Amsterdam Music Festival amazes capacity crowd with sensational 2019 festival

Growing in stature year upon year, AMF (Amsterdam Music Festival) continues to sparkle as the jewel in the ADE crown, bringing together over 40,000 attendees to the iconic Johan Cruijff ArenA, home of Ajax FC, for a huge celebration of electronic music in the Dutch capital. With the most recent edition of AMF coming to a fitting finale in Amsterdam on Saturday evening, a stunning cast-list of talent arrived at the stadium to deliver a truly special night to a record-breaking capacity crowd packed into the frenetic cauldron.

Selling more tickets than ever before in 2019, it was easy to see why this particular edition of AMF proved in such insatiable demand, as rising Dutch talent Mike Williams, and British hit-making juggernaut Jonas Blue got the party underway in style, as the gigantic arena’s spacious dancefloor soon started to fill with eager party-goers from all across the globe. With AMF offering fans the unique opportunity of allowing fans to experience the delights of the legendary venue’s 360 degree panoramic views from both face-on, or behind the DJ booth thanks to the incredible party pit upgrade tickets, a cacophony of noise soon greeted the arrival of French legend David Guetta.

Spinning a uniquely dark set which delved into the deeper side of the industry, the veteran producer’s performance was widely praised for taking on such a daring angle so early in the night, and it’s a gamble that was wholeheartedly met with joyous euphoria from the thousands beneath him, as Monsieur Guetta dropped several fresh collaborative IDs with studio partner, MORTEN. With few festivals in the world capable of boasting such a glittering ensemble, Tiësto was next to ‘WOW‘ his native crowd, as his track of the same name exploded into the night air during a thunderous 60-minute set packed with classics, and fresh productions alike. With his long-time Dutch compatriot Armin van Buuren then sending his audience into a state of trance thanks to an hour-long set filled with hypnotic tracks and big-room anthems, a seminal point in the night approached as the winner(s) of this year’s DJ Mag Top 100 were set to be revealed.

Partnering with AMF since 2013, the results of the controversial poll are announced annually inside the arena, and 2019 was no different, as Martin Garrix was pipped to the post of 4 x consecutive titles by ‘Garden of Madness’ superstars Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike. Performing a special set to the hoards of screaming fans in attendance, the night marked a second triumph in the poll for the Belgian duo, who had previously scooped the gong in 2015.

With AMF also marking the annual performance of II=I, a unique concept which sees two of the world’s biggest acts team up for a b2b performance, 2019 heralded the debut of big-room icons W&W and Australian party-starter Timmy Trumpet, as the trio stood, arms aloft, on the decks, and had the crowd choreographing their every move in unison. At this moment, you may have been forgiven for believing the night had reached a climax, such was the brilliant ferocity of the trio’s set. But with the haunting melodies of the Alesso‘s ‘Time’ intro edit soon illuminating the walls of the arena, the Swedish prog-prince appeared on stage, arm in the air, and soon had crowds grooving to a flurry of iconic classics, such as ‘Calling’, and his emotional ender, ‘If I Lose Myself.’

Certainly one DJ who has enjoyed more success than most in recent years is Hexagonian leader Don Diablo. Rising to number #6 in this year’s Top 100 poll, ousting the likes of Hardwell, Eric Prydz, Above & Beyond, Swedish House Mafia and many more, the future-house pioneer took to the mic to thank the sold-out capacity for their support, before launching into a sensational back-catalogue of slick cuts and perfectly timed transitions. With the stadium still packed with the vast majority of the crowd – no mean feat considering the event’s 6am close-time, the final set of the night came from hardstyle hero Coone, who had every last raver bouncing until the final seconds of AMF 2019 thanks to his unrivalled energy and high-BPM basslines.

Cementing a firm reputation as one of the major players on the annual dance music calendar, AMF 2019 sparkled like never before, thanks to hard work from the team behind the scenes, a truly all-star list of talent behind the decks, mind-blowing production, and most importantly, 40,000 dancing fans. With the festival adopting the hashtag ‘#WeOwnTheNight’ as their motto, few can argue that AMF 2019 came, saw, and conquered ADE, well and truly owning the night in the process.

We came. We danced. We owned the night! ? Thank you for your love! You made this edition of AMF the biggest and greatest yet! ? #AMF2020 #WEOWNTHENIGHT

Pre-register for 2020: https://t.co/wyuPVmmxzg pic.twitter.com/dDwx1TBaRE

— AMF (@_AMFofficial) October 20, 2019