Could Tiësto be revisiting his trance roots at long last? Here’s why we recommend going in with as few expectations as possible.
Any longtime dance music fan knows that Tiësto grew famous as a trance DJ but left for greener pastures when the genre started to lose popularity. Trance lovers have wished for a day when the Dutch icon would triumphantly return, making his announcement of an “In Search of Sunrise” set at EDC Las Vegas 2025 all the more impactful.
In Search of Sunrise is a world-famous trance mix compilation series whose first seven installments released between 1999-2008 were mixed by Tiësto (real name Tijs Verwest). It remains active to this day, with trance mainstays like Richard Durand, Markus Schulz, and Super8 & Tab curating more recent editions.
Around the same time Verwest moved on from In Search of Sunrise, he also began to adopt the big room style growing popular in the years leading up to the EDM boom of 2010-2015. In a 2014 DJ Mag video interview, he famously said, “Some of the old trance guys still have a following, but it doesn’t feel like anybody really cares. It’s nice to be in touch with the 16 to 18-year-old kids who are coming up producing house music.”
Fast forward to 2025 — when a fresh take on trance has started to gain popularity among ravers belonging to that coveted age range — and Verwest’s announcement has ignited hopes of his return to the genre. Fans of classic trance would do well not to get their hopes up, however.
If Verwest’s performance at EDC’s kineticFIELD stage at 4:13am on Sunday, May 18th is indeed an official In Search of Sunrise set, it will likely consist mostly of progressive house and melodic techno. These styles’ popularity is currently at its peak thanks to artists like Anyma and Mind Against, and it’s colored the output of major artists once known for trance, including in recent In Search of Sunrise mixes.
But more importantly, fans should avoid going to a rave with any rigid expectations as dance music always changes — and that’s a good thing. Maybe Tiësto will play trance. Maybe he’ll play Afro house. Hell, maybe he’ll return to his true roots and play hardcore. Leave your preconceived notions at the festival gates and let the artists take you on a ride.
Tickets to EDC Las Vegas 2025 are sold out at the time of writing. Insomniac shared the full lineup for this year’s edition in February.
