From the Stroller to the Stage: Tomorrowland Festival to Showcase DJs as Young as 11

by Michael Ryan · Published July 14, 2023

A group of diminutive DJs will soon find themselves on the world's biggest festival stage, where they'll deliver beats as fresh as a lemonade stand.

The organizers of Belgium's iconic Tomorrowland festival have announced Rise, a brand new stage showcasing DJs as young as 11. One of 16 stages at this year's event, Rise is an activation of the brand's Tomorrowland Academy series, which invites kids to participate in weeklong electronic music mentoring workshops.

23 artists are poised to thrown down at Rise, where they'll mix tracks with the finesse of a playground "Connect Four" champion.

"I always say everything is possible! Whenever anyone asked me what’s next, what else I would love to achieve, I’d always reply that my dream is to perform at Tomorrowland," DJ Michelle, 11, who will become the youngest to ever perform at the festival, tells EDM.com. "I’m telling you, dreams do come true. Tomorrowland, wait for me—I’m coming!"

Born in Azerbaijan and based in Dubai, DJ Michelle became the youngest to ever compete in the DMC World DJ Championship at the age of nine. She joins a Rise lineup featuring Maite Dedecker, Horizontal Soundsystem, Varoc and more.

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It seems many children are ditching treasure hunts for turntables these days—and music festival organizers are taking notice. Last month, a nine-year-old DJ made history when he became the youngest to ever perform at England's legendary Glastonbury Festival.

Tomorrowland returns to Boom next weekend from July 21-23 before taking over the city for another outing from July 28-30. You can purchase passes and find out more here.