You don’t need surveys, focus groups or statistics to prove that summer is the favorite season for electronic music lovers. And the reason is fairly intuitive. It’s a common masculine noun, singular, and every time you read it you could almost cry with joy. Exactly. The word in question is “festival.” To be even more precise: the Stone Techno Festival. On the weekend of July 10, 11 and 12, 2026, one of the world’s largest celebrations of techno music returns to the spectacular UNESCO World Heritage Zeche Zollverein for an edition unlike anything before.
The moment the curtain fell on the previous edition, the engines behind the scenes (organisation, planning, music) were already pointed toward the next one. Just like New Year’s resolutions, Third Room decided to act on theirs early, turning intentions into real, tangible changes. The entire team is aware that, year after year, the festival grows in visibility and reputation. With that comes the responsibility of meeting increasingly high expectations without ever betraying the original vision: a love for club culture expressed through a collective, open-air immersive experience. The commitment to refining production standards is constant, ensuring both quality and moments of shared connection. Every piece of feedback has shaped each edition, making it more memorable than the last. And the same applies to 2026.
At the heart of this positive shift lies The Third Room’s Curation Series, a multidisciplinary project aiming to redefine what a techno festival can be: sound, selection and spatial storytelling. Oscar Mulero, D. Dan, Verraco, Freddy K, Alarico and GiGi FM, six of the most influential voices in contemporary club culture, were invited to craft a double experience. On one side, a 12-inch vinyl release featuring various artists; on the other, a 12-hour curated stage. The series draws inspiration from the concept of “Gesamtkunstwerk,” a German word meaning “total work of art” or “complete artwork.” It’s an aesthetic and artistic concept developed by Wagner in the 19th century. The idea is that no artistic discipline (music, dance, scenography, architecture) should dominate the others: they all merge to produce a fully emotional and sensorial impact on the audience. If the father of modern musical theatre applied it in his own work, today the term finds new meaning in many contexts and perfectly aligns with the unified experience envisioned by Third Room.
Oscar Mulero opens the series with depth and refinement, alongside DVS1, Isabel Soto, Luigi Tozzi and Philippa Pacho. D. Dan brings hypnosis, acidic energy and experimentation with Connor Wall, Rene Wise, DJ Maria, Sunju Hargun and Mari Sakurai. Freddy K delivers tension and boldness with Jin Synth, Quelza, Toobris, Ogazon and Sons of Hidden. Verraco explores innovation and depth with 1morning, OK Williams, Powder, Regal86, Substance and Vainqueur, and Skee Mask. Alarico brings groove and precision with Abs8lute, Amoral, Amotik, Lea Occhi, Toru Ikemoto and Yanamaste. And GiGi FM closes the cycle with body-focused and intense techno, together with D Leria, Efdemin, Fergus Sweetland and Fireground.
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admin2024-09-03 13:09:152025-03-19 14:35:32Portugal’s Techno Sanctuary / Neopop 2024
