Budweiser Sensation, an undeniable cultural phenomenon is an event that could best be described as a Cirque du Soleil-esque spectacle and is a single night celebration of the dance music culture marked by a large scale gathering. And in unbelievable fashion, the massive single day event has created enough buzz around the world owing to their kingdom-sized productions. Brothers Duncan Stutterheim and Miles Stutterheim began making their dreams a reality by teaming up in 2000 for the first ever Budweiser Sensation held in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Incredibly, at the time, the debut edition took place at the Amsterdam Arena, and was experienced by almost 20,000 clubbers.
The dance music event and brand that is now known across the world and in many different languages had its fair share of what we might call “humble beginnings“. The gigantic one day event, we know today, sells out in seconds and welcomes people from every corner of the world, has walked on the long path to build its reputation and to bring its fairy-tale reality into the hearts of dance music lovers worldwide.
Taking a peek inside the spell-binding spectacle, the indoor dance event is organized by the parent company ID&T (The Dutch entertainment behemoth founded in the early 1990s by the Stutterheim brothers and is responsible for the largest dance events in the world like Mysteryland, Tomorrowland and more) which has ultimately recorded 15 years of a one-of-a-kind affair.
Kicking off in 2000, the debut edition began proceedings on 1st of July with a massive 20k capacity crowd being treated to performances by legendary DJs Carl Cox, Tiesto, Sven Vath, Jean, Judge Jules and more. Going in a little further, this was the sole year when Sensation didn’t follow their highly renowned White-dress code which eventually was debuted the following year.
Sensation 2000
An integral part of the event itself, the highly recognized feature was initially, a tribute to Duncan’s brother Miles, as the former, also Sensation CEO, asked visitors to dress in white as people did at Miles’ funeral. After a ground breaking response from the audience, this ultimately conspired a moment so awe-inspiring that the dress code has remained the same ever since.
2001 was the second step to their walk towards success which was the last to witness a single Sensation event as it consequently branched out to two separate editions: Sensation White and Sensation Black. An interesting move to differentiate the music and the vibe of the whole public gathering, the latter put more emphasis on genres like Hardstyle and Hardcore, whereas its contrasting namesake focuses more on Trance and Progressive House.
Sensation Black
Image Credit: Ready2Move
Interesting Facts:
1. Sensation also releases two double-discs (Black and White) every year and two singles they call the Anthem.
2. In 2008, the brands saw another overhaul with the names of both events getting changed to “Sensation” (formerly Sensation White) and ”Black“ (previously Sensation Black).”
Five years in the making, 2005 saw Sensation expand their base to other countries, starting off with Belgium and Germany. With much more concrete development on the international front, their newly coined Sensation International, a worldwide tour took shape in 2006 based on the simplified version of the Amsterdam originated event behemoth. The first edition was held in the Antwerp Sportpaleis, Belgium and has further spread its reach across the world by landing in a record 22 countries. With shows in nations like Russia, Poland, including Australia, Ukraine, Spain, UK, Brazil, and more under their belt, Sensation, truly is global having thrown down parties to spread the happiness with one night of utter jubilation and elegant spectacle.
BE PART OF THE NIGHT, DRESS IN WHITE – going by the brand’s outlook towards it, this line is more than a catchphrase. Besides being a tribute to the late Miles, the color white is there as an expression to celebrate life in the best possible way. And as ID&T creative director Gerard Zwijnenburg says,
“I think it’s pretty psychological … when people are in uniform, it bonds you in a way. The ‘we factor,’ partying together, being on the same level, going to the same show, listening to the same music, dressing the same, really contributes to the fact that, in this atmosphere, everyone is the same. There’s no differences—straight, gay, the color of your skin—everyone is dancing together to the same beat. That’s one of the thoughts behind Sensation.”
So, what makes Budweiser Sensation a real theatrical event yet a complete musical experience is the audio & visual wonder of the it that makes up for an immersive presentation with the dreamlike and fanciful aesthetic topped off by various integral elements such as the production, lights, dancers, and much much more.
Coming to the musical showcase at the grand-sized event, numerous heavyweight DJs have made remarkable appearances and include the likes of Tiësto, André Tanneberger, Armin van Buuren, Darren Emerson, David Guetta, Deadmau5, Eric Prydz, Erick Morillo, Ferry Corsten, Marco V, Paul van Dyk, Johan Gielen, Sander Kleinenberg, Nick Fanciulli, Steve Angello, Fedde Le Grand, Sebastian Ingrosso, Sander van Doorn, Mason, Felix Da Housecat, Laidback Luke, Oliver Heldens, Sick Individuals, Hardwell, Tocadisco and Rank 1 amongst many more. Moreover, 2014 was the year Dutch prodigy Martin Garrix also became the youngest artist on the lineup with his landmark performance at Budweiser Sensation Amsterdam.
Budweiser Sensation also highly boasts of their reputed opening DJ, the one and only Mr. White. The opening spot is generally underrated, but the Sensation team knows the influence the first DJ is for the rest of the night. Always kicking off each show with one of his sublime sets like no other, the longtime resident knows how to get the energy of the night started.
Being a constant support to performing DJs, MC Gee has been Budweiser Sensation’s resident MC for almost a decade now. And, with a career spanning over 20 years, with his distinctive, versatile vocal talents, he is regarded as one of the originators of this style within the dance music industry.
What’s more? The production of the high scaled event involves certain themes at play, and with each passing year comes a wave of joy amongst fans as they anxiously wait for the same. After marking the White theme in 2001, the consequent years have carried various theme namesakes such as Our Religion, The Elements, Mythology, Space, Dreams, Oak Of Love, Ocean Of White, Wicked Wonderland, Celebrate Life, Innerspace, Source of Light, Into The Wild and finally their recent Pleasuredome.
Dreamcatcher
White
Water and Fire
The Legacy
Space
Mythology
Oak Of Love
Church
Pleasuredome
Source of Light
Ocean of White
Into The Wild
Innerspace
Celebrate Life
Wicked Wonderland
15 years since the madness originally kicked off, Budweiser Sensation has now certainly crafted a space for themselves which goes beyond heavy music and mainstage ready productions and have rather created more of a heavenly atmosphere on earth where people can unite to experience dance music in its purest form. The basis of comparison may fail to justify this exclusive creation, but there’s a certain vibe which makes the event not fit in the festival category. A global phenomenon indeed, don’t sleep on this one as Budweiser Sensation makes it way to Hyderabad on 5th March for its India debut as it takes over the Gachibowli Stadium.
Budweiser, who have been responsible for hosting MADE Stage, Indian Poolball League and Turn It Up Nights in India, have made big strides over the years to engage the audience and act as a major catalyst to promote the music culture in the country. The global brand has actively enabled fans to #TurnEverythingUp while grooving to some of the best music on offer. And now taking the next big step, Budweiser are finally bringing in the big daddy of all electronic music events, yes you got that right, Sensation. Dubbed as the world’s leading dance event, Budweiser Sensation will look to set itself as the epitome of music experiences.
A rather rare sight for the Indian audience for sure, the global brand plans to treat fans to a colossal lineup featuring some of the biggest electronic music icons headlining the one-of-a-kind spectacle. The mega show i.e Budweiser Sensation will bring in grand sized production with FOMO worthy lighting, crazy laser shows and awe-worthy firework displays. And to top it all off, the highly anticipated event ultimately will play host to an experience like no other. With a massive lineup featuring the likes of Laidback Luke, Axwell and more, book your tickets here ASAP and get set to experience magic.
For more details, make sure to hit up Budweiser India on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
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