MagicBox at Tinderbox isn’t just a stage — it’s an emotional rollercoaster with strobe lights and 130 BPM. Afrohouse is peaking this year, and the lineup is dripping with global, rhythmic euphoria. I’ve handpicked the five DJs you absolutely can’t miss, and pointed out the one day you should not leave MagicBox — plus one booking that feels, more than anything, like a joke nobody’s really laughing at.
One star
Two stars
Three stars
Four stars
Five stars
Disclaimer: Apropos Magazine received access or a review copy. As always, we share our own impressions — unfiltered.
Six stars
I’m standing with my eyes closed in the middle of the MagicBox area, feeling the bass knock the dust off my festival boots. The laser show makes the sky above Tusindårsskoven shimmer, and for a moment I’m completely absorbed. MagicBox at Tinderbox is where house, techno and everything in between melt into one long outdoor rush of euphoria. As a festival junkie and a chronically curious soul, I’ve naturally singled out five names you must not, under any circumstances, miss at MagicBox this year.
Here is my personal top 5:
John Summit – Imagine an accountant who suddenly discovers he’s a world-class DJ. John Summit is the guy who traded Excel sheets for ecstasy on the dance floor, and it shows. His house beats are equal parts funky and crowd-pleasing. When “Where You Are” blasts out, MagicBox turns into one giant, singing group hug under the neon sky. Expect sweat on your forehead and spontaneous declarations of love from the crowd before he’s done.
Afrojack – If MagicBox were a drink, Afrojack would be a double vodka Red Bull with extra caffeine. For more than a decade, the Dutchman has been pumping out festival bangers without ever disappointing a crowd. I’ll happily admit that I always end up jumping around uncontrollably when Afrojack drops his huge hits — whether it’s a nostalgic anthem or a brand-new banger, the bass hits you right in the solar plexus. The show? Pyro, confetti and smiles all around. It may be mainstream, but sometimes you just need to throw caution to the wind and yell, “Oh, for FUCK’S SAKE!” as yet another drop makes MagicBox explode.
Kölsch – Late at night, Kölsch appears (in a previous life better known as Rune RK). He is, admittedly, Danish, but he has played the world’s biggest stages to the bone with his melancholic-euphoric techno. I get chills just thinking about his melodies under the open sky in Tusindårsskoven. The sound is equal parts poetic and propulsive — you can dance and get a lump in your throat at the same time.
Matroda – Have you ever danced so hard that your shoelaces came undone out of sheer terror? That could very well happen during Matroda’s set. The Croatian “house rebel” shows no mercy: his bass house is dirty in the best possible way, with skewed drops and unexpected twists that make you pull a bass face and shout “Ooh!” to the person next to you. Matroda tears MagicBox apart with a mix of old-school rave and modern ferocity — like a loving kick to the chest that makes you dance even harder. If you need your dancing feet properly shaken awake, Matroda is your man.
Alex Wann – The French wunderkind of afro house. His sound blends deep, organic percussion with melodies that build like a tropical storm — suddenly you’re standing there with your eyes closed and your hands in the air, as if MagicBox had been transformed into a beach club in Dakar. Wann is constantly surprising; you can hear echoes of Burning Man and Parisian nightclubs in his sets.
Beyond these five stars, MagicBox is packed with other international names:
Julian Jordan & Lucas & Steve: Dutch EDM with sunny vibes and melodic hooks — impossible not to stand still to.
Argy & Kevin de Vries: Greek house maestro meets German techno wizard, and together they turn up the euphoria with dreamy beats — perfect for stretching your arms toward the night sky in ecstasy.
8Kays & Korolova: Two Ukrainian power women with melodic techno full of feeling. Ideal for sunset moods and eyes-closed dancing.
ARTBAT & Mathame: Two top names in melodic techno delivering grand, cinematic tracks. Prepare for chills along the way.
If you’re only allowed to rave one day this year:
Thursday: Party from the first drop.
Thursday kicks off with full Dutch party guarantee: Afrojack and his party crew promise confetti, massive drops and breathless energy from the very first beat.
Friday: For the discerning ears.
Friday is for the more selective types. Here you get Kölsch’s melodic finesse in the company of Argy and Kevin de Vries, who deliver techno with both brains and heart.
Saturday: The big rave haul.
But Saturday… Saturday is something special. When John Summit and ARTBAT are on the same night, it’s like getting three favourite sweets in one bag. It peaks. And with several strong names on top, it becomes one long outdoor ecstasy. If I could only choose one day, it would without a doubt be Saturday — this is where you get the most rave for your money.
Honest Intermezzo, at my own expense
And while we’re at it: who the hell came up with the idea of putting Lågsus on MagicBox? I imagine a booking meeting where someone said: “We also need something for the lowest common denominator — all that Burning Man-Dubai-rooftop-house might be too difficult for people.” Fair enough. But did the common denominator really have to be this abyssal?
Hearing Lågsus between names like Kölsch and John Summit feels like being served a lukewarm beer between champagne bottles. It sounds like karaoke at an endless bachelor party in Kolding, and the show looks like two publicly funded radio hosts trying to hide their lack of timing behind autotune and 2014 Melbourne Bounce. It’s like sending two drunk uncles on stage and calling it culture.
And worst of all: it feels like a kick in the groin to Danish electronic artists who would give an arm to stand there — without access to the public-service canon. Of course Lågsus gets to make a scene in fine company. And I’ll happily laugh along at 5 p.m. But it’s also like throwing a clown into the opera. Sure, it makes noise — but it’s still the wrong place.
