Welcome home: Defqon.1 Weekend Festival kicked off with The Gathering

It's Thursday late afternoon, and the festival grounds are peaceful. The calm that settles in before Defqon.1 begins is surreal. The Holy Grounds seem to be inviting thousands of harder styles fans per day to come and unleash their energy over the weekend. Are you ready for four days of madness at Defqon.1 Weekend Festival?! Hardstyle.com will be present to update you throughout the full weekend - and this was The Gathering.

For those who committed to the full Defqon.1 journey, the festivities start on Thursday. Since 2022, Defqon.1 has shifted its opening day from Friday to Thursday, beginning with The Gathering. When the gates open, the first Weekend Warriors run over the festival grounds to secure their spot as close to the stage as possible. It’s the official start of the best weekend of the year.

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While stepping into the Holy Grounds and heading towards the BLUE stage for Sound Rush's opening set, we immediately feel the lively atmosphere. On the way to the BLUE, we encountered numerous festival-goers who were really enjoying the moment.  Excited to hear those magical words once again: "Weekend Warriors, welcome home." A wave of energy and emotion washes over the tent. The realization hits: Defqon.1 has truly begun.

The Gathering shows what The Power of the Tribe is about

For The Gathering, Defqon.1 opened four of its finest stages this year. At the BLUE, numerous colored lights welcomed the first Weekend Warriors to the festival grounds that they will call their home for the next couple of days. For this year's edition, Q-dance chose to incorporate screens at the ceiling of the stage. On and off, those screens moved almost to the ground. 

After an emotional opening set by anthem creators Sound Rush, with the showcase of Power of The Tribe as a big highlight, no other than Hard Driver took over. With his track Fire To The Fuse, the official The Gathering 2024 OST, he made sure to get everyone in the BLUE moving their feet. 

Pure mayhem at 180+ BPM

At the same time, Hardcore lovers were welcomed into the BLACK, one of the most intense stages of this weekend. Ravers got the hardcore treatment by Mad Dog, followed by an intense set by Panic, The Darkraver, The Viper, and Vince - also known as the Fantastic Four. It's safe to say that the BLACK is where you can experience pure mayhem this weekend, with BPMs ranging from 180+ to far above.

For The Gathering, the INDIGO stage got a Savage takeover by all members of the hardstyle label Savage Squad. All pack members were present, from Griever & PL4Y to The Purge and Omnya. To top it all off, Gezellige Uptempo was added to the line-up as the closing act. Following their surprise ‘shit show’ of last year, they got a packed crowd moving to every beat. The vibe during the takeover at INDIGO was incredible, setting high expectations for the remaining three days.

We simply can’t get enough of Defqon.1 Weekend Festival. From The Gathering's first beats to Sunday’s closing show, we’ll live it all. The festival feels like a high-speed rollercoaster, like Walibi’s Goliath next door, with loops, corkscrews, and constant adrenaline. We're one blood, one love, one tribe. This is your Defqon.1.

Images via Defqon.1