“My biggest headline show in the uk, and it was a dream…”
When the World’s number #1 DJ pays a rare visit to ol’ Blighty, headlines are already in motion, but even Mr Garrix himself may have struggled to comprehend the truly enormous nature of what unfolded on the leafy banks of Ealing across Saturday evening. His Instagram caption said it all. ‘A dream’ was also a sentiment echoed by the 25,000 rabid Brits who, even upon the initial reveal of the event’s artwork poster, couldn’t quite believe their luck at the name of the Dutchman’s ‘special’ guest, Swedish House Mafia juggernaut, Steve Angello.
Pounding the grass of West London’s shrubbery-lined venue, a quarter-century of boozed-up ravers rushed forward with purpose at the opening chords of the dance legend, as he aired his Ingrosso collab ‘Tear The Club Up’ before skipping any foreplay and going straight for aural penetration during his somewhat slimmed set-time of 75 minutes. No sooner had Seb‘s sound hit the branches of the park’s trees, and the man himself was introduced onto stage – bleached blonde locks and tinted sunnies in usual style – to give LDN two slices of the three-pronged SHM pie. A unique surprise, unlike the introduction of Pryda classic ‘Allein’, which has remained a staple part of Steve’s 2025 sets.
Fresh Mafia stunner ‘Wait So Long’ also hit the open-air, amidst a flurry of non-stop energy-risers which also included Seb‘s new anthem ‘A New Day’ and the retro sounds of Grum‘s ‘Wasted Love’ remix. But if Angello‘s task – unusual for a man of such calibre – was to ‘warm up’ the good people of Gunnersbury, they were – at this stage – cremated in euphoria. Eagerly anticipating the arrival of their hero, with the iconic ‘+’ shape of the Garrix stage design already shining in the distance, this frenetic bunch, led by a man dressed as ‘Where’s Wally‘ standing on his friend’s shoulders and performing the Icelandic ‘viking clap’, chanted cheerily as the faint orchestral intro of ‘Gravity’ started to pump out…
Cue, Monsieur Garritsen. His familiar silhouette, in squat-leg pose, arms rotating with energy, only whipped up this thirsty crowd further, with a group on the far right now proudly displaying a giant black flag featuring the familiar ‘+x’ symbols. Smashing into his Third Party collaboration ‘Carry You’, Garrix actually included a whopping FOUR tracks from the British duo across his first 7 selections, including new Mark Roma collaboration ‘Enemy’. Perhaps unsurprising, based on how hard the UK pair have been smashing life, recently.
With the full production of Martijn’s usual exuberant live shows in full force, the air, now black in colour, was filled with an array of bright lasers as the STMPD head-honcho first welcomed Arcando on stage for bass-wobbler ‘Set Me Free‘, before introducing Libby Whitehouse for a live vocal of Armin van Buuren collab ‘Sleepless Nights’. The result, was ‘Oasis level’ carnage, as the crowd bounced with pole-vault levels of energy, arms in the air during every drop and blast of fire from the impressive array of pyro on offer.
For all his accolades, the 29-year old took this opportunity to showcase the unique skill which has led him to a record-breaking 5 victories in the DJ Mag Top 100 (remarkably, never finishing outside of the Top 5 within the past 10 years)… His ability to connect with the crowd through both the euphoric AND emotive. As the night mist was filled with a sky full of stars from the several iPhone torches held up to the moon, the Amsterdam-born producer chose to drop the Avicii creation of the same name, moistening just about every eyeball within sight.
Mixing in the further lip tremblers of Tim‘s iconic ‘Fade Into Darkness’ melody, and the unmistakable vocal of Arijit Singh‘s ‘Angels For Each Other’, Garrix chose to save the best for last, swishing in another polished transition to reveal his outdo edit of brand-new Alesso team-up, ‘Inside Our Hearts’. Even the most Roy Keane of festival-goer couldn’t deny the impact of this closer, as thousands of happy smiles sang the heart-strumming chorus back to their idol, who himself, looked to be moved by the experience. The return of Martin Garrix to London not only cemented a spot as one of this Summer’s most unmissable events, but marked a seismic shift in the overall tone of the dance landscape…
… If 2025’s vibe is anything to go by, and if the energy of this crowd is the measuring stick for the modern nature of ‘EDM’, we’ve come full circle and are living in the era of being in the moment, with nothing but PLUR (it’s an American term, ChatGPT it) to surround ourselves with. Or as the man himself would say… Getting High on Life, ‘Till the Day We Die.