Our 10 favourite moments from Defqon.1 2016!

It’s already the Thursday after Defqon.1 and it literally feels like just yesterday that I was standing on the grounds of Biddinghuizen whilst sculling my body weight in vodka and dancing simultaneously to the hardest and finest beats. Oh, how I would just love to jump in a time-machine that will transport my soul back to last Friday, however seeing as time travel isn’t a thing just yet, I’ll just have to stick to reminiscing about the ‘skitz times’ that went down this past weekend.

Upon entering the fateful gates to Defqon.1, each and every visitor embarks on a unique journey and as we drag ourselves back over that infamous bridge on Monday morning, we leave the festival with an array of cherished memories and wild tales to tell to our grandchildren… So, with that being said, we comprised a list of ten of our favourite, most cooked and turnt moments from this past edition of Defqon.1!

#10 – Cooked people in general

To put it plainly, this illustrious festival is renowned for being the ‘mecca’ of the harder styles, however we beg to differ… Defqon.1 is the mecca of ‘cooked people.’ As visitors flood through the gates on Friday, excitement inhibits their systems, however as the weekend passes and the amount of alcohol consumed (and other substances) rise, you may find yourself observing some rather questionable behaviour that you don’t see on the regular. I must add, the vast majority of cooked shenanigans do happen on the campsite, however you may find yourself having a laugh at punters in broad daylight too, especially those who think it’s a great idea to drink beer out of a shoe or slide through the mud.

#9 – Riding in a helicopter over Defqon.1

On Sunday, I was fortunate enough to experience the festival from a bird’s eye view and take a helicopter ride over Defqon.1! You think this festival is gorgeous from ground level? Well try soaring up in the air and taking a look from above – it was simply incredible to watch the tens of thousands of partygoers spreading out across the vast terrain. For those who are considering taking a heli ride in the future, I highly recommend it!

#8 – The opening of The Gathering

Another beautiful moment from Defqon.1 occurred at approximately 7:59PM when the gates to The Gathering were moments away from opening and excited partygoers waited not-so-patiently behind the gates as they chanted, cheered and danced at the edge of the campsite. Once the doors to the preparty flung open with full force, weekend warriors bolted to their chosen stage to get front row seats for the superb opening. And let me tell you, once the party kicked off and the first acts stepped on stage I have never experienced such energy and excitement from visitors – everybody gave it their all!

#7 – The photo-booth in the Artist Lounge

The artist lounge was quite an interesting place to be over the course of the weekend, mainly because the finest moments were captured in a tiny little booth, which was conveniently situated right next to the bar. Knowing me, I took matters into my own hands and decided to spice up the party and provide some lols for everyone involved. To put it plainly, some very questionable things were done in that photo booth…

#6 – Jumping on stage with Dr. Peacock

When I heard the news that one of my filming segments consisted of me jumping on stage with Dr. Peacock I absolutely lost my sh*t! I have never really considered myself a Frenchcore fan, however after experiencing the madness that the silent disco offered, I can now safely consider myself Peacock’s #1 fan. I was a little hesitant to run up onto the stage and start dancing beside him, but Peacock was extremely chill and was happy to have me up on stage… After hopping down from the stage I was in awe of what just happened; it wasn’t my first time on stage, but with the boundless energy from the punters in the area I literally had chills! Big ups to you Dr. Peacock!

#5 –  POWER HOUR!

Despite the fact that the weather gods decided to say a massive “fuck you” to Defqon.1, Saturday’s infamous ‘Power Hour’ was still a sure-fire hit! Thousands of ravers packed into the vicinity of the mainstage to experience a multi-climactic spectacle that involved massive blow-up spliffs, a selection of the finest tunes, artists jumping on stage and just overall craziness! Visitors gave it their all as the shitty weather was the last of their concerns and it was incredible to see the unity between the crowd and the general harmony between all walks of life.

#4 – “FUARKISTAN”

Now, this one’s a bit of a more personal one for Sara and I, so I’ll give you a quick rundown. Before filming on Saturday, we decided that our bungalow needed a really good name and coming to the conclusion that both of us are turnt b*tches, we decided to christen our bungalow under the name ‘Fuarkistan.’ Individuals wanting to visit The Republic of Fuarkistan require either a work permit, tourist visa or an exclusive invitation from The Chancellor or President of Fuarkistan; all illegal immigrants will be deported immediately. We even made a national anthem that sings “Have you been to fuarkistan? Yes I have, it’s a very nice place…” Anyway, some very wild and questionable things went down in Fuarkistan such as the Saturday afterparty, the filming of MTV cribs and a lot of drunken banter!

#3 – Terrorcore sit-down

Early on Sunday morning, punters ran at lightning speed to witness one of the most unique and hilarious spectacles of the weekend – I’m indeed talking about the Terror sit-down. The area was packed to the brim with seated visitors who rapidly danced to the uptempo music and not to mention, standing visitors were even joining in on the fun. Need I say more? This was definitely one of the most creative and fun concepts over the weekend and for those who were lucky enough to get a seat, I salute you!

#2 – The End Shows

Q-dance never ceases to amaze when it comes to putting on extraordinary productions and this year was no exception! I’m still in awe that visitors of Defqon.1 get to experience the stunning end-show not once, but twice! The End Shows really are amongst some of the weekend’s biggest highlights; I mean, c’mon, you got pyrotechnics, lasers, fireworks, loud music and an incredibly positive vibe bouncing off all members of the crowd. Those who were lucky enough to witness this years’ end shows can vouch that the level of production was immense and called for an extremely powerful experience for all involved.

#1 – Defqon.1 Legends

Wow, I’m still speechless that Q-dance managed to score Headhunterz to take part in this years’ Defqon.1 Legends slot. Alongside Technoboy and The Prophet, these three pioneers comprised the most legendary team we’ve ever seen up on that mainstage and that hour was THE most golden and cherished moment for many partygoers. History was made and tears were shed as Headhunterz triumphant return threw the entire festival into a curveball. For me, my biggest highlight was having the honour to interview the three legends and is something that will be imprinted in my memory bank for many years to come!

We’d love to hear some of your most turnt stories from Defqon.1 2016, so leave us a shout in the comments below!