RIDING THE AIRWAVES ONE WORLD RADIO

guests walk up here and see the view, it immediately puts a smile on their faces and that in turn gives us the energy to keep going. It’s the smiles and the vibe from the people that gives us the drive to get through the days up here – they’re long, but so fun!”

Even tough One World Radio is live all year long, it always feels like one big preparation for the main event: going on air from the grounds of Tomorrowland. Justin: “The station is a massive highlight and a brilliant window into the Tomorrowland world. The people that might not know the festival well or haven’t visited it yet are drawn into it, and get a great idea of what the brand is all about. They tune in to One World Radio to get a grasp of what is going on, and then we pull them in and try to capture the feeling of what is happening in here. I mean: who better to elaborate on the vibe than those who are experiencing it, right? And that brings in a lot more listeners for the rest of the year, too.” According to Justin, being able to visit the studio, step in and witness radio being made live is a huge eye-opener for many of the passersby: “You know, radio is like a theatre of the mind. You’re in your car listening to it but you don’t really know how it’s being made. It’s a very suggestive medium. So coming in and experiencing what’s going on, seeing your favourite DJs being interviewed, that really inspires people. By opening up our doors we let you in on a bit of the magic of the airwaves.”

From its inception in 2019, One World Radio has been an everevolving allround experience guiding you through every aspect of the festival. “The schedule’s filling up quite nicely lately,” Justin says. “We’ve got a lot of new monthly shows like Vintage Culture, and the Alok Infinite Experience has just come on board. Obviously there’s still the classics like Armin van Buuren every week, but the guests are filling up the weekend slots very well and that just brings more and more attention to the station. And everybody wants to be on the Tomorrowland Friendship Mix on Thursday. I think it’s fair to say today that we have a great offering seven days a week. Whenever you turn on the radio, you know something exciting will happen and you’re gonna hear the best electronic music in the mix.”

This year, the studio is open to the People of Tomorrow again, so that everyone who wants to can get a sense of what it is like to present a radio show. And that, it turns out, is great fun.

“It’s been absolutely fabulous as usual,” Justin says. “We have an amazing view over the grounds here in the studio. We see the very first people coming in in the morning, we see them moving between the stages and we can really soak up the atmosphere. It’s a true window on the world, only in this case that world is Tomorrowland.” Presenting live throughout the weekend with just the two of them, the tempo is at at a BPM that’s closer to techno than to dub, but luckily Justin succeeds in keeping it fresh and fruity. “The music keeps us upbeat. We’re tuning in to sets from various stages all the time, there’s guests and DJs constantly coming through, so there’s always something happening. When the

After the festival, One World Radio promises to continue their role as your go-to solution when you’re in desperate need of some quality dance music, riding shotgun beside you in the car or lying next to you while listening through your headphones on the sofa. “A lot of people dropped by with stories about how during hard times in their lives or during COVID, One World Radio was a way of keeping in touch with the rest of the world. They listened to the music knowing that at the same time, tons of like-minded people were listening too. It’s always going to be upbeat, we’re always playing dance music in a friendly and uplifting way, so you’ll never regret switching on the radio.”