While most festivalgoers start looking forward to their next event after a festival weekend, Nick and two friends decided to take matters into their own hands. They felt the outdoor hardstyle classics season ended far too early, so they embarked on an ambitious project: creating their own festival. In the latest episode of PLAFONDDIENST – The Hardstyle Podcast, Nick explains how an idea that lingered for years eventually grew into Reignite Festival, which will host its very first edition on September 12.
ALSO READ: Reignite Festival: three friends, one mission, and a line-up that revives the classics
“We could keep talking about it, or just do it”
The idea for Reignite wasn’t born in a boardroom, but during conversations after festival weekends. “Vroeger Was Alles Beter takes place in mid-July. Every year I’d be standing there thinking: the classics season in the south is basically already over. That’s just too early.”
According to Nick, that thought kept coming back year after year. “You can keep saying it over a beer. But when you’ve been repeating the same thing for three years straight, it starts to stick. Eventually we said: either we stop talking about it, or we find out if we can actually make it happen.” What started as a conversation between friends eventually grew into a full-fledged festival.
“Everyone thinks about the artists, but that’s only where it starts”
Although Reignite now boasts a line-up filled with major names, Nick says it was everything happening behind the scenes that surprised him the most. None of the three organisers have a background in the events industry. Nick works as a commercial project manager, Roel is the director of a logistics company, and Bram owns a flooring business. “It would’ve been convenient if we’d all studied event management, but that’s simply not the case.”
They quickly discovered just how much goes into organising a festival. “Everyone knows you need artists, lighting and sound. But every single part goes so much deeper than that. Permits, safety plans, environmental studies… In the end, everything takes more time than you expect.”
The team has since grown to around ten enthusiastic volunteers, all contributing to the project. “It’s truly a passion project. People hear our story and say: if I can help in any way, I’d love to.”
“Some visitors aren’t even as old as the classics they’re listening to”
The podcast also dives into the growing popularity of hardstyle classics. According to Nick, it’s far more than a passing trend. “Whenever I’m at a classics stage and see how people react to those tracks… it gives me goosebumps every single time.”
What stands out to him most is that it’s not just the generation that grew up with the music embracing it. “We’re seeing a surprisingly large number of young visitors buying tickets. Some of them aren’t even as old as the classics they’re listening to, yet they absolutely love the music.”
For Nick, a classic isn’t defined by the year it was released. “To me, a classic is a track that instantly brings back a feeling or a memory.”
“It has to breathe classics”
On September 12, everything will come together during the very first edition of Reignite Festival. According to Nick, the event isn’t about creating the biggest festival possible, it’s about creating the right atmosphere. “It has to breathe classics. That feeling you get when one of those tracks starts playing… we want people to experience that everywhere across the festival grounds.”
Visitors can expect two large stages dedicated to both melodic and RAW classics, featuring artists including Adaro, E-Force, Frontliner, Max Enforcer, Digital Punk, Unresolved, Jones, Chain Reaction and many more.
So what would make the first edition a success in Nick’s eyes? “If people go home saying: ‘Wow, that was the perfect way to close the outdoor season.’ And if they want to come back next year, then we’ve succeeded.”
Reignite Festival in the latest episode of PLAFONDDIENST
Listen to the latest episode of the PLAFONDDIENST Podcast featuring Nick from Reignite Festival, as he explains how three friends with no background in the events industry created their own hardstyle classics festival, why they felt the outdoor classics season ended too early, and the challenges they faced along the way. The episode is now available to watch and listen to on all streaming platforms.
Reignite Festival takes place on September 12 in Vinkel, the Netherlands. Tickets are available through the official website.
