Review: AMF returns for 5th anniversary edition

Amsterdam Music Festival (AMF) has become one of the most iconic events in the dance music scene over the years. Regularly playing host to the DJ Mag Top 100 Awards, the event draws in a monumental amount of attention worldwide, with 5.6 million people tuning into the livestream this year, and thousands more in attendance at the event. This year, the festival did not disappoint, and delivered an unbelievable visual display, without doubt their most impressive to date.

Walking into the Amsterdam Arena, it is impossible not to be left in awe of the sheer size of the stage setup, with LED screens covering the walls down each side of the venue. The venue is no doubt an ideal location to host the festival, as the bass heavy anthems rocket around the Arena creating a powerful listening experience. The popularity of the event instantly shows, as the Arena becomes packed almost instantly, no doubt also as a result of the stacked lineup, with huge artists scheduled to perform right from the onset, including Marshmello and Don Diablo.

Getting the party started in truly epic style, the opening sets saw CMC$ light up the Arena with his euphoric bass-infused anthems, while Lucas & Steve delivered their unique house energy. With such high caliber names early on, the crowd warmed up quickly, and the atmosphere rocketed almost instantaneously, with cheers erupting throughout the Arena. As the crowd began to fill up, the mood continued to intensify with anticipation ahead of the night to come.

Next up, the mysterious Marshmello brought his unique sound, delivering a mesmerizing uplifting set infused with future bass and trap. With such a varied set, the crowd were kept on their toes, as the superstar quickly switched between chirpy anthems and monstrous bass filled weapons. Performing next was Dutch future house pioneer Don Diablo, who performed a set stacked with some of his best-known releases as well as some brand new IDs. During the set, he delighted fans with the premiere of his brand new single with A R I Z O N A ‘Take Her Place‘, which is due to be released this Friday. A heartwarming moment resulted in cheering erupting throughout the venue, when Don Diablo’s position in the DJ Mag Top 100 poll was revealed on the screens, and he thanked voters for their support.

Throughout the AMF sets, the countdown from 100th position to 10th position in the DJ Mag Poll was shown on the screen, unfolding before the eyes of attendees. When 10th position was reached, the excitement kicked up another notch, as the awards show began on stage. With Armin van Buuren taking 3rd place, and Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike in 2nd, only one award was left. David Guetta took to the stage to reveal the winner of this year’s poll, Dutch superstar Martin Garrix. The atmosphere during the awards show was truly intense, with fans in the Arena and across the globe eagerly waiting to find out who had come out on top this year.

In celebration of AMF’s 5th anniversary, attendees were treated to a one-off back to back performance from Armin van Buuren and Hardwell, without doubt two of the most established artists dance music has ever seen. The unique II=I performance faultlessly blended the talents of both artists, influenced by trance, big room, progressive house and electro, combining all of the styles into one explosive set. No doubt one of the highlights of AMF, the set brought the atmosphere in the Arena to its peak, resulting in an absolutely huge crowd reaction.

Next to take to the stage, the iconic David Guetta brought his unique style to the stage, dropping an array of the biggest tracks in dance music, fused with anthemic pop releases. As always, the crowd responded with sheer delight, singing along loudly throughout. During the set, Afrojack appeared as a surprise guest, as David Guetta recalled their working together in the studio during a heartwarming speech. Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike were next up, moving the crowd with their heavy big room style. One of the most breathtaking moments during AMF occurred when the Belgian duo dropped their collaboration with W&W, ‘Crowd Control‘, and the crowd jumped in unison from left to right, creating an unbelievable scene.

As the event moved into it’s late stages, Dutch duo Yellow Claw created absolute mayhem with their unique brand of floorshakers. Throughout the set, the crowd reacted by opening up into huge circle pits, taking the energy to an even higher level. Bringing the night to a close, Psytrance duo Vini Vici kept the energy flowing dropping a series of thumping tracks, including their brand new collaboration with W&W, ‘Chakra‘.

AMF outdid themselves once again this year, providing awe-inspiring visuals and pyrotechnics, coupled with performances from some of the industry’s most well-respected artists. The intense atmosphere that resulted from the stunning visual display was maintained from the start of the event all the way to the finish, and AMF proved exactly why their event sold out yet again, and why so many fans from across the globe tuned in to witness the action unfold.