Hardwell Closes the Book with a Throwback Blowout at Tomorrowland’s Great Library Stage

Ten years after it dropped like a meteor onto the EDM landscape, Hardwell ‘s United We Are is getting the homecoming it deserves—and where better to throw that party than Tomorrowland?

Hardwell, the Dutch titan who once ruled festival mainstages like a gladiator with a USB stick, is returning to Tomorrowland’s Great Library stage for a set that promises to be less a trip down memory lane and more a time-warped supernova. Slated for Friday, July 18th, his special 10th anniversary performance of United We Are reads like a love letter to the era when big room house reigned supreme.

For those who remember 2015 as the year of stadium anthems and hands-in-the-air euphoria, United We Are was a benchmark. It wasn’t just another DJ album—it was a fully-fledged statement piece. Collaborations with names like Jason Derulo, Mr. Probz, and the late Fatman Scoop gave it mainstream appeal, but the album’s real legacy lies in how it married pop structures with massive drops, wrapping melody in bombast. This wasn’t subtle music. It wasn’t trying to be. And that’s exactly why it hit so hard.

Tomorrowland’s Great Library stage—already beloved for its steampunk grandeur and literary whimsy—feels like the perfect backdrop for this narrative-rich moment. Hardwell’s story is one of ascent, retreat, and rebirth. After stepping back from touring in 2018, his return has been marked by a more nuanced approach to music and performance. But with this set, he’s turning the page again—this time to a chapter fans know by heart.

In an industry that burns through trends at the speed of a 128-BPM drop, there’s something satisfying about an artist circling back—not out of nostalgia, but to remind us why the music mattered in the first place. Hardwell isn’t just revisiting his roots at Tomorrowland—he’s rewriting them on his own terms.

For anyone who ever lost their voice screaming along to “Mad World” or danced until sunrise to “Follow Me,” this set is a reunion. And judging by the anticipation, it’ll be one for the books.