Upclose (Awakenings) announces lineup for 2025 edition

Following an amazing sold-out debut that left artists, supporters, and the community speechless, Awakenings‘ Upclose is back for its much-awaited second edition. On May 17 and 18, 2025 the event will once more turn Spaarnwoude-Park into a throbbing haven of sound, connection, and group movement.

What’s the Upclose festival?

Awakenings’ most recent festival, Upclose, pays homage to the dance floor and depicts the raw spirit of dance floor culture: sweaty, steamy, and intimate, where every beat unites the audience and the front row seems like the only row. Building on the amazing momentum of its inaugural, sold-out, edition, this year’s festival explores even more the progressive and specialized margins of techno, providing an experience for those who live and breathe this side of the music.

Upclose 2025 follows its guiding principle of stretching limits. The lineup for this year is a perfect fusion of techno’s vanguard. Although some of the names on the lineup seem strange, among this niche they rate among the most renowned and innovative. Anticipate live events, performers pushing boundaries, and creative business-to-business ideas meant to let you forget time. Designed for people who pursue moments of transcendence and pleasure on the dance floor, each set is painstakingly chosen to immerse dancers in a spectrum of sounds—hypnotic, relentless, and forward-looking.

The line-up this year offers a kaleidoscope of sounds that defines today’s underground by combining local heroes, worldwide icons, and exclusive collaborations. Living icon and techno pioneer Jeff Mills graces the stage; Donato Dozzy, one of last year’s highlights, returns alongside Jane Fitz for the first time for deep ambient and hypnotic techno weaving. The weekend gains legendary impact from EZ, the godfather of UK Garage. Berlin superstar Kobosil, renowned for his ferocious energy, and master of the tougher sounds DJ Rush contributes their recognizable talent to the mix, guaranteeing a strong presence on the dance floor.

Awakenings Upclode full 2025 lineup

Upclose also excels in presenting original, boundary-pushing acts. 999999999 offers a unique acid set, DJ Fuckoff delivers an eclectic blend of house, breaks, techno, and bass melded into one daring unfiltered, boundary-crossing techno experience with attitude. Dutch premiere Atsuo the Pineapple Donkey (live) presents an unusual techno performance from Japan where improvisation and a lot of studio equipment take the front stage. While Stigmata (live) heralds the return of Andre Walter’s legendary project, Luigi Tozzi (live) fascinates with deep, hypnotic techno and immersive soundscapes.

Expect early 2000s raw edge, stripped-down techno grooves redesigned for today’s dance floor. In an exciting 6-deck fight configuration, Cristian Varela x Marco Bailey square off. Traumer (live) surprises with a genre-defying hybrid performance that pushes limits in every way, combining minimal excellence with a touch of French grace. Zisko (hybrid live) surprises too.

Berlin’s rawness meets Dutch minimalism, Ben Klock x Ignez, where melodic subtleties are mixed with raw beats, and Surgeon x Rrose on stage together for the first time with an exclusive live set shapes this year’s line-up. Chris Stussy x Sally C brings house greatness to the fore while Marrøn x Rødhåd delivers grooves in their most danceable forms. Among other highlights are Adiel x Ogazon, Yanamaste x Beste Hira, Anetha x Patrick Mason, Shoal x Loek Frey, Mac Declos x Akua and Benwal x Janis Zielinski.

Local heroes who capture the raw vitality of the festival anchor the line-up. From seasoned Benny Rodrigues with a unique four-hour warm-up session to Cynthia Spiering, a pillar of the Dutch underground, these performers deliver unquestionable presence. While Stef Mendesidis (live) presents his trademark cinematic techno, unique partnerships like Moody Mehran x Ineffekt highlight Dutch inventiveness. Rising star Nelly settles herself as the main actor on the scene. Other names like Hitam, Tekna, Cybersex, Grace Dahl, Lobster, Isaiah, Client x Shoob, Genex, Vromo and Thoms Traxx show the underground flourishes locally as much as worldwide.

The Community

Here at Upclose, community and culture front stage. The festival produces a dynamic mix of worldwide influence and local authenticity with global luminaries of the underground and major characters from local communities setting the pace and intensity. Its compact stature breaks down the barriers separating the dance floor from the booth, therefore promoting a shared energy that defines club culture at its most pure. From forward-looking stage designs to an audience as fashion-forward as it is music-savvy, Upclose invites guests to connect via sound, sweat, and shared enthusiasm.

Feedback from last year confirmed Upclose’s goal of establishing a venue where dance floor culture rules supreme. This year the festival pushes further, honing its progressive soundscape and strengthening the link between music, group movement, and the moment.

May 17 and 18, 2025, Spaarnwoude-Park turns into the throbbing core of the progressive specialized side of techno. Upclose is a celebration of community, not only a festival with which to honor progressive music that demands attention.

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