Drawing from History to Forge Tomorrow: Airbeat-One's Founder on Europe's Festival Evolution [Interview]

by Devin Culham

We sat down with Sebastian Eggert, the founder of Germany's Airbeat-One festival, to discuss how the event carved its path in the European dance music scene.

Airbeat-One stands as one of Europe's most enduring music festivals.

Starting from modest roots, festival founder Sebastian Eggert never imagined that the German gathering would one day near its 17th edition. Held on a former airfield near Neustadt-Glewe, this annual celebration has earned acclaim for its top-tier artists and jaw-dropping stage designs. With acts like Above & Beyond, Armin van Buuren, Marshmello, Hardwell, and many others gracing the stages from July 11–15, it's no wonder fans flock to Germany year after year.

But Airbeat-One wasn't always about fireworks and superstar DJs. What began as a passion for music, camping, and dancing almost didn't survive its early years. Yet the festival has navigated those hurdles with poise as it gears up for its 2018 edition, aiming to deliver a weekend of musical magic to over 40,000 attendees.

We caught up with Sebastian to talk about Airbeat-One's transformation and the standout moments from its 17-year history.

Approaching its 17th year, Airbeat-One is among Europe's longest-running dance music festivals. How has the event evolved since its early days?

The festival grew rather slowly in its first years. We found our musical identity in 2013. After booking our first EDM act in 2012 (Fedde le Grand), names like Alesso, DV&LM, and Steve Aoki followed in 2013, and our Maya-inspired stages helped us carve a path into EDM. Over the following years, we kept raising the bar, which allowed us to dramatically increase attendance.

How do you compare the dance music and festival culture from Airbeat-One's first event to today?

The festival has evolved from simple dancing and camping into a full-fledged adventure. People now travel to our event to experience things they'd never see elsewhere. Every aspect of the festival keeps growing, and we strive to make everything as dazzling as possible. That means offering gourmet food zones, comfortable hospitality areas, and ever-expanding stages. The festival is becoming a true escape from everyday life, packed with 100% fun.

Beyond booking massive headliners, what do you focus on to make Airbeat-One a unique festival experience?

Yes, we aim to turn Airbeat-One into a distinctive brand year after year—a festival experience you can only find with us. Our travel themes give us endless creative possibilities, so we can reinvent ourselves annually. That's extremely important to us.

This year's theme is Great Britain. Why do you choose to celebrate different nations through the festival and stage design?

We want to stand out from other global festivals and create a unique world for our guests. Choosing a different destination each year keeps the festival fresh for visitors and provides a surprise—they never know exactly what awaits them. This generates an awesome look, excitement, and huge anticipation for the stage and area designs.

How did you originally decide on an airfield as the festival grounds for Airbeat-One?

I chose the location because I needed a place that could host 50,000–70,000 people and was easily accessible for all logistics. Of course, it was all a dream back then, and I honestly never thought the festival could grow this big.

Running a major festival for over 15 years is quite an achievement. What have been some of your biggest challenges and successes as the festival and music have evolved?

The early years were extremely tough, especially financially—we pushed ourselves to our limits. Honestly, we considered calling it quits after a few years because we lost so much money. At that time, we had little support from sponsors or investors; we managed everything ourselves.

The second major hurdle was booking acts. From 2012 onward, I decided to handle that personally, choosing artists I genuinely liked and thought were current. I listen to a lot of music and live sets myself, and I believe that helps me understand what audiences want to hear.

On top of that, I'm always driven to create spectacular stages because I think it's crucial to show visitors something they've never seen before. I love designing a perfect blend of lasers, pyrotechnics, lights, fire, LED, and more to deliver a top-tier festival experience.

What have been some of your favorite moments from Airbeat-One over the years?

Oh, I've had countless great moments over the years. It's incredible to stand behind the Main Stage for a moment—especially watching Tiesto, Hardwell, or DV&LM perform and looking out at 30,000 happy people dancing, screaming, and partying together. That's what really makes me happy.

What is one thing you want fans to bring with them to Airbeat-One this year?

I just want them to bring a good mood, fun, and friends to experience the four best days of their lives.

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