On a cold night in Utrecht, the bass at Thunderdome shakes the entire arena. Thousands of fans dressed in black jump together under flashing lights. A few months later, in Biddinghuizen, Defqon brings together tens of thousands of people for four days of hardstyle music. In Amsterdam, events organised by Gearbox Digital now fill large venues with fans of harder electronic sounds.
For many years, the Netherlands has been seen as one of the leaders of electronic music in Europe. The country is famous not only for EDM artists, but also for hardstyle and hardcore festivals that attract visitors from all over the world. But today, countries like France, Belgium and Germany are growing fast in the electronic scene. So the question is: are the Netherlands still number one?
Kashmill, a 20-year-old French DJ from Tours, believes the Dutch scene is still very strong. He has played once in the Netherlands and often travels there as a visitor. “Even if I have only played once in the Netherlands, I often go back as a spectator. At Defqon or Gearbox, everything is planned in the smallest details. You can feel that electronic music is part of the cultural DNA of the country,” he says.
Official data also show the importance of music for the Dutch economy. According to a 2026 report from Buma Cultuur, the export value of Dutch popular music reached €247.6 million in 2025. Live events represent the largest part of this amount. Electronic music plays an important role in this success, especially because Dutch festivals attract international visitors every year.
Tymur Jansen, a 22-year-old volunteer from Utrecht, sees this international audience every summer. “People come every year from everywhere in Australia, Italy, the US,” he says. “Some of them come already 10 or 15 years in a row. It’s not just a party, it’s more like… tradition.”
He also believes the Netherlands have a special position in Europe. “For me, the Netherlands is like a federating state for electronic music. All the subgenres here are hardstyle, hardcore, techno, EDM and they all have space. It feels connected.”
Still, other countries are becoming more visible. France has a fast-growing hard techno scene, Belgium is strong in techno, and Germany remains important because of Berlin. Trends move quickly on social media, and new artists can become famous across Europe in a short time.
Even so, the Dutch advantage may not only be about trends. It is also about experience, infrastructure and long-term investment. Festivals like Thunderdome and Defqon show that electronic music in the Netherlands is not only entertainment it is part of the national culture.
The Netherlands’ places may be challenged, but for now, this country still seems to hold a central place in Europe’s electronic music scene.
