Sound Waves Marks 20 Years with Explosive Hard Techno Celebration in Portugal

Sound Waves

Hard techno has a home in Portugal, and its name is Sound Waves. On 5 July, the festival celebrated its 20th anniversary in style, delivering an unforgettable night for thousands of ravers who travelled from all over the world.

This year’s edition featured two stages, with the Mainstage stealing the spotlight. Nima – Visual Studio set the tone with jaw-dropping visuals, while the sound system roared with precision for more than 20 hours of pounding beats. Hard techno queens Fatima Hajji and Rebekah led the charge with powerful, high-energy sets that kept the crowd in overdrive. SNTS brought a dark and hypnotic edge as the sun came up, while Basswell tore through favourites like ‘Massive Attack’, ‘Lunar’ and ‘Bass Down Low’. Rising star Oguz kept ravers locked in with his signature blend of hard techno and trance.

Two unforgettable B2Bs punctuated the night. Joanna Coelho and Miss Sheila delivered a set that had the entire crowd in awe, before Luciid and Ornella raised the energy to new heights with a potent mix of schranz and euphoric cuts, including a standout remix of Rüfüs Du Sol’s ‘Innerbloom’.

Mainstage highlights also included stellar sets from Onlynumbers, Parsa Jafari, and the ever-relentless Ornella, who delivered two performances across the night. As dawn broke, Lorenzo Raganzini’s heavy, metal-infused techno charged the crowd before Fantasm, Novah, and Jazzy closed the stage in style.

The Vicious Stage offered a different vibe, with groovy trance, melodic schranz, and underground rhythms curated by emerging talent from Portugal and Spain, delivering a more intimate yet equally captivating experience.

Sound Waves has once again proved why it stands as one of Europe’s leading hard techno brands. With the official aftermovie now live on YouTube, fans are already looking forward to the next chapter. The festival returns on 14 February for its Winter Edition at Lisbon’s Carlos Lopes Pavilion, before celebrating its 21st anniversary in July 2026.

For tickets and updates, visit soundwavesfest.com or https://music.beepd.co/card/soundwaves.