Mysteryland returned for another notable weekend full of surprises from August 22nd to 24th. From its humble beginnings in 1993, when it first launched with a vision to bring together electronic music lovers in the Netherlands, the festival has grown into a global gathering. Today, it welcomes over 100,000 guests from around the world each year.
Photo credit: Mysteryland – Official
It’s incredible to see what the world’s oldest electronic music festival has become. You never quite know what to expect around each corner. With 250 artists across 15 stages, the grounds are massive, and while we walked a lot, there was always fun to be found along the way. From the wild antics at the Paardenrave (horse rave—don’t worry, no real horses) to catching bubbles floating through the air, Mysteryland invites your inner child to come out and play. It’s like an amusement park for adults: you can dive into the music or watch it all from above on a carnival ride.
The location itself is stunning, filled with lush green paths and quirky hangout spots. You might stumble upon live music at the cozy Sofa Sessions, or step into a telephone booth with a friend for karaoke. It’s truly a “choose your own adventure” kind of day.
This year introduced new stages representing some of our favorite Amsterdam venues. On Saturday, we headed to the Shelter stage for DJ Tennis, and on Sunday, we caught Eelke Kleijn at the Woodstock stage. We couldn’t miss Patrick Mason at the Art Core stage—one of our favorites last year—before closing out at the Trance Energy stage with legend Paul Van Dyk. It had been at least a decade since we last saw him, and while he didn’t play the trance classics of the past, his set delivered some of the best music we heard all weekend!
Mysteryland is also known for its epic closing shows, and this year’s was jaw-dropping. After the final DJ, Marlon Hoffstadt—making his Mysteryland debut to an adoring crowd—the music faded and a message filled the air:
“The only constant is change. This is the end of an era, and the birth of something new. But you were there. You danced, you hummed, you broadcast your love straight into the stratosphere. A new dimension is tuning in. Though the music fades, the memory echoes. This is the end of an era. Tomorrow is a mystery. See you in 2027!”
Next year, the festival will take a creative break, and we can’t wait to see what they dream up for the next edition.
Pre-register for the 2027 edition here, and relive the final moments of 2025 here.
