u/bidluf

I'll preface this by saying that I completely understand the need for development and evolution, and I'm sure there are logistical / technical considerations at play that I am not aware of, but...

I've been to every Dekmantel edition since 2016, when it was just the Main Stage, UFO1, Selectors, Greenhouse and Boiler Room (RIP). It's always been one of my favourite weekends of the year.

Over the last few years though, it's felt like the stages have become more and more enclosed, resulting in quite a binary in or out feeling for a lot of the site, and for the festival in general.

The Loop looks great at night (which is basically only the last few hours of each day) but during the day is really not my favourite. The old design gave great shade (which would've been very welcome this weekend) and could have a great vibe even without being full, with plenty of space to dance etc. I used to love sitting on the grass in near the old main stage, where it's sweeping open design meant you still felt a part of it even if you didn't feel like being in the crowd. Someone you like is playing but you're hungry or need a time-out? Grab food and sit on one of the radar looking wooden structures and enjoy the set from afar. I totally understand the motivations for moving away from the screen based design, but feels like a loss overall.

UFO1 ironically one of the stages with most space, but personally on a sunny weekend in a forest it's not where I want to be, and not where the people I want to see usually play.

UFO2 was a great addition and due to the acts booked for this stage there's usually plenty of space, but if it's full it's full, and gets incredibly hot. The first iteration had an entrance near the front left side, which also made the flow of people much better.

Selectors hasn't changed much, perhaps there's just more people these days which makes it feel more cramped. Appreciated the extra platforms at the back this year.

Greenhouse (new) has already had a lot said about it. I appreciate the desire to do something different but it feels suited to a much smaller festival. The sound outside the dome was not great but it was often the most comfortable place to dance. The old one was definitely feeling a bit tired after all these years, but it was an excellent sized dancefloor, one that you could easily hang out at the back without being all in. With the new one, the sound bleed from Radar was crazy. CCL played an incredible set that started quite downtempo, but was muddled with the 4/4 coming from Radar. The way the structure is constructed also makes it quite awkward to get in / out, which exacerbates everything.

Radar I have never understood really, it feels like a stage designed by someone that enjoys airport infrastructure. Queue to get in then get funnelled into tight corridors unless you can make it to the floor. The Boiler Room stage also suffered with crowd control, but never as bad as Radar seems to get. Dancing at the back of the BR stage by the water, away from the cameras, was sublime.

The Nest is another amazing addition, and probably one of my favourites. Though it does get busy, the fact that there's a space out the back where the sound is still ok is great. Also loved the new hammock / sitting area hidden behind it.

Dekmantel used to be somewhere I would enjoy being there, walking around and taking in the scene just as much as being in the middle of a packed dancefloor. This year felt like there was way less places to sit, both with chairs and just on the grass (it's been a very dry year so I guess everything was dustier than usual) and way less shade overall.

Maybe I'm just getting old (!), maybe I'm succumbing to nostalgia, but I'm curious what other people think.

Found it odd that they didn’t post a single image / clip of him today.

After filling in my email and hitting 'mail me the link', I get an error message 'something went wrong, try again'. Tried two different email addresses.