Amsterdam Plays Host To Another Fantastic Mysteryland Festival
Published
On a rare sun-filled day in the Netherlands, Mysteryland celebrated its 22nd birthday at the Floriade terrain. Here we witnessed a festival ground that was truly a place of infinite and mysterious delights. Upon entry, festivalgoers were greeted by a typical Dutch sight of flowing waterways and luscious grassy fields, accompanied by the ominous thud of a distant bass line. Masses of people flowed into the festival and by 3pm the party was in full swing.
Divided into two sections, Mysteryland occupied an expansive space, a place which one definitely needed the two days to explore. In the Noord section the Q-dance stage loomed over the pulsating crowd. This stage was host to a plethora of hardstyle legends across the weekend, from Dutch locals Frontliner and Ran-D to sets from internationals Zatox and Outbreak. This was best enjoyed from the centerpiece of Floriade terrain, an Egyptian-style grass pyramid, which provided panoramic views of this stage and the entire festival.
Adorning this eye-catching pyramid were Aztec themed flags, and in the lake below giant helium balloons in striking formations. Mysteryland worked hard to make the festival not only aesthetically appealing to the ears, but also a treat for the eyes.
Mysteryland pride themselves on their stage craft and this year was no different. Q-dance resembled a baboon head, complete with smoke-breathing nostrils and a lazer lightshow, which took the stage from day to night. The main stage appeared on a backdrop of luscious greenery and a lake resembled two horse heads, soaring over the massive crowds. Here too there was no shortage smoke, fire and confetti released to enhance the crowd’s excitement. The main stage saw the likes of Claptone, Dillon Francis, Martin Garrix and Alesso across the weekened, producing some of the biggest EDM acts of the moment.
A stroll into the forest led those who wandered into an expanse of sculptures, art installations, food stalls, things to climb, hammocks to sit on and even a vintage market for those in a shopping mood. There was no shortage of activities to do and places to get lost. Beyond this, Mysteryland hosts nineteen official stages, with several more sponsored stages dotted throughout the grounds. A true highlight of the festival for me was the ‘Milkshake: supertoys’ stage, presenting some of the more outrageous costume and dance shows. Here, Hercules Love Affair, a dance music project that has a rotating door of performers, had the crowd jiving to their funky house beats, accompanied by cage dancers completely clad in gold.
As the sun set across the festival their was a tangible shift in the mood. Festivalgoers prepared themselves for the biggest acts of the day and the larger stages swarmed with people. The atmosphere became that of a mega festival, excitable and wild. The DJs had the crowd hanging on their every command, producing energized and dynamic sets which pumped on into the night.
Mysteryland was a festival for anyone who likes a feast for the senses. It provided a spectacular showcase of EDM, hardstyle, house and disco, but more than that, it was an exhibit in itself, a place to get lost in much more than the music.
To find out more about Mysteryland click here.
To visit the Mysteryland Facebook page click here.
Words by Claire Fisher
