Vh1 Supersonic Goa’s 2015 edition is just around the corner. Prepare for the madness that is about to enfold at the Awakenings stage with the Sherp’s guide to Supersonic.
Awakenings is a collection of musical events held throughout the Netherlands. The organisation brings together a plethora of groundbreaking electronic and techno artists for colossal events every year. At this year’s edition of Vh1 Supersonic Goa, Awakenings will host its own stage. In the spirit of the upcoming festival, the Sherp brings you a blueprint of the colourful history of Awakenings.
How it began
Awakenings originated in 1997 at the monumental Gashouder-venue in Amsterdam. Founded by organizer Rocco Veenboer, the name “Awakenings” comes from highly unexpected source for a dance music property. The first Awakenings open air event was held around Easter, so Veenboer coined the term “Awakenings” for the property, in spirit of the resurrection of Jesus.
The Awakenings Festival
The first outdoor Awakenings Festival was held on the grounds of Spaarnwoude recreation area in northern Holland in 2001. Techno fans gradually began to acknowledge the festival as a pioneer event in the electronic scene and Awakenings made its way to the top, gaining momentum rapidly. In 2006, Veenboer said,
“Each time it is a challenge to make the line-up together and one line-up is more innovative then the other, but we always try to find a healthy mix between established heroes and new talent. In 2005 there were twelve editions of Awakenings, with a total of 124 appearances and thereby were as many as 49 debut artists involved.”
Taking place on the ouskirts of Amsterdam at the end of June every year, the Awakenings Festival is now one of the biggest outdoor techno events/festivals in the world, hosting over 60,000 people annually. In 2014, it became a two-day event, hosting over 70,000 attending to hear some of the world’s top electronic music producers, including Sven Väth, Adam Beyer and Richie Hawtin. The 2015 festival in the Netherlands took place during the final weekend of June.
Artists
Apart from a grand music festival in the Netherlands and hosting stages at the most prestigious music festivals across the globe, Awakenings has a spectacular artist roster. With massive names such as Carl Cox, Adam Beyer, Maceo Plex, Joris Voorn, Green Velvet, and many more international acts you can check out here, the Awakenings stage at Supersonic is definitely one to watch out for.
Current events
Today, Awakenings organizes innumerable sold-out events each year. Awakenings expanded its borders in 2014, producing events in the UK, Australia, and more recently – North America. More than 120,000 fans have had the Awakening experience in the last few years, including a sold-out crowd at the London debut in 2014. Nestled under one of the biggest dance music organizations, SFX Entertainment, Awakenings is flourishing with every coming year.
“Bringing Awakenings to North America, the place that gave me the most inspiration to start organizing in the early days, is a dream turned into reality,” says Veenboer.
Awakenings at Vh1 Supersonic
At Vh1 Supersonic this month, the Awakenings stage is preparing to host some of the best electronic talent from India and beyond. The lineup includes Adam Beyer, Joris Voorn, Luigi Madonna, Arjun Vagale, Bart Skils, Kohra, and many more! Check out their lineup here.
(All ‘Awakenings’ images via: awakenings.nl)
You can buy your tickets to Vh1 Supersonic Goa here!
