Tomorrowland 2023 Mainstage
Record-breaking closing set at the world's biggest festival
Martin Garrix
Martijn Gerard Garretsen
98
Heat Score
#1
DJ Mag (3x)
2012
Active Since
NL
Amsterdam
🎧 Biography
The rise of the world's youngest #1 DJ
Martin Garrix, born Martijn Gerard Garretsen on May 14, 1996, in Amstelveen, Netherlands, is one of the most influential figures in modern electronic dance music. His meteoric rise began at just 17 years old when he released "Animals" through Spinnin' Records in June 2013. The track became a global phenomenon, topping charts in the UK, Belgium, Ireland, and the Netherlands, and reaching the top 10 in nearly every major market worldwide. It was a watershed moment for big room house and EDM as a whole, cementing Garrix as the youngest artist to ever reach #1 on Beatport's main chart. The raw, driving energy of "Animals" became an anthem for an entire generation of electronic music fans, and its unmistakable drop remains one of the most recognized sounds in dance music history.
Following the explosive success of his debut, Garrix moved quickly to establish himself as more than a one-hit wonder. He released a string of critically acclaimed tracks and collaborations, including "Scared to Be Lonely" with Dua Lipa, "In the Name of Love" with Bebe Rexha, "Ocean" featuring Khalid, and "There for You" with Troye Sivan. In 2016, he made the bold move of leaving Spinnin' Records to launch his own label, STMPD RCRDS (pronounced "Stamped Records"), giving him full creative control over his music and allowing him to sign and develop emerging talent. That same year, he was chosen to perform at the closing ceremony of the 2016 Rio Olympics, bringing electronic music to the world's largest sporting stage. By 2017, he achieved the crowning recognition of being voted the world's #1 DJ in DJ Mag's Top 100 poll, a title he held for three consecutive years.
Today, Martin Garrix stands as a global ambassador for electronic dance music, headlining every major festival from Tomorrowland to Ultra Miami, EDC Las Vegas, and Creamfields. His Ushuaia Ibiza residency has become one of the most sought-after summer events on the island. Beyond performing, Garrix has proven himself a savvy entrepreneur through STMPD RCRDS, which has grown into one of the most respected independent labels in dance music. His production style has evolved significantly since the big room days of "Animals," embracing progressive house, future bass, and melodic electronic sounds that showcase his maturity as an artist. Collaborations with Julian Jordan, Matisse & Sadko, and newer artists on his label continue to push the boundaries of what commercial dance music can be. Despite his massive fame, Garrix remains remarkably grounded, often citing his Dutch upbringing and close family ties as the key to staying humble in an industry known for excess.
🎶 Best Sets
The most iconic Martin Garrix live performances and music videos
Tomorrowland 2022 Mainstage
Epic return to the Tomorrowland mainstage post-COVID
Ultra Miami 2022
High-energy set from Miami's premier dance music festival
ADE 2023 — STMPD RCRDS Showcase
Intimate label showcase during Amsterdam Dance Event
Animals (Official Video)
The track that started it all — released at age 17 in 2013
Scared to Be Lonely ft. Dua Lipa
Massive crossover hit with global pop superstar Dua Lipa
🎪 Concert Timeline
Key milestones in Martin Garrix's live performance career
2013
Debut at Amsterdam Dance Event
Fresh off the global success of "Animals," a 17-year-old Martin Garrix made his debut performance at ADE, the world's largest electronic music conference. The energy was electric as industry insiders witnessed the arrival of a prodigious talent.
2014
Tomorrowland Mainstage Debut
At just 18, Garrix took the legendary Tomorrowland mainstage for the first time, performing in front of tens of thousands of fans in Boom, Belgium. This set established him as a bona fide festival headliner and began a long-running tradition of iconic Tomorrowland performances.
2016
Olympics Rio Closing Ceremony DJ Set
Martin Garrix was handpicked to perform at the closing ceremony of the 2016 Rio Olympics, becoming the first DJ to play at an Olympic ceremony. He brought electronic music to a global audience of billions, performing alongside a spectacular visual show inside the Maracana Stadium.
2017
#1 DJ Mag for the First Time
Garrix was crowned the world's #1 DJ in DJ Mag's prestigious Top 100 poll, making him the youngest artist to ever claim the top spot. He would go on to hold this position for three consecutive years (2017–2019), a testament to his dominance in global dance music.
2019
Ushuaia Ibiza Residency Launch
Garrix launched his own summer residency at Ushuaia Ibiza Beach Hotel, one of the island's most prestigious open-air clubs. The weekly events became the hottest ticket of Ibiza's summer season, featuring surprise guest appearances and exclusive new music premieres.
2022
Tomorrowland Epic Return Post-COVID
After two years of pandemic-related cancellations, Garrix triumphantly returned to the Tomorrowland mainstage with a set widely regarded as one of the greatest in the festival's history. The emotional reunion between artist and crowd was a defining moment in electronic music's post-pandemic recovery.
2023
Record-Breaking Tomorrowland Mainstage
Garrix delivered what many fans and critics called his best Tomorrowland set ever, debuting multiple unreleased tracks and featuring stunning production with fireworks, pyrotechnics, and a crowd that numbered in the hundreds of thousands. The set was streamed live to millions worldwide.
2024
World Tour with New Album
Garrix embarked on a massive world tour supporting new album material, playing sold-out arena shows across North America, Europe, Asia, and South America. The tour featured a completely reimagined stage design and showcased the matured, more progressive sound of his latest productions.
🌎 Lifestyle
Where Martin Garrix lives, parties, travels, eats, and more
Where He Lives
Amsterdam, Netherlands. Martin has a studio apartment near the canals in Amsterdam's city center, which doubles as his creative workspace and home base. During the summer months, he also maintains a residence in Ibiza, Spain, to be close to his Ushuaia residency and the island's vibrant club scene.
Where He Parties
Garrix is synonymous with the biggest venues and events in dance music.
- Ushuaia Ibiza — Summer residency
- Hi Ibiza — Regular guest appearances
- ADE Amsterdam — Label events & showcases
- STMPD RCRDS label nights — Exclusive events worldwide
Where He Travels
A true global citizen of dance music, Garrix's touring schedule spans the world.
- Ibiza, Spain — Summer base
- Miami, USA — Ultra / WMC
- Las Vegas, USA — Club residencies
- Tomorrowland, Belgium — Annual headliner
- Seoul, South Korea — Touring
- Tokyo, Japan — Touring
- Mumbai, India — Touring
What He Eats
Known for maintaining a healthy lifestyle despite the demands of constant touring, Garrix is a lover of Dutch cuisine and good food in general. He's been spotted dining at some of the world's best restaurants, including Nobu Ibiza and Zuma Miami. He often shares food recommendations with fans on social media and credits a balanced diet with helping him sustain energy during marathon festival sets.
What He Wears
Garrix keeps his fashion simple and casual, favoring a laid-back streetwear aesthetic. He's most often seen in Nike or Adidas sneakers, simple t-shirts, and comfortable jackets. For major stage performances, he occasionally wears custom-designed outfits. His style reflects his down-to-earth Dutch personality — understated, practical, and effortlessly cool rather than flashy or attention-seeking.
Who He Dates
Martin Garrix was previously in a relationship with Dutch model Charelle Schriek. He is widely known for keeping his personal life extremely private, rarely sharing details about his romantic relationships on social media. He has spoken in interviews about the importance of separating his public persona from his private life, citing it as essential for maintaining his mental health and personal well-being in the spotlight.
🎬 Behind the Scenes
Exclusive studio sessions, documentaries, and the making of Martin Garrix
The Martin Garrix Show
Documentary series following Garrix on tour, backstage, and in the studio — revealing the person behind the DJ
Studio Session Footage
Insight into Garrix's production process, songwriting approach, and creative workflow in the STMPD studio
👥 Fan Ecosystem
Join the global Martin Garrix community across platforms
Reddit Community
The r/MartinGarrix subreddit is one of the most active DJ fan communities on Reddit. Fans share news, setlists, unreleased track IDs, tour announcements, and live set recordings. A great place for in-depth discussions about Garrix's music production and upcoming releases.
Fan Instagram & Social Accounts
Dedicated fan accounts like @garrixers and @martingarrixfans share concert photos, behind-the-scenes content, fan edits, and news updates. Martin himself is highly active on Instagram (@martingarrix), sharing tour moments and studio previews with his millions of followers.
SoundCloud & Remixes
The SoundCloud community around Martin Garrix is thriving, with fans creating remixes, mashups, and bootleg edits of his tracks. Many emerging producers first gained attention by remixing Garrix originals. The STMPD RCRDS SoundCloud page also features exclusive DJ mixes and unreleased demos.
Discord Communities
Multiple Discord servers are dedicated to Martin Garrix fans, where communities gather for real-time chat during live streams, festival sets, and new music drops. Servers organize listening parties, share set tracklists, and discuss everything from production techniques to tour meetups.
🎧 Related DJs
If you like Martin Garrix, check out these artists
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Everything fans want to know about Martin Garrix
Martin Garrix lives in Amsterdam, Netherlands, where he has a studio apartment near the canals that also serves as his creative workspace. During the summer months, he maintains a second residence in Ibiza, Spain, to be close to his renowned residency at Ushuaia Ibiza Beach Hotel. Amsterdam has been his home base throughout his career, and he frequently cites the city's creative energy and electronic music heritage as major inspirations.
Martin Garrix's real name is Martijn Gerard Garretsen. He was born on May 14, 1996, in Amstelveen, a municipality in the province of North Holland, Netherlands. He adopted the stage name "Martin Garrix" early in his music career, deriving it from his birth name. Despite his global fame, he remains connected to his Dutch roots and family.
Martin Garrix's most celebrated live sets include his Tomorrowland 2023 record-breaking mainstage closing set, his emotional Tomorrowland 2022 post-COVID return, his Ultra Miami 2022 headline performance, and the intimate ADE 2023 STMPD RCRDS showcase in his hometown of Amsterdam. His Tomorrowland sets are consistently ranked among the best festival performances each year, known for their flawless mixing, exclusive track premieres, and spectacular production. His 2016 Tomorrowland set and the 2016 Rio Olympics closing ceremony performance are also considered landmark moments in his career.
Martin Garrix is a regular headliner at virtually every major electronic music festival in the world. His annual schedule typically includes Tomorrowland (Boom, Belgium), Ultra Music Festival (Miami, USA), EDC Las Vegas, Creamfields (UK), Lollapalooza, Balaton Sound, Sziget Festival, and Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE). He also holds a coveted summer residency at Ushuaia Ibiza and plays special one-off events and arena shows across Asia, South America, and India. He is one of the most in-demand festival headliners in the world.
Martin Garrix runs his own record label called STMPD RCRDS (pronounced "Stamped Records"), which he founded in 2016 after departing from Spinnin' Records. The label was created to give Garrix full creative control over his music and to provide a platform for emerging artists. STMPD RCRDS has since grown into one of the most influential independent dance music labels, signing and developing new talent while releasing Garrix's own productions. The label is based in Amsterdam and hosts its own events and showcases at major festivals and during Amsterdam Dance Event.
Martin Garrix was just 17 years old when he produced and released "Animals" in June 2013 through Spinnin' Records. The track became a worldwide phenomenon, reaching #1 in multiple countries including the UK, Belgium, and the Netherlands. It became one of the best-selling dance singles of all time and made Garrix the youngest artist to ever top the Beatport main chart. The success of "Animals" at such a young age was unprecedented in electronic music and launched his career as one of the biggest DJs in the world. He had been producing music since around age 12 after being inspired by watching a Tiesto concert documentary.