Over the course of its eleven editions, Horst has earned a reputation as one of the most forward-thinking festivals in the game, successfully merging the worlds of music, art, and architecture in a way that ever challenges the boundaries of what a festival can be.
Since 2019, its home has been ASIAT, a former military site turned urban cultural district, set in the shadow of its trademark Simpsons-esque nuclear cooling towers. The urban roughness from the site’s maze-like concrete corridors of studios and warehouses is softened by the presence of gently flowing canals and troupes of trees providing peaceful sanctuary for its diverse and loyal revellers. The harmonisation of ASIAT’s grittiness and lush serenity finds a clear echo in Horst’s musical programming, which weaves together everything from weightless ambient and rolling chuggers to sweat-soaked techno, rattling Latin rhythms, and joyous, groove-heavy house. Guided by a bold musical policy, the curation strikes a balance between eclecticism and cohesion, embracing unexpected sounds that push limits and challenge convention.
All tribes are represented, but there’s a clear appetite for playful hedonism—powered by hefty drums, bold basslines, and fast-footed fun. Weaving Weeds, hosted by Resident Advisor, is the epicentre of this energy, where the likes of Verraco, Gyrofield, and Slimzee & Riki Dan shell out unruly sounds to a sea of flailing limbs on a multi-level dancefloor. An arid, worm-like canopy stretches overhead, while wooden steps sink around the stage to form a dancefloor pit, rising again beside the DJ to create a coliseum-like arena. Think Mad Max meets Dune’s sun-drenched sci-fi. On Friday night, The Bug unleashes a live barrage of dubstep, dancehall, and industrial hip-hop with devastating effect—sending rattling bass through the belly of Shai-Hulud, plunging the crowd into chaos.
From earthy subterranea to urban playground, The Ring—towering like the skeleton of an old gas tower—is the beating heart of the festival. Situated in a schoolyard-like space marked with race track lines and basketball hoops, it channels the spirit of a loose Detroit block party. The crowd surrounds the DJ 360 degrees, while flanking concrete walls and raised platforms create crystal-clear sound and an immersive, multi-layered experience that feels both gritty and alive.
Fittingly, Detroit’s own masked electro innovator DJ Stingray brought the Motor City heat to The Ring, teaming up with underground powerhouse Helena Hauff for a feral, breakneck back-to-back session. Keeping the 140BPM energy surging, dubstep icon Mala joined Berlin’s Darwin to close the opening night in explosive fashion. Their set was an artillery of halftime weaponry, with Peakaboo & P Money’s ‘Back To The Start’ earning a double reload and unleashing seismic bass that rattled the crowd to its core. Earlier that evening, Djrum set the tone with one of the weekend’s highlight performances, gliding across three decks through swampy steppers, misty jungle, and dubbed-out techno—culminating in a spine-tingling drop of Basic Channel’s “Phylyps Track”.
Le Soleil Rouge, a sunlit al fresco stage, leaned into the warmer end of the spectrum, serving up groove-heavy house, soulful rhythms, and goosebump-inducing euphoria. Aligned with the setting sun and flanked by the looming cooling towers, it becomes a dazzling spectacle—especially at night, when kaleidoscopic visuals light up the space. French export Tau Car gets the place bouncing with colourful, feel-good groovers before Paquita Gordon takes things deeper with a stylish, all-vinyl set that is both refined and playful. Closing out the weekend, Eris Drew lays down a radiant, all-smiles masterclass in rave-leaning house, reminding everyone exactly why she’s one of the best to do it.
Descending into The Swirl feels like stepping into another dimension, while also nodding to the raw energy of 90s Slavic warehouse parties. Towering platforms spiral around the space at varying heights, drawing dancers to climb, perch, or completely lose themselves in the thick of it. Despite its vastness, the venue feels strangely intimate, cloaked in fog and darkness that swallows up its dancers. The tripped-out, sleazy sounds of Dresden (Ivan Smagghe & Manfredas) keep the Horst crowd locked in for the long haul. CCL & Objekt, as expected, darts into the unexpected, seamlessly weaving through UK-centric flavours with a punk yet playful flair. One dancer perches high above the DJ booth on an elevated framework, swinging her scarf around her head with zeal.
Somehow out-sweating The Swirl, the Garage is the most intimate, no-frills dancefloor at Horst. With its low ceiling and near-total darkness, it feels like you’ve stepped into a secret basement party. Brussels’ Nosedrip owns the room in true form, navigating tempos that barely break 100BPM but still hit hard and deep – everybody’s dripping. There is no shortage of local talent at the festival with the likes of DJ Shoplifter, Nina Welch, Kuba ‘97 and AliA representing what is a fully thriving scene that has caught the attention of dancers and tastemakers far and wide.
Curated and streamed by Brussels’ Kiosk Radio and New York’s The Lot, Moon Ra is a fire-pit-like hut that lures dancers into the smoky nooks of its circular shell. As haze curls through the open roof, the energy spills outward—crowds drifting into the trees, orbiting the structure like moths to flame. Four Tet slipped in for a stealthy warm-up ahead of his Dark Skies slot, while DJ Shoplifter shook the place with a bootleg blast of Fatima Yamaha’s ‘What’s a Girl to Do’. By night, Moon Ra mutates and Elena Colombi’s psychedelic melters twist the space into something otherworldly.
Designed by architects Leopold Banchini & Giona Bierens de Haan in collaboration with dance floor heavyweight DVS1, Dark Skies is the clearest signal yet that Horst refuses to play it safe. A five-tonne, fully suspended sound structure built from black impregnated wood and reclaimed materials, it is brought to life by hands from across the Horst community. Step beneath its storm-like structure and the sound hits crisp and full—Four Tet, Surgeon, Paula Tape, and DVS1 himself (twice) all finding clarity in the chaos. For crowd-heavy sets like Four Tet’s, the space can feel overstretched, with the full force of the overhead system harder to catch, but for the most part, Dark Skies is a resounding success and a bold new frontier for Horst.
Despite swelling demand and repeated sell-outs, Horst is cautious about growing too fast – “I’d keep the capacity close to where it is now—around 13,000 a day—though we may expand slightly to 15 or 16,000,” says co-founder and programmer Simon Nowak. “There is some more terrain that we hope to add on to the park in the coming years to enhance and enable that growth.” It’s a reminder that while ambition drives Horst’s evolution, it’s grounded in intention—growth not for the sake of scale, but to deepen the experience.
Horst 2025 proves once again that the festival is a force of fearless innovation, constantly pushing boundaries. From the vast, immersive experience of The Swirl to the intimate, sweat-drenched chaos of the Garage, it never once relies on a tried-and-tested formula. “I think you need to reinvent and challenge yourself continuously. Don’t get stuck in a routine,” Nowak adds—a mindset that’s clearly embedded in every aspect of the festival. The community spirit pulses through every corner, whether it’s the hands that built Dark Skies or the warm, sugar-sweet crowd who travel from all over Europe to be part of it. Horst isn’t just a place to dance—it’s where music, art, and architecture collide, creating a space that celebrates openness, creativity, and unbridled hedonism. The infectious energy and passion are what keep it evolving. Horst remains, without question, one of the most unique and unforgettable experiences in electronic music today. Disneyland, but for the heads.
Head to the Horst website for more information.