The King of Leiden delivered an epic closing chapter to the 30th edition of one of electronic music’s most iconic and long-standing festivals with his sunrise set at the kineticFIELD: now firmly established as a global landmark for trance music as well, EDC Las Vegas once again proved to be a defining stage for the genre, as Armin van Buuren took fans on a journey through the past, present and future of trance, while premiering brand-new tracks that already seem destined to become fan favorites, once again
The three-day run of one of the world’s most important electronic music events has officially come to an end: once again, the EDC Las Vegas festival led by Insomniac Events delivered unforgettable emotions to trance music fans through a succession of spectacular live sets. More than ever, it served as another clear confirmation of today’s musical trend, with an increasing number of artists bringing pure and authentic trance back to the forefront, connecting different generations through the genre.
On May 17, it was Armin van Buuren who was given the honor of closing the festival on the iconic kineticFIELD stage at EDC Las Vegas 2026 with his highly anticipated sunrise set. Last year, it was Tiësto who took over that same slot with his celebrated “In Search Of Sunrise” performance. Armin’s set, meanwhile, was carefully crafted to showcase his current musical vision in the clearest possible way.
The performance opened with the intro of Awake, already premiered earlier this year during his set at Ultra Music Festival Miami. The new track from the king of A State Of Trance seems to signal a new artistic direction and perhaps the beginning of a fresh musical chapter throughout 2026.
Throughout the seventy-five-minute performance, the structure of the set reflected the concept behind the new A State Of Trance UNFILTERED format, developing a tracklist without boundaries between melodic trance, modern influences and nostalgic throwbacks. It became a musical journey alternating personal productions, exclusive remixes and timeless classics of the genre. Early in the set, an unreleased remix of Shivers instantly ignited the crowd of nearly 70,000 attendees, followed by the legendary “RAMsterdam” (Jorn van Deynhoven Remix), a track that helped shape an important chapter in the history of modern trance. New remixes of Gaia’s Status Excessu D and Bart Claessen’s Playmo, reworked by Sneijder, also made their appearance during the performance.
The central part of the live set focused on Armin’s latest productions, from Lost In Time with ROSY and Alle Farben to Like A Child with Argy and Marlo Rex, all the way to Always You with Richard Durand and Dicosis: naturally, one of the most emotional moments of his recent sets returned once again, with thousands of lights raised into the sky during one of the most beloved and enduring trance anthems of recent years.
A great deal of attention was also drawn to a completely unreleased track premiered exclusively at EDC Las Vegas, which appears to feature singer Sacha once again after her collaboration with Armin on Set Me Free last year: the track immediately stood out thanks to its elegance and its unmistakable trance identity. Armin also took the opportunity to play his new production under the Rising Star alias, previously heard during his Ultra Miami set, although the track still remains an ID. The performance eventually closed with a brand-new remix by one of the emerging icons of modern trance, Benwal, who reworked one of Armin’s most iconic records, This Is What It Feels Like featuring Trevor Guthrie from 2013.
Armin van Buuren is now preparing for an extremely busy month of June. The tour celebrating 25 years of A State Of Trance will head to Asia with stops in Hong Kong and Vietnam on June 12 and 13, before arriving in Warsaw on June 20. Fans should definitely keep an eye on the upcoming dates and quickly check the availability of the remaining tickets.
Saying there was something for everyone almost feels like an understatement. But one thing is certain: Armin van Buuren once again transformed the sunrise at EDC Las Vegas 2026 into a journey through the past, present and future of trance music. The full tracklist is here: Armin van Buuren @ kineticFIELD, EDC Las Vegas, United States 2026-05-17. The full video will be uploaded shortly on YouTube.