Sahil Varma: I ended up playing for 3 hours at Tomorrowland

Indian artiste Sahil Varma, also known as ADGRMS, became the first Indian to perform at Tomorrowland, playing a three-hour set at the festival.

Sahil Varma aka ADGRMS is the only Indian artiste to play at Tomorrowland this year. The annual EDM festival in Belgium is held over four days and Varma played at the Belgian Beer Bar stage on Friday, July 21. He says, “Ten years ago, I used to dream of attending the festival. But I also remember a younger me promising my best friend that the first time I attend the festival will be to perform otherwise I will never go. I still cannot believe this happened.”

Sahil Varma: I ended up playing for 3 hours at Tomorrowland

Sahil Varma aka ADGRM was the only Indian artiste to play at Tomrrowland this year (Instagram)

Talking about his experience at the festival, the 26-year-old says, “I played a mix of different genres including Afro house, techno and I always try to end my sets with a high energy number. I was actually supposed to perform a 90-minute set, but I played a three-hour set because the people wouldn’t let me go. I have never played a better set in my whole life.” The DJ-cum-music producer played Hindi/Bollywood songs during his set, including Pataka Guddi by the Noorani sisters, Aaja sanam by Lata Mangeshkar, Mundian To Bach Ke by Panjabi MC, among others.

Based in Amsterdam, Netherlands, the Indian artiste says it was “magical” playing at and meeting all of his music heroes at the festival. “I saw everybody that I look up to. They were walking by or sitting right next to me. Among the many people I met was Tiesto. He was the reason that I became a DJ. In 2013, I went to a concert in Mumbai and that was the first time I saw a DJ perform. It was just Tiesto on stage and 25,000 people in the crowd, and they were all doing what he wanted them to do. That was the day I knew what I wanted to be. I also got to speak to him and told him about this; he was really happy to hear it.”