From discovering electronic music on the radio in his mother’s kitchen to headlining clubs and festivals around the world, Paul van Dyk has earned a reputation as not only one of the most prolific artists in trance, but as an icon of dance culture.

Date: December 15 2022

Location: Al Bidda park

Free entry for Hayya card holders

Growing up in East Germany before the fall of the Berlin wall, one of van Dyk’s first DJ gigs was at the then-newly opened club and future landmark Tresor, which was a good omen of his achievements to come. Paul van Dyk has had a residency in the world party capital of Ibiza since 1999, the longest-running residency in the history of the White Isle. His performances at Berlin’s iconic Love Parade routinely attracted crowds of up to a million, which still pales in comparison to the 1.3 million people that witnessed his New Year’s Eve show in Rio de Janeiro in 2008, a record-setting crowd at the time.

With eight studio albums and countless singles and remixes to his name, Paul van Dyk shines just as brightly as a producer. His 1994 release ‘For An Angel’ is regarded by Mixmag as one of the greatest dance tracks of all time, and his third LP ‘Reflections’ was nominated for a Grammy. He has remixed some of electronic music’s biggest names – from Deep Dish, Faithless to Underworld, just to name a few. In addition, he remixed tracks by pop and rock music icons, including Madonna, Britney Spears, Depeche Mode and U2. His music can be heard in films such as ‘The Dark Knight’, ‘Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants’ and ‘Zurdo’ (the latter earning him a Mexican Academy Award for best soundtrack), as well as for commercials and video games.

His radio show – VONYC Sessions – broadcasts to over 100 stations across the globe, amassing 21 million listeners and 3.5 million podcast downloads per month. Over 600 sessions later, VONYC Sessions has become one of the essential radio shows, not only in trance, but in dance music generally.

He has been recognised for his charitable work to help the disadvantaged at home and abroad, receiving Berlin’s Medal of Honour and MTV’s Chiuku award, as well as supporting public interest initiatives, such as Rock the Vote.