Awakenings Unveils Upclose, A New “Intimate” Techno Festival In Amsterdam

The renowned techno curators at Awakenings have unveiled an all-new festival coming to Amsterdam this May.

The decades-old Dutch festival promoter will debut Upclose, an aptly named and more intimate counterpart to their 100,000-strong Awakenings Summer Festival, at Amsterdam’s Spaarnwoude Park from May 18-19, 2024.

“We invite you to connect closely in an intimate setting and dismantle the traditional barriers between artists and you. It’s time to meet eye to eye on the dance floor,” Awakenings wrote on Instagram. “In the spirit of adventure, we push our musical boundaries and explore cutting-edge techno sounds. If you crave intense and groovy techno, the dance floor of Awakenings Upclose is where you belong.”

The day one lineup for Upclose will feature blistering sets from the likes of Héctor Oaks, FJAAK, Rebekah, Somniac One and Perc B2B Wallis, in addition to other favorites like Marlon Hoffstadt, Ricardo Villalobos and an elusive performance from Birmingham, UK techno icons Sandwell District.

Dutch house stars Chris Stussy and Locklead will also present their Across Boundaries project on day one.

Upclose will continue with even more hard techno on day two from 999999999, I Hate Models, Akua and SNTS, plus comparatively genre-fluid performances from Joris Voorn, Overmono, Cybersex and Nina Kraviz, who will perform a rare house set.

Other notable sets on day two include collaborative performances from Colin Benders B2B Speedy J, Dasha Rush B2B DVS1 and KiNK B2B Raredub.

Check out the complete lineup for Awakenings Upclose below.

Tickets for Awakenings Upclose 2024 are now available on the festival’s official website.