We are just days away from Mysteryland! In this article we take a trip down memory lane and give you all you need to know about this year’s edition of the festival.
Amy Melissa Farina
The oldest dance music festival in the Netherlands returns to Haarlemmermeerse Bos this week. Since 1993, Mysteryland has been a staple in the Dutch electronic music scene. This year marks the festival’s long awaited return since the COVID-19 pandemic.
From the early days…
Mysteryland, organized by the Dutch based promotional organization ID&T originally began as a one day event. In 1993, the first edition took place at Midland Circuit in Lelystad. Headliners included early hardcore artists such as Buzz Fuzz, Dano, Gizmo, and the Prophet.
Twenty nine years later…
Since it’s inception, Mysteryland has expanded from a one day festival to a three day event. Today Mysteryland includes camping, multiple genres, and more than 100,000 visitors from all over the world. This year, Mysteryland will take place on 26, 27, and 28 August in Harlemmeer. The line up consists of an eclectic mix of heavy hitters, old school classics, and up and coming artists.
One of the biggest festivals in the world…
The sold out festival includes three days of international DJs spanning a myriad of genres. A whopping 300 artists will perform across 22 stages. Visitors can expect incredible laser shows, eye popping visuals, and of course confetti. To top it all off, three stages will close out the festival with a firework show. Don’t miss the show on Saturday and Sunday evening at the Main Stage, Q-Dance stage, and the Big Top tent.
There’s something for everyone…
For the die-hards, campers are invited to stay onsite from Friday until Monday. The campsite includes morning yoga sessions, nightly silent discos, and all the essentials to make you feel at home away from home. What sets Mysteryland apart from other festivals in the Netherlands, is their inclusion of spirituality. With chill-out spaces, a healing garden, chi gong, cacao ceremonies, massages, and meditation sessions, you can connect to yourself and your fellow ravers.
If we haven’t said it enough, Mysteryland is not your average festival. When you think of traditional festival food you probably think of pizza and fries, but not Mysteryland. With over 80 food trucks, not only can you get fries (organic) AND pizza (wood-oven) you can eat your heart out with steak, burgers, international cuisine and so much more. For drinks it’s not just your standard beer and wine but smoothies and cocktails galore!
Commitment to sustainability…
Lastly (and arguably most importantly!), Mysteryland is one of the most sustainable festivals in the world. From 2012, Mysteryland has won multiple awards for their commendable sustainable practices. The festival has strict energy guidelines, everything is run on an energy saving level. Additionally, recycling programs and a leave no trace policy have been put into place to ensure maximum sustainability.
See you next weekend…
You can find all of the most up to date information by visiting https://www.mysteryland.nl/. See you there!