Q-dance

 ( Dance Festivals In The Netherlands ) 

Q-dance began its international ventures in 2004 with Q-BASE, held at the abandoned RAF airbase in Weeze, Germany. The event combined hardstyle with other hard dance genres and became a staple in Q-dance’s calendar. In the same year, Q-dance introduced QrimeTime, a gangster- and mafia-themed year-end event in the Netherlands, which ran until 2008.

In 2005, Q-dance entered the Belgian market, securing a permanent stage at Tomorrowland, one of the world’s largest electronic music festivals. This partnership introduced Q-dance’s hardstyle expertise to a broader audience. In 2006, Q-dance organized its first Qlimax event in Hasselt, Belgium, followed by the inaugural Belgian X-Qlusive in 2007. In 2008, Q-dance launched The Qontinent, a Belgium-exclusive festival, managed by its Antwerp office.

Q-dance’s global ambitions continued in 2008 with its first events in Australia. A tour across Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane introduced hardstyle to Australian audiences, followed by two X-Qlusive Showtek events in Sydney and Melbourne. In 2008, QrimeTime was replaced by Qountdown, a New Year’s Eve event held at the AFAS Live in Amsterdam, celebrating the transition into the new year with hardstyle.

In 2009, Q-dance brought Defqon.1 Festival to Sydney, Australia, where it sold out in its debut year. The company also expanded its presence through smaller club tours in countries such as Poland, Brazil, Sweden, France, Italy, the United Kingdom, and Northern Ireland, further spreading the Q-dance brand.

In 2010, Q-dance celebrated its 10th anniversary with a grand event at the Amsterdam ArenA. The anniversary featured recycled decorations from past events, including the Ferris wheel from Defqon.1 2008, the “Flower of Life” from Qlimax 2008, and “The Mask” from Qlimax 2006, creating a nostalgic experience for attendees.

Throughout the 2010s, Q-dance refined its event concepts, emphasizing immersive themes, elaborate stage designs, and high-energy performances. Qlimax and Defqon.1 became synonymous with hardstyle culture, attracting tens of thousands of fans annually. The company also introduced new events, such as Freaqshow (2012–2016), a Halloween-themed hardstyle event, and WOW WOW (2015), a smaller-scale concept focusing on raw hardstyle.

In 2015, Q-dance launched Qapital, a hardstyle event held at the Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam, which quickly became a fan favorite. The company also experimented with hybrid events, such as Q-dance presents: Hardstyle at Tomorrowland, blending its signature sound with the global reach of Tomorrowland.

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted Q-dance’s schedule in 2020 and 2021, leading to cancellations of major events like Defqon.1, Qlimax, and The Qontinent. Q-dance adapted by hosting virtual events, including Q-dance Network livestreams and online festival editions, to maintain community engagement. Defqon.1 2020 was canceled, and a virtual edition was held in 2021, streamed via the Q-dance website.

In 2022, live events resumed, with Defqon.1 returning to Biddinghuizen under the theme “Primal Energy,” originally planned for 2020, and extending to four days. In 2023, Defqon.1 set a record with 250,000 attendees from 110 countries over four days, featuring a 54-meter-high mainstage and enhanced fireworks displays. Dominator also returned in 2022 at the E3 Strand in Eersel, Netherlands, introducing camping and a pre-party.

In 2024, Q-dance underwent significant changes. Qlimax, a cornerstone event, was discontinued after its final edition on November 16, 2024, at the GelreDome. The Qontinent and other events, including stages at Tomorrowland and Mysteryland, were also canceled. Q-dance is focusing exclusively on Defqon.1 and Dominator, its most profitable events, potentially due to financial pressures following the acquisition of its parent company, ID&T, by Superstruct Entertainment during the pandemic. Also in 2024, Superstruct was acquired by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. (KKR) for approximately €1.3 billion, influencing Q-dance’s strategic direction amid rising costs, including a Dutch VAT increase from 9% to 21% for cultural events.

In 2025, Q-dance continues to focus solely on Defqon.1 and Dominator.

In 2019, Q-BASE was succeeded by IMPAQT – Festival of Titans, held at the same Weeze airbase on September 7, 2019, from 14:00 to 02:00. IMPAQT retained the hardstyle and hardcore focus, introducing a new theme centered around “Titans” with distinct areas for hardstyle, rawstyle, and uptempo hardcore. The festival featured a special “Titan Showcase” for select ticket holders and was designed to continue the high-energy legacy of Q-BASE, though it operated on a shorter schedule. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, no further editions of IMPAQT took place after 2019.

Since 2003 Qlimax became a yearly returning event at the GelreDome in Arnhem, the Netherlands. The characteristics of a Qlimax event were that the show was organized around a theme, where much attention was given to the show and technology. The predominant music at Qlimax was hardstyle; however, it became tradition to open the show with a jumpstyle, hard trance, or subground act, and end the show with a hardcore act.

On the 25th of July 2024, Q-Dance announced that Qlimax 2024 will be the very last edition. With this announcement, Q-Dance has ended one of the oldest hardstyle events.

• Q-dance.com