Reinier Zonneveld beats Guinness World Record for longest DJ set

Reinier Zonneveld, the Dutch Techno superstar becomes legendary after smashing Guinness’ previous record for the longest electronic music live set. On August 5th, 2023, Zonneveld performed an 11-hour and 11-minute set to break the past record at the Karren Maar festival.

The Stadsblokken rave crowd in Arnhem was treated to a legendary stage lineup on August 5th when Reinier Zonneveld took the stage. Rather than a festival’s traditional lineup format, Reinier took over his own personal festival’s main stage for the day. Performing for a whopping 11 hours and 11 minutes, Zonneveld was the only act to be seen on the main stage. Performing from 12:49 PM to exactly midnight, the Techno live performance master cleared the record by a close 11 minutes, beating out the previous record holder. However, Zonneveld had more than just himself to offer the Karren Maar festival, as a second stage was set up, hosted by Zonneveld’s label Filth on Acid. The second stage featured acts such as Gordo, Space 92, and Zeltak amongst a few other notable names.

Zonneveld had this to say on the monumental performance, reported by MusicTech,

“Karren Maar festival was an extraordinary journey of sound and connection. Playing for 11 hours and 11 minutes allowed me to deep dive into the essence of my music, exploring uncharted territories of emotion and energy,” Zonneveld said. “It was a humbling experience to witness the support and energy from the crowd, creating a one-of-a-kind atmosphere. I am grateful for the opportunity to have shared this unforgettable experience with everyone present, as we pushed the boundaries of what’s possible in the world of electronic music.”

Afterward, for his 1,500th post on Instagram, Zonneveld took a well-deserved victory lap, posting a photo of himself holding his new record alongside the adjudicator who certified the record at the festival. The post read,

“I BROKE THE GUINESS WORLD RECORD FOR THE LONGEST ELECTRONIC MUSIC LIVE PERFORMANCE ?? 11 hours and 11 minutes at my own KARREN MAAR festival and I can’t really believe that this is true now ❤️ We had 2 massive stages and although the weather was very bad, everyone came early and stayed till the end with a ridiculous amount of energy – THANK YOU SO MUCH for this support, that kept me going ? Live performance means that I play only my own music and make it live on stage with synthesizers and drumcomputers (a DJ mainly plays finished tracks by other artists). This is how I always perform since I started doing techno live at little illegal raves 15 years ago. And about the record: As a kid, I always read the @guinnessworldrecords books and dreamed of being a world record holder myself. And now it became truth and it’s even more crazy that this all worked out so good next to finishing my next album, which will come soon and mirrors my development as an artist and musician as well as all the memories and experiences I made since my last album. Thank you all so much for making this possible with me ❤️? Thank you @freeyourmindfestival, @josewoldring and the @filthonacid team. Thank you @kikisolvej – without your help and support I couldn’t do it, and thank you for always being there ❤️❤️❤️
Also a big thank you to the wonderful artists @speedyj @kikisolvej @joyhauser @space92 @zeltak and @humanrias for banging beats on the @filthonacid stage and last but not least @joelbeukers & TEAM GOUD for the chill area and the support. WORLD RECORD AND ❤️? KARREN MAAR! ??? #techno #electronicmusicfestival #karrenmaar #reinierzonneveld.”

Those looking to celebrate the momentous achievement alongside Zonneveld may be interested in checking out the Filth on Acid web shop here. Those hoping to catch a little of the Filth on Acid magic in person may be interested in checking out the Escape Halloween lineup featuring one of Filth on Acids’ many featured artists, Space 92. Zonneveld can be seen making his next performance at Metamorfosi’s closing party on August 18th.

Image Credit: Tomorrowland