A LOVE LETTER TO AWAKENINGS FESTIVAL 2025
words by NATALIE GAL
Three days. 100 nationalities. 95,000 dancing humans. 120 artists. Awakenings Festival 2025 in Hilvarenbeek was one for the books, and we were lucky enough to be right in the middle of it. And now we’re here to tell you all about it.
Awakenings is the festival. The kind you mark in your calendar a year in advance, obsess over the lineup, speculate wildly in group chats, and build at least three Pinterest boards for your outfits. And this year? It was massive.
We were buzzing to see our favorites like Nina Kraviz, Adriatique, Joris Voorn, and MARRØN. Moreover, we got to witness legends like Carl Cox, Richie Hawtin, Charlotte de Witte, and Adam Beyer. The lineup featured a mix of global icons and but also many underground, upcoming artists. We caught sets from 999999999, Daria Kolosova, FJAAK, Indira Paganotto, Reinier Zonneveld and Yanamaste.
It was a next level experience, as each brought their own sound and vivid personality to the stage. But it wasn’t just about the music. There was deephouse vinyasa flow, breathwork and cacao ceremonies for those on a spiritual side quest, paddleboarding and HIIT workouts (for anyone who didn’t already sweat enough dancing).
This year Awakenings continued its strong focus on sustainability. They offered a 100% vegetarian menu to reduce CO2 emissions, saving around 2 tonnes over three days. Furthermore, the entire event runs on smart energy, using renewable sources with an additional deposit system that encourages recycling with tokens made from recycled plastic (reused annually). Since 2015, Awakenings has committed to making festivals more eco-conscious, a goal we support whole heartedly!
We love covering festivals across the Netherlands (and beyond), meeting you beautiful people, dancing in the dust, and collecting long lasting memories. Awakenings 2025 was all joy, all connection, and everything we needed. Next year’s festival is set for 10 - 12 July 2026, keep an eye out for the limited early birds tickets, they will go on sale next week, the 24th of July.
