Musical Classification and Development
The music style was initially very trance-oriented, but over time, this genre became less prominent at Airbeat One. As a result, additional stages were set up, each focusing on a specific genre. These include genres such as electro-house, hardstyle, techno, drum ’n’ bass and psytrance. In 2010, a main stage was erected for the first time to showcase renowned artists across all genres on a single main stage. While there were eleven stages the following year, this number was quickly reduced, and the focus shifted to the most important stages. In particular, the styles electro-house, hardstyle, and psytrance came to the forefront. From 2009 to 2013, the event was opened each Thursday by newcomer DJs from the non-profit organization Coreplex e. V. in the camping area, while since 2014, the first DJs have been playing on a stage in the VIP area on Wednesdays.
In 2015, the Sony Music subsidiary “Electronic Dance” or “Club Sounds” produced documentary films and interviews with a number of artists.
Since 2016: A sudden surge in popularity
In 2016, the festival celebrated its 15th anniversary and set a new record with approximately 40,000 daily visitors. In addition, the organizer Q-Dance operated its own stage.The lineup for this stage was particularly dominated by hardstyle artists. Well-known hardstyle DJs with a much higher profile were secured. Among them were D-Block & S-te-Fan, Noisecontrollers, Brennan Heart, Wasted Penguinz, Da Tweekaz, Bass Modulators, and Audiotricz, as well as returning acts Coone, Code Black, and Atmozfears. In addition, the Airbeat One team announced that the entire lineup for this edition would be significantly larger than in previous years. Over 40 acts performed on a stage set up at nearby Barracuda Beach.
In 2017, attendance increased by another 5,000 visitors. With the performance by Dutch DJ Hardwell, another major figure in the EDM scene made his debut at the festival. Timmy Trumpet and Headhunterz were also secured for the main stage. Both had enjoyed great success the previous year and performed on the main stage for the first time. The Q-Dance Stage featured various B2B (“back-to-back”) performances, a first for the festival; among others, Ran-D and Atmozfears, as well as Angerfist and Partyraiser, shared the stage together.
In 2018, the festival grounds opened as early as Wednesday. Separate tickets were sold for the so-called pre-opening party. Within a few days, over 60% of the tickets were sold out. The headliners for this party were Nicky Romero, Blasterjaxx, and Bassjackers. The pre-opening for the main artists took place on the newly constructed stage “The Arena,” hosted by the record labels “Boombox” and “Transmission.” The camping grounds were also fully booked before advance ticket sales had even ended. With a total of over 55,000 visitors, a new attendance record was set. In addition, the 17th edition saw the introduction of the so-called cashless payment system for the first time, which relies on cashless transactions. With acts like Zedd, Marshmello, and DJ Snake, the musical styles represented on the main stage were expanded to include, among others, complextro, dubstep, and trap.
In 2019, with around 65,000 attendees, the festival celebrated the theme “A Journey to India” in front of a main stage modeled after the Taj Mahal. The performance by Dutch DJ and producer Martin Garrix and the closing set by Timmy Trumpet, followed by fireworks, were two highlights of the festival. In addition, the American duo The Chainsmokers made their debut at the Airbeat One Festival. Outside the festival grounds, the cashless payment system was retained, and a new attraction was introduced with the option of a skydiving experience.
On April 16, 2020, the organizers, Music Eggert, announced that the planned 19th edition of the Airbeat One Festival, originally scheduled for July 8–12, 2020, would be canceled due to the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. The theme “A Journey to Italy,” which was to take place in 2020, was accordingly postponed to 2021. In August 2021, the festival was canceled again and rescheduled for July 6–10, 2022. The reason was, once again, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
In July 2022, the festival took place again following the ongoing pandemic. The festival set a new Germany-wide record, bringing 37 DJs from DJ Mag’s Top 100 ranking to the stages. The pre-opening on Wednesday drew 20,000 visitors. On the final day, the number reached 65,000. A total of 200,000 visitors from over 50 countries traveled to the 19th edition of the festival.
