The game has begun. On a sun-drenched E3 Strand, Dominator dealt the first cards of Fatal Fortune on Friday. From the moment the gates opened, thousands of hardcore fans poured onto the festival grounds, where each of the five hostings attracted its own crowd. From early gabbers on the beach to a packed BKJN tent, the first festival day immediately showed why Dominator remains the beating heart of the hardcore scene year after year.
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As Dominator visitors have come to expect, the entire festival site has once again been decorated down to the smallest detail. The Mad Max-inspired Las Vegas atmosphere of Fatal Fortune can be seen across all stages, each giving its own interpretation to the theme.
Gabberen on the beach at Multigroove
At The Highway, where Multigroove hosted Friday’s programme, it did not take long before the first gabbers started moving. Half in the shade and half under the blazing sun, a sizeable group of visitors was already hakken on the beach to the first early hardcore kicks of the weekend. Anyone passing the stage immediately knew where the fans of the old-school sound had gathered.
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Masters of Hardcore showcases the full spectrum of hardcore
At The Dockyard, Masters of Hardcore once again presented a varied programme. From Luna’s freestyle set and Combined Forces by Nosferatu & The Playah to Angerfist’s classics, different generations of hardcore were represented throughout the day. As evening fell, the tempo increased further with live acts including Slaughterhouse, Revealer: The Anger In Us and Noxiouz: The Catalyst, before Masters of Hardcore brought the hosting to a close with its traditional Friday endshow.
BKJN turns The Zoo upside down from the start
The Zoo was already busy early on during the sunny Friday. When Kemal vs Rayzen kicked off the BKJN hosting at 13:00, the atmosphere was there straight away. The tent was already well filled, and the crowd responded in full force from the very first slowtempo kicks. The energy remained high throughout Pinotello: No Pino No Party, Lekkerfaces: HYPER and Satirized vs Major Conspiracy.
Deutsche Krach attracts its dedicated fans
At The Firestation, hosted by Deutsche Krach, the atmosphere was noticeably different throughout the day. From the moment the area opened, fans of the harder and rougher side of hardcore gathered in front of the stage, where relentless sets followed each other in rapid succession. During performances including Krachinator Live Krach Crew, Noiseflow: Euphoric Krach and Albino’s Bald Show, the crowd completely immersed itself in the distinctive German saw sound.
Spanish energy at Masia
At The Arcade, Masia offered a different experience from the rest of the festival grounds. Alongside its characteristic Spanish hardcore sound, visitors could also try their hand at several arcade games, meaning the area was about more than music alone. In between the games, there was plenty of dancing to Masia’s unmistakable Spanish sound.
The game is far from over
Friday set the tone for a promising weekend, but the biggest part of Fatal Fortune is still to come. Today, the gates of Dominator open at 11:00 for the second festival day, with another packed programme full of highlights ahead. Those who still want to attend can find the final available tickets in Dominator’s official ticket shop.
Footage via: Dominator
