Saturday 19th October brought the return of Dockyard Festival. Regarded as a hidden gem in the Netherlands festival calendar, the dutch brand has become known for combining industrial landscapes with electronic music’s finest talents.
Over the past 10 years Dockyard has captured the essence of the Amsterdam’s vibrant underground music scene with top-tier DJs, edgy stage designs, and an atmosphere that blends raw energy with artistic flair.
2024 marked their 10th anniversary, and with it came a special Warehouse edition of the festival. Running on the same day as Dockyard’s annual collaboration with Mystic Garden Festival, the warehouse edition took ravers back to the brand’s roots in terms of location, but with a forward-facing lineup showcasing the future of techno.
Location
Dockyard Warehouse Festival took place at Hembrugterrain; a former ammunition factory near Amsterdam City. As you can expect, the site was doused in industrial aesthetic, with a series of derelict buildings, metal structures and cavernous warehouses. it’s safe to say this venue was the epitome of all things Dockyard and the perfect backdrop to a day of raw and underground electronic music.
Festival Site
The festival comprised of four stages varying in size and structure including the Warehouse, the Laboratory, an outdoor tent hosted by HE.SHE.THEY and an indoor space presented by ARTBAT’s UPPERGROUND brand.
Around the festival site there were toilets outside every stage meaning wait times were minimal, as well as lockers to leave your belongings and a merch stand to buy new ones! Large covered chill areas and plenty of other seating around the site also meant you didn’t need to perch on a wall or the ground if you needed a quick disco sit.
Staff & queue times
Friendly, welcoming and helpful – staff were a dream at Dockyard. With an army of bartenders and multiple bars, queue times were never more than a few minutes meaning you could get right back into the action in no time.
Food
Food and drinks were available to buy via a token system, with 1 token costing 4 euros. There were two sections offering food, with options including burgers, pizza and satay chicken skewers – which were delicious! One thing that would be great for future years is to have all the food vendors in one place – we weren’t actually aware there was another section until late in the day.
Drink Prices (in tokens)
Beer: 1 – 2.5
Mixers: 3
Softs: 1 – 2
Wine: 1.5 (6 for a bottle)
Crowd
15,000 ravers came together with a single purpose – to have a good time and listen to great music. The majority in attendance were in the +21 bracket, but from a variety of countries and backgrounds. Everyone had one thing in common though – a positive and inclusive nature, which made the festival feel like a safe space for all in attendance.
Production & Sound
One of the standout parts of the festival. Between the 4 stages, offered a variety of lighting set ups from mesmerising giant LED screens and spellbinding lasers, to stripped back moody spot lights and haze. This contrast made it feel like a festival inside a festival when moving between rooms.
On top of this, the sound was tuned to perfection and packed a punch no matter where you stood in the room. Expertly placed stacks dotted around each stage provided an immersive audio experience and despite the Warehouse and Upperground stage being literally next door to each other – there was no noticeable sound bleed, bravo.
DJ Sets
Effy
UK artist Effy has been causing ripples in the scene of late, thanks to her infectious production and fearless playing style. After sets from Emily Nash and Moody Mehran perfectly built up the atmosphere in the room, up-stepped Effy to the Warehouse Stage.
Effy’s presence was instantly felt, with an injection of pace which became a theme for the set. Dropping some of her renowned tracks such as “Mad” and “Get Down” as well as the newly released upbeat banger “Up” kept the energy high throughout. However, our standout moment came from her dropping “Au Seve” by Julio Bashmore completely out the blue. A deep house classic we hadn’t heard played out in years and it still sounds just as good.
SNTS
The Dark Lord of techno SNTS is a figure shrouded in mystery. Little is known about his identity, but many are accustomed to his adrenaline-fuelled performances which will leave your feet stomping holes in the ground.
His performance at Dockyard was no different, with relentless beats and hell-raising melodies being a common fixture. Performing his signature live set up on the HE.SHE.THEY stage, saw 60 minutes of non-stop unadulterated and unforgiving techno.
ARTBAT
Ukrainian DJ & production duo Artur and Batish have become synonymous with emotionally charged and atmospheric soundscapes. Hosting their very own UPPERGROUND stage, found the pair on closing duties as we moved into the final set of Dockyard Warehouse Festival.
The masters of hair-raising anthems had the crowd entranced with tracks such as “Hollow” and their remix of “Return To Oz”. Married with the awe-inspiring production, this grand finale drew the festival to an emphatic close.
Summary
Dockyard Warehouse Festival delivered an unforgettable experience, blending top-tier electronic music with the raw, industrial atmosphere of Hembrugterrain. Meticulously crafted production and sound allowed ravers to fully immerse themselves in the experience. With the carefully curated lineup melding icons from their respective genres and the scene’s most in-demand names, it’s safe to say the future of techno and Dockyard, looks bright.
Words: Ben Lovejoy
Images: Dennis Bouman & Michiel Ton
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