The first phase of the lineup for next year’s Dutch event truly hints at a 25‑year celebration in full trance style
For many years now, autumn has become the time when engines start revving for what will shape the music and festival scene of the upcoming year: naturally, this also applies to A State Of Trance, and the period around the Amsterdam Dance Event, which this year will take place from October 22 to 25, is usually when Armin van Buuren and his team start teasing news about the next A State Of Trance event. As we’ve already seen, next year’s edition will focus on the 25th anniversary of the brand.
The date to mark is October 23, featuring the unmissable special episode of the radioshow: a marathon that has now reached 10 non-stop hours and once again promises to be packed with trance and progressive guests; as mentioned, this episode will also serve as the launchpad for the new edition of A State Of Trance, bringing with it the first updates about the celebration event, which will take place in Rotterdam on February 27 and 28, 2026.
Some of those updates were just revealed during episode 1244 of A State Of Trance, giving us a sneak peek at one of the most essential elements of the event: the artist lineup. A few names have already been announced and they seem to best represent the history of the twenty-five years of the radio show: Armin van Buuren, Aly & Fila, Avalan Rokston, Benwal, Cosmic Gate, David Forbes, Estiva, Giuseppe Ottaviani, JOA, Hannah Laing, Laura van Dam, John O’Callaghan, Korolova, Mauro Picotto, Nifra, Rank 1, Richard Durand, Ruben de Ronde, Tjade, Will Atkinson and also, a special ‘B3B’ between Armin van Buuren, Maddix and Oliver Heldens.
The first and only clear consideration from these initial announced names is the strong coherence between the significance of celebrating 25 years of the most iconic trance radioshow ever, and a lineup that truly reflects its legacy, featuring the return of legendary trance artists and, at least for now, a direction that feels less techno-oriented compared to the past two editions of the festival.
Clearly, we expect the surprises won’t end here !