This past February 23 and 24, thousands of fortunate festival-goers experienced the return of A State Of Trance (ASOT) music festival. The theme for this installment was "Destinations", fittingly so, as the festival debuted at its brand new home, Rotterdam's Ahoy (aka Ahoy Rotterdam) in the Netherlands.
From the get-go, the venue was alive with people pouring in the doors ready to surrender themselves to the sounds and put themselves into a state of trance. Ahoy, as a venue, seems to be the perfect new festival grounds for the event and boasted a whopping 5 stages this year, each offering the very best in trance and techno.
The impressive ASOT 2024 lineup of DJs kept the party going from 10PM - 6AM on both nights, and the energy was infectious. Saying that the Dutch know how to throw a party is a vast understatement. At no point was a lull felt in the crowd's participation. The crowd control for this event was so smooth and efficient, probably one of the best in any festival environment out there. There was minimal waiting or hold-ups for anything, which is something to be appreciated when moving between busy stages or vendors.
Overall, ASOT was well put together; impressive since it is the first chapter at the new venue. All the planning definitely paid off. The sound engineering was on point throughout the event space, each stage booming with bass and twinkling highs. The lighting throughout the event was very fitting and gave some impressive visuals to gaze up at. Stage 1 (Main Stage) had some spectacular pyro moments, which made the crowd erupt with cheers. Everything combined created an immersive experience, which allowed you to lose yourself to the music.
Armin van Buuren played a total of 4 electrifying sets throughout the weekend, and the crowd showed up for him. Both his main stage sets were fully packed out with fans from all over the globe dancing in unison to both the classics and the new tracks, such as the new single collaboration with ARTBAT, "Take Off".
Additional highlights across the weekend include; Miss Monique, Armin van Buuren and his b2bs with Joris Voom & HI-LO, Nifra, Vini Vici b2b Infected Mushroom, Cosmic Gate, Maarten de Jong and Trance Wax. John Askew gave me everything I didn't know I needed.
The party really heated up with Ben Nicky's 'Emotional Havoc' at Stage 1 on Friday. He played an electrifying high NRG set that had the crowd kick it up a notch. Allen Watts' Awaken set on Saturday was magnetic, drawing a full crowd and providing a high-impact performance.
This installment of ASOT may be over, but it will be alive in the minds of its attendants for a long time, as we eagerly await the next one. One thing is for sure, Ahoy may be the new destination, but it already felt like home
Photos by Joe Chung