Updated October 2026: This review is about Defqon.1 2019. For 2027, Q-dance sells Premium Weekend tickets but no Premium day tickets, and you now pay with the festival wristband instead of tokens. Read more about tickets for Defqon.1 2027.
For a number of years now, you have been able to buy a premium ticket for Defqon.1.
I want to give you an insight into what it was like to have a premium ticket at Defqon.1 2019. If you are more interested in exactly what a premium ticket includes, you can read Coretours' article.
Great view
In my opinion, you get the most out of a premium ticket if you plan to spend a lot of time at the RED stage. RED is the main stage at Defqon.1, in other words the biggest stage. It mainly plays hardstyle, rawstyle and maybe a pinch of hardcore and frenchcore.
The premium deck at the main stage is very luxurious. The deck is built as an extra platform a few metres up in the air. This gives you a great view over the whole main stage compared with standing on the regular floor.
Decorated stand
The premium stand is decorated to give a special VIP and premium feeling. Compared with the regular dance floor, there are things like high tables to stand at. It may be a small detail, but it is incredibly important. Being able to put down your beer or drink and chat a bit in between all the dancing is really nice.
The stand also has some nice plants and decor to give it that little extra premium feeling.
Chill corner
Sometimes it is nice to sit down and rest for a while. At some editions of Defqon.1 there have been seats and sofas on the stand. This can vary from year to year, though, since Q-dance likes to try out different layouts and designs.
Nice bars
If there is one thing you really appreciate about premium, it is the bars. Compared with the bars on the regular dance floor, where the queues are always long and crowded, the queues in the VIP area are almost non-existent. Of course this varies during the day depending on which DJ is playing. If it is Headhunterz, Sefa or Wasted Penguinz, for example, be prepared for slightly longer queues here too.
The choice of alcohol is also a bit better here. It is not a full liquor store, but you have a few more options when it comes to cocktails and wine. You can even buy a whole bottle of wine here and pop it open, for those who want to go the extra mile.
Toilets
Behind the premium deck (down a staircase) there are toilets only for premium ticket holders. These toilets are very clean for portable toilets. Cleaning staff clean them more regularly than the festival toilets out on the field. That alone is worth going premium... you probably know what the regular toilets tend to look like at an event or festival.
Another advantage of them being behind the premium deck is that you do not have to walk 5-10 minutes from the main stage to reach the toilets. The staircase is right behind the deck, so it only takes a minute to reach the toilets and other hygiene facilities.
Token machines
Those of you who have raved in the Netherlands before know what tokens are. If you do not, you can read Coretours' article about tokens (in Swedish) and then come back here.
You never have to leave the premium deck to top up your tokens if you have spent them at the bar. On the same floor as the bars there are token machines in the corners, so you can refill your wallet. You do not have to leave the stage and walk 5-10 minutes to reach a token machine and queue, because the machines are right there.
Fast entrance
There is always some kind of check or security search when you go from the campsite into the festival grounds. Sometimes there are no queues at all, and at other times they are enormous. With a premium wristband we got in much faster than people with a regular ticket, because there is a premium entrance.
What about the other stages?
If we think back to the 2019 edition of Defqon.1, there were premium decks at the BLUE and BLACK stages too. The facilities there are nowhere near the level of the main stage, but there are still several advantages. If you are not sure which music style is played on the different stages, you can read our article about what the stage colors mean.
The decks are of course smaller, since the stages are smaller. But there is still a VIP bar and VIP toilets, and you are raised up a bit, so you get a good view of the stages and (in most cases) less crowding than on the rest of the dance floor. There are high tables too.
How do I get premium tickets?
Premium Weekend tickets are sold by Q-dance, and a regular ticket cannot be upgraded to Premium afterwards. Coretours travel packages are available with a Premium Weekend ticket.
