Electrisize returns to Haus Hohenbusch in Erkelenz from 7 to 9 August 2026 for its 17th edition, and this year’s headline story belongs to 10 Years of HARDSIZE. A decade of hardstyle heritage takes centre stage, with Brennan Heart, Ran-D, Coone and Sickmode leading the anniversary celebration. Six stages, more than 150 artists, and an expected 55,000 fans across the weekend.
The Mainstage lineup is properly stacked, with Showtek, Alle Farben, Mesto, Paul Elstak, Gestört aber Geil, Jebroer, Jasmin Blust, Kati K, OSWALD, Chrissyjeey and Bovski. OSWALD makes a full Mainstage debut on 8 August, while TAPUYA marks 15 years of techno programming on its own stage with A.N.I., Achim Feuervogel, Ben Techy, GO$PEL, KLOFAMA, Onlynumbers, Simba B2B Super Dario, Wilderich and Zwilling. The Turbo Stage, party zones, food courts and signature Ferris wheel round out the site.
We caught up with Electrisize co-founder Michael Frentzen to talk through the origin story that began with a StudiVZ group and a shower-time brainstorm, the move to Hohenbusch’s thousand-year-old estate, how HARDSIZE grew from an internal risk into a stage that rivals the Mainstage, the pandemic-era 360-degree ElectriCity concept, and the long-term goal of building the perfect festival. Fans of the wider Parookaville and Open Beatz axis will find plenty to recognise here.
Take us back to the very first Electrisize. Where did it all start?
I started organising my own events in my hometown at the age of 15, always with electronic music at the core. Tracks like “Bonkers” by Dizzee Rascal, “Riverside” by Sidney Samson or “Show Me Love” by Michael Mind shaped me a lot back then. At some point, my friend DJ Timbo and I knew: we need something with an open-air feel. Not a festival, not a big production. Just a party from friends, for friends. I literally came up with the name Electrisize in the shower. The next morning, the first thing I did was open a StudiVZ group to find people who wanted to be part of it. That is how it all started. Raphael, today my business partner and co-managing director, was someone I did not know at all back then. He wanted to DJ but had no experience. One day he simply showed up at my front door and borrowed my CD player to practise. That image really says everything about him and about us. We expected around 200 to 250 guests. Almost 500 showed up. We ran out of drinks, the toilets were not built for that number of people. It was chaotic, but it was a clear signal. What has remained to this day is the core team and the drive to build the perfect festival. Not as a phrase, but as actual working reality. Our guests notice it, and other promoters tell us the same thing. Detail-oriented, professional, consistent.
Haus Hohenbusch has been home since 2013. What makes the site so central to Electrisize’s identity?
Hohenbusch was not our home from the beginning. We started at the Lahey Park, celebrated the second edition at Schloss Leerodt, then once at the Franziskaner Platz right in the heart of Erkelenz. Our organic growth kept pushing us forward, always looking for a site with real potential. In 2013 we moved to Hohenbusch, with 3,000 visitors. And immediately it was clear: this is where we can build what we have in our heads. The estate was first documented around the year 1000. Centuries-old walls, wide green meadows, trees, nature, and at the same time the surrounding fields and riding grounds that have always given us room to grow. That contrast, one of the most modern festival productions in Germany on a site with a thousand years of history, is something you simply cannot recreate anywhere else. And then there is the home factor. I am from Erkelenz, Raphael is from Hückelhoven. Hohenbusch sits right between the two. It is not by coincidence that this is our home. It is literally our home.
With seven stages, 150+ artists and multi-genre curation, how do you approach the booking process?
Our booking process always starts a year in advance. Raphael and I work with the booking team to develop a conceptual direction: how should the festival feel, what musical identity should each stage have, where do we set contrasts? That is our job. What actually gets booked in the end, we now consciously leave to the team. And that is exactly the key: contrasts. We make sure the stages are musically distinct from one another. Not because we want to avoid any overlap, but because every stage needs its own identity. The moment two stages appeal to the same audience, both lose. That is the main risk with multi-genre festivals, and that is where we put the most energy.
HARDSIZE turns 10 this edition. Take us back to the decision to launch it in the first place.
I got into Dutch festival culture very early, which made sense given how close Erkelenz is to the Netherlands. Over there, hardstyle is not just a genre. It is a way of life. And I was convinced that this energy belonged on a German festival. We were the first German multi-genre festival with a dedicated hardstyle stage. The idea was far from popular internally. The team was sceptical. There were prejudices, images of Thunderdome in people’s heads, a scene that many did not understand at the time. I pushed it through. And thankfully the team got behind the decision. What sets the hardstyle community apart from others is their loyalty. This is not just a fanbase, it is a real community. People look out for each other, they show up, and they are 100 percent committed to the festival. The fact that the stage became the second largest already in its second year and today holds almost as many people as the Mainstage is no coincidence. For the 2026 anniversary, there will be a special 10-Year Memorial Set on Saturday, and the stage will shine in an anniversary edition. That is all we will say for now.
Paul Elstak on the Mainstage, Brennan Heart back for the anniversary. Talk us through this year’s lineup architecture.
Hardstyle acts on our Mainstage are not an exception. It is a deliberate decision. Our Mainstage crowd enjoys harder sounds later in the night. Da Tweekaz has played our Mainstage several years in a row, Brennan Heart was there last year. This is not a crossover experiment. It is part of our DNA. Paul Elstak was already booked for the Mainstage in 2025 but had to cancel at short notice due to health reasons. The fact that he is back this year carries a personal note as well. Brennan Heart, Ran-D, Coone and Sickmode are artists who have been with us throughout the last ten years. Not just any names, but artists who have shaped the history of HARDSIZE. Brennan Heart headlined the very first edition of HARDSIZE back in 2016. His return for the anniversary closes a circle. That is lineup architecture that tells a story.
From the Skydeck to themed areas and the Hall of Fame, how do you generate new ideas for the festival experience?
New ideas come from different directions. Raphael and I bring a lot to the table, but we do not reinvent the wheel every time. We consciously let ourselves be inspired by festivals we are close to around the world, look at what works, and think about what fits Electrisize. A lot also comes directly from the team, and decisions are always made together. The Skydeck, for example, is primarily a premium B2B area where we invite partners, take care of them over the weekend and raise a glass together at the end. Not every element is designed for the general visitor. Some things strengthen other important relationships. Attendee feedback plays a real role. After every edition we run a large visitor survey. We pick out the key points and go through them in a follow-up session: what can we improve, what do we add next year? On top of that, anyone can write to us directly at any time. Not every idea has worked out. We once had a dedicated hip-hop and R&B stage, featuring acts like Finch or Nura, artists we recognised very early who then developed into really big names. We eventually dropped the concept because other formats worked better at that time. But never say never.
The campsite has become a destination in its own right. What’s the vision there?
The campsite has been part of Electrisize since 2015 and celebrated its tenth anniversary last year. That was also the year we moved from a one-day event to a two-day festival. A decision that turned out to be one of the most important steps in the festival’s history. Camping at Electrisize is no longer just a place to sleep. There is a dedicated camping stage at the centre of the site, a festival supermarket, free premium showers and a premium toilet area with flushing toilets for all campers. That may sound obvious, but it is not. At many other festivals you pay extra for sanitary facilities at this level of quality. The programme on the camping stage ranges from beer yoga and workshops to the big opening party on Thursday, exclusively for campers, and a silent disco on the festival Sunday, also only for camping guests. Last year we launched the Electrisize Run, a community run on the campsite that was so well received we are bringing it back this year. And there will be one or two surprises, but we are keeping those to ourselves for now.
What have been the biggest turning points in Electrisize’s growth?
There were two clear turning points. The first was 2015, when we switched from a one-day event to a weekend festival. Visitor numbers doubled from 2014 to 2015. That was not a coincidence. It was a deliberate plan that worked out exactly as intended. The second turning point was the pandemic. 2020 to 2022 was an existential crisis for the entire festival industry. During that time we did something that made waves internationally: a special concept at our ElectriCity, with a 360-degree stage in the centre, surrounded by six sectors, each holding only as many people as the regulations at the time allowed. That gave us the ability to create a real festival experience at a moment when that seemed completely impossible. The response was overwhelming. Discussions on Reddit, international press coverage, new visitors from all over Germany and neighbouring countries who have been coming back ever since. When you look at how 360-degree stages are everywhere now, we know: we established that six years ago, in one of the hardest times imaginable. What the pandemic showed us is this: we are not where we are today by accident. Creativity, agility, passion and the determination to keep going even in the hardest times made us stronger than before.
What’s your unique value proposition in a competitive German festival market?
The German festival market has not become easier, but that is a good thing. Competition keeps you sharp. What many people may not know is that we are friends or partners with a large part of the German festival scene. We have a very close friendship with Parookaville, the biggest German electronic music festival. We also maintain genuine partnerships with Open Beatz Festival and Tante Mia tanzt. This is an industry where you learn from each other. What nobody can copy is our attention to detail. Not because we simply claim it, but because it is an intrinsic quality. Guests first is not a marketing slogan for us. It is operational reality. Everything we promise, we deliver. In 17 years that has never come back to hurt us. What we consciously do not do is play with expectations. We do not raise hopes we cannot fulfil, and we do not use people’s imagination to sell more than we can deliver. We speak openly about what we have and what we can do. There are festivals that take a different approach. That is not our way.
Brand partnerships. Where do you draw the line?
We are not interested in one-night stands. What we look for are long-term partnerships, ideally with multi-year contracts. We communicate that clearly from the start, and it applies not just to brand partners but also to service providers. Long-term relationships create planning security, but more importantly they create a genuine emotional connection in both directions. What makes a good partner is meeting at eye level. We look at the needs of both sides, stay open to compromise, and at the same time set clear boundaries. Any brand activation on our site needs to be compatible with the look and feel of the festival. A 3×3 metre stand under a parasol trying to sell insurance to festival guests is not compatible. That would be a clear no. We also do not welcome giveaways that compete with our own offerings, whether that is merchandise, free drinks or anything else. Those things need to be sorted out in advance through solution-oriented conversation. And if it does not work out in the end, you shake hands and go your separate ways. No drama. But also no compromise at the expense of the festival.
What’s the longer-term roadmap after this 17th edition?
We have recently had a serious internal conversation about whether we want to keep growing or whether it is time to put a cap on things. That question has not been fully answered yet. What is clear is that our real work is not about growth. It is about the bigger vision: building the perfect festival. If that takes another 17 years, then so be it. We always push ourselves to do better, and that drive is what keeps us moving forward every day. Sustainability is a topic we approach with great care. Greenwashing is something we explicitly reject. We try to take responsibility at every level, within the limits of what is possible for us. But we do not make big promises we cannot keep. That would not be us. Internationalisation is not on our agenda right now. We focus on what we are and what we can do. If international reach comes from that, wonderful. But it is not a goal we are actively chasing.
One moment that will define the Electrisize experience for a first-timer?
For me personally, it is Thursday afternoon. The festival site is still closed, the final work is being finished, and on the ElectriCity the first campers are arriving and putting up their tents. When I walk across the site and see how lovingly and perfectly everything has been put together, how much effort every single team member and service provider has put in, I know: this weekend is going to be unforgettable. What brings a first-time visitor back is not one single moment. It is the feeling of holding people in your arms who you maybe have not seen for a year. It is the shared weekend, the music, the nights, the conversations. And when you have experienced all of that and then at the end you are standing together in one of our shows, tens of thousands of people all feeling the same thing, you understand why Electrisize is more than a festival. That is hard to put into words. But anyone who has been there knows exactly what I mean.
Electrisize 2026 lands at Haus Hohenbusch in Erkelenz from 7 to 9 August. Tickets and full lineup information are available via the official Electrisize website.
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