Ready, set, go! – Intents Festival is right around the corner!

In exactly two days, thousands of excited ravers will back their bags, print their tickets and set out on a journey of a lifetime to Oisterwijk, as they prepare to conquer the sacred lands of Intents Festival. Flooding through the gates of Intents City, troops will claim their territory as they set up camp and gear up for a weekend marathon of partying!

Eminent for being one of the largest and most prestigious multi-day festivals in Europe, year after year Intents Festival boasts a beautifully designed and iconic mainstage, explosive end-shows and a multi-sensory journey that extends throughout the entire festival grounds. Kloontjes, the organisation behind this spectacular event, are absolute pros when it comes to executing top-notch productions, booking a riveting and assorted line-up and creating innovative themes to symbolise the festival.

But of course, every organisation has to start somewhere, so let’s take a little trip into this iconic festival’s past and celebrate just how far Intents Festival has come since its conception. Originating in Oisterwijk, a group of friends came together with the sole purpose to change the face of their home-town. Starting off by successfully running a series of small events held in local clubs, Kloontjes decided to take a huge leap and think bigger for their subsequent bash.

For years, the group of friends conspired and anticipated something great, which resulted in the very first edition of Intents Festival in 2004. Despite this first edition being a far cry from the colossal festival we’re used to seeing today, it was a huge success for Kloontjes, who experienced exponential growth following this initial gathering.

After a handful of successful editions, in 2009 the first ‘conceptual theme’ was introduced as “Natural Insanity” symbolised this unforgettable weekend. From then on, further creative themes such as “Music Is Timeless,” “Control Our Nature” and “The Funfair Of Madness” followed. These themes resonated throughout the entire festival grounds, allowing visitors to exit the real world and enter a parallel world filled with possibilities.

If there’s something that Intents is known for, it’s the incredible, non-stop show they put on for the duration of the weekend! A multi-climactic weekend for all visitors is ensured as those entering the gates can expect no less than laser shows, fireworks, pyrotechnics, special effects, mind-blowing sound-systems and entertainers.

Who remembers that big-ass clown from last years’ edition? Despite those select few who are scared shitless of clowns, I thought that this stage was awesome – especially when the night hours crept through and it illuminated in beautiful colours and violently spewed out lights and fireworks.

Or how about the year before (2014), when the theme was ‘The Hunt?!’ This was yet another spectacular and overwhelmingly beautiful stage design and this edition had a spectacular anthem to match, created by Ran-D.

It’s not all about the mainstages however, there’s many beautifully designed areas across the festival grounds. Two of my personal favourites from last year included the adorable little ‘deep house’ and ‘techno’ area and of course, the ‘bumper cars’ which represented Raw Hardstyle on Saturday and Early Hardstyle on the Sunday.

Nonetheless, Intents Festival always wows visitors and this year is no exception!

Jumping into the world of sports and competition, the theme “It’s All In The Game” is not what you’d usually expect from a festival theme. But hey, bendering and getting turnt all weekend is classified as a sport, right? With the anthem honours going to Coone and Hard Driver, the pair did an exceptional job as they accurately captured what Intents Festival is all about. Intensity, drive, yet lighthearted and enjoyable.

Speaking of music, there’s nothing more important than having the finest tunes blasting over the entire weekend. Displayed in a comprehensive and diverse line-up, literally anybody could enjoy what Intents has to offer. It doesn’t matter whether you’re no more than a casual fan, die-hard Raw Hardstyle aficionado, jaded 90’s raver, techno hipster or – Intents has it all! Spread across eight unique areas, you may not be able to catch every single artist on your to-see list, however with non-stop madness from Friday til Sunday, visitors are bound to get their required dose of 150BPM and above!

One of the most anticipated moments of the weekend will be the exclusive b2b sets! Like never before, artists team up and take the stage, so prepare to witness the likes of Crypsis vs. Act Of Rage, Jack Of Sound vs. Digital Punk, E-Force vs. Chain Reaction and Sub Zero Project vs. Sub Sonik. AND not to mention, you’d better pack spare shoes for the ultimate showdown between Warface vs. Delete vs. Regain’s because you’ll need them!

To wrap it up, Intents Festival 2016 is literally right around the corner and our lovely ‘hot nerd’ Sara will be representing the Alive At Night team at the event, so if you see her, go and say hi! For the rest of you, we wish you a safe and incredible weekend – play hard, because it’s all in the game!