Last night’s first of the two highly anticipated performances by Armin van Buuren at Tomorrowland Belgium 2026 took fans on a two-and-a-half-hour journey through exclusive IDs, long-awaited new releases, fresh takes on timeless trance classics, and a touch of the techno-trance fusion that has become a signature element of his recent performances
As every year, anticipation for Tomorrowland‘s two weekends reaches extraordinary levels: this year, however, the spotlight was not only on the festival’s signature atmosphere, but also on the brand-new Mainstage and its accompanying theme: last year, the mainstage was completely destroyed by a devastating fire that broke out during the final stages of construction, wiping out the original Orbyz theme just days before the festival was set to begin.
This year, Consciencia, the festival’s new theme, has given fans a truly spectacular Mainstage, arguably one of the most impressive ever created for an electronic music festival, despite the absence of fireworks, a decision taken following the 2025 incident: this is where Armin van Buuren will return to perform on Saturday, July 25, from 9:25 PM to 10:25 PM.
In the meantime, the mastermind behind A State of Trance delivered a breathtaking two-and-a-half-hour journey on the Freedom Stage last night, offering one of the most complete and captivating trance performances imaginable.
Armin explored the full spectrum of his sound throughout the set. The opening hour focused on his more techno-trance-oriented productions and collaborations, beginning with a mashup of No Mercy, his recent collaboration with Adam Beyer, and The Age of Love. Pure trance moments were equally present, including what appears to be the 2026 remix of As The Rush Comes by Motorcycle from W&W, as well as the brand-new Who Do You Love Now by Ghincy, which was met with an enthusiastic response from the crowd.
The Freedom Stage also became the perfect setting for the premiere of Armin’s upcoming collaboration with HALŌ and Shaun Farrugia, which is still officially an ID. It was not the only unreleased track of the night, though. Fans had been eagerly waiting to hear Everlasting, scheduled for release on July 31, with SACHA joining Armin on stage for its live debut and delivering one of the evening’s most emotional moments: what appears to be the Rising Star version of the track is already emerging as one of the most beloved trance moments of 2026. SACHA later returned to the stage during the closing moments of the set to perform Set Me Free as well.
Past and present blended seamlessly throughout the performance. Our Origin, the 2018 collaboration between Armin van Buuren and Shapov, provided one of the many highlights of the night, while several remixes of trance classics ignited the crowd, including the Sneijder remix of Playmo by Bart Claessen and the ReOrder remix of Saltwater – The Legacy. The traditional flashlight moment also returned during Always You, beautifully merged with Follow The Light, the 2024 collaboration between Armin van Buuren and Hardwell.
The set also featured the relentless energy of Domino by Oxia in the explosive reinterpretation by Space 92, which has spent weeks at the top of the Beatport charts and continues to gain momentum thanks to its powerful yet minimal sound: there was also room for music by one of the most notable absentees from this edition of the festival, Tiësto, with Lethal Industry and Adagio for Strings appearing in mashups and fresh reworks.
The performance once again showcased the extraordinary ability of Armin van Buuren to reinvent himself without ever losing his artistic identity. Attention now turns to the Mainstage, where next weekend he will have another opportunity to deliver what could become yet another unforgettable chapter in the history of Tomorrowland. The full tracklist of the Freedm Stage set is already available on 1001Tracklists, while the complete video will be re-uploaded on YouTube in the coming days.