It’s the holiday of electronic music culture – MAYDAY. The largest German indoor rave, which wakes up every year on the night of May 1st, has had a significant impact on the German and international techno scene. Now, in addition to this year’s motto „united“, I-Motion is also announcing the complete list of artists for the 38th edition. Included, among many others, are Charlotte de Witte, Reinier Zonneveld, Adam Beyer, Lilly Palmer, TRYM, Angerfist and SHLØMO.
MAYDAY is a manifesto from 33 years of techno. It reinforces that the beat of unity, respect and acceptance is what truly unites us. MAYDAY is not just an event: it is a celebration of life, love and the enduring power of electronic music.
„Music has always had a unifying power. It unites people, cultures and generations. People have always celebrated techno and electronic music peacefully and across nations. With the motto „united“ we want to bring this to the foreground back,“ says Oliver Vordemvenne from the organizer I-Motion.
Every year MAYDAY presents a lineup that reflects both current trends and the sound outside of the commercial mainstream of electronic music culture. Over 30 top artists and upcomers from the scene will be on the decks of four floors on April 30th.
Charlotte de Witte, the undisputed techno queen, is coming to the “Arena”. Festival appearances on all continents, Mixmag and DJ Mag covers, high rankings in the charts, awards such as Best Techno at the DJ Awards 2019, #18 in the current DJ Mag Top 100 DJs and a high-profile residency on BBC Radio 1. The Belgian DJ and producer is a force of nature in the techno scene. Lilly Palmer, who held number 1 on the Beatport charts for weeks with her track “We Control” in 2022, is also on the decks here. Acid Techno comes to the “Arena” with the Dutch DJ and producer Reinier Zonneveld.
Musically, “Empire” is all about the hard techno genre. Top stars of the scene like Alignment from Italy and SHLØMO from France are at the controls here. Paolo Ferrara b2b Lorenzo Raganzini, who created a new subgenre with “Techno-Metal” and hosted their own floor at Tomorrowland and NATURE ONE with their event series “Hex”, also do the honors. For Dortmund’s Per Pleks, MAYDAY will be a real home game.
The “Factory” has been the home base for the harder sounds of electronic music for years. There is hardcore, hardstyle and uptempo here. Angerfist, the infamous “man in the mask” provides the sound beyond 150 bpm. The Dutchman has been the highest-ranked hardcore artist in the DJ Mag Top 100 for years. Dr. also comes from the Netherlands. Peacock, who brings a special live set of Frenchcore and hardcore to the Westfalenhalle with “The Doc’s Experiment”. The Italian DJ and producer AniMe has already proven her skills at SYNDICATE and MAYDAY. The line-up at the Factory is rounded off by acts such as Anderex, Barber, Dimitri K, GSB, Lost Identity, Nick Novity and N-Vitral.
The new stage with “Techno-Legends” will be there for the first time in 2024. Dave Clarke, Luke Slater, The Advent and many others are on the decks here. Musically, they build a bridge from the roots of electronic music to today.
Over 30 artists will be playing from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. The combination ticket ensures a relaxed journey and, above all, a safe journey home for visitors: the entry ticket also serves as a ticket in the VRR area (Rhine-Ruhr Transport Association). Tickets are available in advance on mayday.de
