The Dutch EDM event "SENSATION," known as "the most beautiful festival in the world" due to its all-white dress code and all-white venue décor, opened at Makuhari Messe on October 10th. We took a look inside the ecstatic venue.
Created by ID&T, the creative company behind "TOMORROWLAND," one of the world's three largest EDM festivals, SENSATION launched in Amsterdam in 2000 and has expanded to 32 countries around the world, achieving success. Now in its 15th year, it's making its first appearance in Japan. Event director Eric expressed his joy backstage, saying, "I've been wanting to hold this event in Japan for the past four years, and I'm truly happy and honored that we're finally able to hold it here."
The venue for the day, Makuhari Messe, was thronged with spectators clad in a wide variety of white fashions, from fashionable, draped outfits like lace and robes, to more conservative styles, and even cosplay styles like bridal dresses and bunny girls, and VIP guests entering through the back entrance also appeared dressed in all-white fashion.
The venue heated up just after 10:30pm when the countdown numbers appeared on the screen. The show began with the performance of DJ Mr. White, a symbol of "SENSATION" who opens every show, and the venue was filled with thunderous cheers. Next up were Sunnery James & Ryan Marciano, who also performed at last year's "ULTRA JAPAN," followed by Dutch DJ virtuoso Sander Van Doorn, followed by Dannic, and finally Laidback Luke. Starting with future house and featuring hits like "Reload" (Sebastian Ingrosso, Tommy Trash, John Martin), "Heroes (we could be) ft. Tove Lo" (Alesso), "Titanium ft. Sia" (David Guetta), and "Booyah" (SHOWTEK), the set gradually grew more intense, finishing with explosive EDM. Another highlight of the "SENSATION" show was its use of dancers, lasers, fire, and other effects, in addition to the music. Of the seven acts, "Wicked Wonderland" was chosen for this inaugural performance. According to Eric, "it's inspired by the fairy tale 'Alice in Wonderland,'" and tells the story of a girl who gradually becomes lost in a mysterious world and grows into a sexy young woman. To bring this story to life, special auditions were held for the Japanese event, and eight Japanese dancers were selected. Dressed in costumes such as Alice, the Queen of Cards, and the Bunny, the dancers captivated the audience with their dazzling performances on stage.
"SENSATION" was a huge success, with the audience cheering and dancing right through to the last song. Like "ULTRA JAPAN," it's likely to become one of the most popular autumn festivals in the future.
