Tijs Michiel Verwest, better known as DJ Tiësto, is a Dutch DJ, record producer and remixer who is widely regarded as one of the world’s leading DJs. Known as the “Godfather of EDM,” he has performed at clubs and festivals across every continent, as well as at the opening ceremony of the Athens Olympic Games.

Throughout his career, Tiësto has held residencies at iconic venues including Privilege and Pacha in Ibiza. This summer, he returned to the island for a successful Monday-night residency at UNVRS, one of the world’s newest major club destinations.

Back to his roots at UNVRS

  • How was your experience at UNVRS?

It was incredible. It felt like going back to my roots. I used to DJ at Privilege, so returning to the same place was very emotional for me. The show and the residency were fantastic right through to the end of August.

  • Do you see much difference between Privilege back then and UNVRS today?

Yes. UNVRS is on another level. It is new and has become one of the best and most important clubs in the world. Before, the venue was much older.

Has technology changed the club experience?

  • Do you think there is too much technology in clubs nowadays?

No, I think it is great. For the audience, the sound is cleaner and everything is spectacular. The lighting and the quality of the production are much better.

But the vibe is still the same, because I only see people dancing. I don’t see the visuals or the lights. My job is to make people happy, and it seems to be working.

From smartphones to the dancefloor

  • When you played at Privilege and Pacha, people danced a lot. Nowadays, do you notice that they are more interested in taking photos and videos?

I talked about this with the people at UNVRS. It is true that at the beginning of the set, people spend quite a lot of time interacting with their phones. But then it changes.

During the last two hours, interest in the phone drops and people dance much more. I understand that during the first hour they want to capture a memory of the night and the experience. But afterwards, they put their phones away and the atmosphere becomes really great.

It was very enjoyable to play until the early hours and see people dancing, having fun and enjoying themselves.

From 1990s trance to today’s melodic sound

  • How do you see the evolution of music from the 1990s to today?

It is very interesting. I have been DJing for many years, and right now we are in a very melodic moment, similar to when I started.

There was a period when I played a lot of trance, then EDM, and there were other periods when I was influenced by Swedish House Mafia and Avicii.

After COVID, I felt that something had to change. Something was missing, and I moved more towards trance.

I played in the United States, and then I became excited about returning to what I had done at Privilege and bringing back the Monday-night show.

It was the perfect moment to show the world how I am performing now. It represents 30 years of Tiësto’s music, including old-school trance as well as newer and more contemporary trance.

  • Have you changed your style, or have you simply gone back to your roots?

The style has evolved back towards what I was doing before the EDM era. It comes from the 2000s, but it is more elevated, more precise and better.

It is like fashion. A new Gucci collection might be inspired by the 1970s. In this case, it is a new Tiësto collection inspired by my beginnings.

Why Ibiza remains special

  • You have worked in places such as Las Vegas, Dubai, Miami and Ibiza. Where do you feel most comfortable DJing, and where do you enjoy the audience response the most?

The world is beautiful and very big, with so many wonderful places. It is difficult to choose one because the variety is so great.

I can play one night in Ibiza, then Istanbul, Tokyo, Las Vegas, Canada, Mexico… Every place has a very special audience, and you can feel that more strongly than ever.

I love going everywhere. Maybe I feel best in places where people really love music, and Ibiza is undoubtedly one of them.

People come here to go out and have fun, and it is fantastic.

  • What makes Ibiza different from other places?

It is very different because it has a strong musical history and a very high standard of quality.

Fans come here to hear great dance music, and there is variety for every taste. Everyone can enjoy their own style, from a pop DJ to an underground artist or something in between.

That is something incredible and unique about Ibiza.

The future of electronic music

  • How do you see the future of electronic music?

I think it is stronger than ever. In the 1990s, people said it was going to disappear, but today it is still very strong.

There are many young British and Dutch DJs who are extremely talented. And the older generation is still doing incredible work. Carl Cox, for example, is a very solid artist who consistently delivers exceptional quality and remains highly relevant. There are also artists such as Sven Väth.

So the new and old generations coexist, and both are spectacular, with great producers and DJs.

A new generation of female DJs

  • There is also a very strong wave of women entering the DJ booths at clubs today.

They took a long time to arrive, but they are finally here, and they are incredible and talented.

There are new figures such as Kiki, Lisa Cover and Charlotte de Witte, along with many others who are moving in the right direction, especially within electronic music.

Tiësto and artificial intelligence

  • Do you use artificial intelligence a lot?

Only to experiment and see how something might look or sound in a particular situation. But I don’t use it for the final production because everything is created, written and sung by humans.

I think it is a tool, but it is not precise or good enough yet. Technology is evolving and progressing in everything—not just music, but every aspect of life.

The world has to evolve. Robots are coming, and that is what the future looks like.

  • Some DJs use visuals and lights, and sometimes it seems that the show has become more important than the DJ. What do you think?

There are DJs for every taste. Some work with images and visuals, while others are more pop-oriented or play new songs. There is a lot of variety.

Likewise, many DJs don’t use visuals at all. Some fans love that, while others don’t.

There are very alternative artists who cannot be replaced by AI because they play from the heart and soul.

When you are in the booth at six in the morning, thinking about what you are going to play at that exact moment, you choose the perfect track and suddenly you have the crowd in the palm of your hand.

AI cannot replace that. Nothing can.

“I’m living a dream”

  • What do you dream about now?

Many of my dreams have already come true. I am living a dream.

I have two children, which is a real dream, and we are here in Ibiza in a beautiful house.

My dream is to keep making people happy with my music and for them to love it. I want to continue performing and producing because I love what I do just as much as when I started.

Seeing fans still coming to the party on Mondays is a dream for me.

Seeing the eclipse and shooting stars with my children is a dream too.

I’m living a dream. What more could I ask for?