of pure techno in a beautiful natural setting.
The ‘Awakenings’ name is well-known for its impressive events and reputation of outdoing themselves in terms of production, and this festival was no exception. Here’s what we have to say about our three-day techno adventure:
Vibes: B+
Coming from mostly North American festivals to Awakenings, we weren’t sure what to expect, but we were blown away by how genuine our interactions with everyone were. We started to meet other excited attendees as we boarded the train from Amsterdam to the nearest festival station, where shuttles awaited to take us to the venue.
When we entered camp on Friday, everyone was setting up campsites and mingling with their neighbors, and it always made us smile hearing where everyone was from—from people from the Bay Area to those from Turkiye, Spain, and all over the world. Some were with groups of friends, and others, like ourselves, ventured into the weekend solo.
Inside the festival, we were met with nothing but welcoming energy. On day one, we were invited into a group that was created for those attending solo. This gave us people to vibe with over the entire weekend.
The crowd vibes were never too overwhelming unless you were near the front of the stage during a hard techno set. Then, there was a chance of feeling squished shoulder to shoulder with little room to dance. Staying towards the middle or the back, there was plenty of room, and everyone respected each other’s space.
Even with some dreary weather over the weekend, things remained positive, and honestly, the rain added to the vibes, especially at the smaller forest stages.
It’s known that PLUR culture, as we know it in America, is typically shown through the act of gifting trinkets, Kandi, and whatnot, but when attending international events, we are reminded that PLUR manifests in many forms. Simply having good vibes and showing kindness is also enough.
Production: A-
With eight stages, a combination of indoor and outdoor, not a single stage disappointed. The main stages, V & W, were stellar in design. The stage W setting was parallel to the lake, giving incredible views and perfect for the melodic techno artists it showcased. Stage V, the main stage attendees were first exposed to as they entered the festival, was incredible during the day. Then once the night came it became pure magic with the lasers and fireworks.
Venturing further into the festival there were stages scattered amidst the forest, giving more intimate rave vibes. We spent a lot of time at stage D, which was an open air floor space, surrounded by trees. The only downside was we did run into some mud when it rained, and navigating that in the dark was challenging at times.
All the stages had incredible sound quality, our only complaint was moving between stages D, H and W, depending on the artist playing, there was a small amount of sound bleed.
Production being what Awakenings is known for, we found it all very impressive. And when the fireworks at main stage V shot across the crowd, we were in awe. The ability to make open-air stages feel like you were in a dark warehouse listening to hard techno, even at the size of the larger stages, speaks to the level of detail put into designing it all.
Music: A+
With an insane lineup of over 140 different artists, featuring names such as 999999999, Adam Beyer, I Hate Models, Kölsch, Adriatique, Patrick Mason, Amelie Lens and many more, the music selection was top tier.
On Day one, we witnessed incredible sets from headliners, Nico Moreno, I Hate Models and closed it out with 999999999. With more stages opened up for day two, we explored more sounds, ranging from Joyhauser, to Camelphat and Funk Tribu, who surpassed any crowd energy we saw the entire weekend. Then there was DJ Heartstring, who had us in our feels, Umek and ending with Adam Beyer x Joseph Capriati.
The intense passion and energy techno holds is something we felt at every stage, and it was beautiful to witness how each artist translated that. All genres in dance music awaken a feeling within us, but the unique thing about attending a single genre festival is getting to experience the depth of a sound and all its sub-genres.
On the final day, there was a lot of movement between stages, everyone trying to catch bits of all their loved artists’ sets. Catching the beginning of Nina Kraviz and then getting stuck at Adriatique because the performance was so good. Dipping over to stage C for a few minutes of Mochakk, and then disappearing into the techno vortex of Amelie Lens.
The Amelie Lens finale of the festival weekend left us at a loss for words. The artistry and depth of her performance with the Awakenings production were a euphoric experience.
Venue: B
Awakenings is held in Hilvarenbeek, Netherlands, about two hours from Amsterdam. The camping vibes and the lake right there made us feel like we were at an adult summer camp. We had everything we needed over the weekend with access to a supermarket, a thrift shop, a coffee shop, food vendors, and more.
The festival was about a 5 to 10-minute walk from camp, depending on how far you were located. Grand Camping was where people could book pre-set tents or set up their own camps. Also the Relax Resort, the more luxurious camping offered more ‘peace & quiet’ and even a wellness area with hot tubs. Although Relax Resort was closer to the festival entrance, it was about a 15-minute walk to the after-party on the other side of Grand Camping.
Inside the festival grounds, there was a bit of walking involved between all eight stages. Yet the walk between was always met with incredible views or running across interesting art installations, keeping us entertained even when we weren’t dancing.
Each area had plenty of accessible bathrooms. They were always clean and stocked with paper. There were only a couple of times over the weekend that we waited in line for more than a few minutes.
Free drinking water was available in multiple areas of the festival. This kept everyone hydrated and made sure attendees never had to purchase water. One of the unique sustainability efforts at Awakenings is the recycle token system. Everyone receives a free recycle token that can be used at the bar when ordering drinks. This encourages everyone to return all empty cans/bottles to the bar to receive a new token. The other perk to this system is keeping the venue incredibly clean.
We loved how all the brand activations made sense. There was the Philips Refresh Bar in camp, where people could freshen up with a quick shave and skincare products. There were also the AXE/Dove stations inside the festival grounds for deodorant. We also loved the Meller photo booths scattered around the festival and in camp.
There were definitely more positives than negatives, and our only issue during our time at Awakenings was the limited access to outlets in Grand Camping. Thus, we learned that it’s incredibly important to bring multiple power banks to this festival.
Transportation was easy. Take the train from Amsterdam to the Tilburg station near the festival and then a shuttle to the venue. The lines were always moving for the number of people arriving at the shuttles, and everything was organized.
Overall: A-
For this writer’s first Awakenings experience, it was an overall positive one. We went into the weekend without knowing anyone and left with many new friends worldwide. We had never experienced the energy, and we loved every second of it.
We found it reassuring to see an event of this size put so much care into maintaining the environment. The CO2 compensation, 100% vegetarian menu, and deposit recycle system improved the presentation and quality of the event.
With everything this festival offers and its quality, we found it incredibly affordable. An early-bird weekend Grand Camping pass (the lowest tier and bringing your own tent) is €219.95 ($239.59 USD) and the most expensive single-day ticket is €89.95 ($97.98 USD).
If there’s even the slightest interest in techno, this festival is one to put at the top of the bucket list. We look forward to next year’s Awakenings Festival and hope to see you there.
