The 2025 edition of Tomorrowland witnessed a breathtaking line‑up at the Mainstage, including heavyweights like David Guetta, Martin Garrix, Hardwell — and of course Swedish House Mafia. While the crowd roared, keen observers flagged something curious: Axwell, Sebastian Ingrosso and Steve Angello apparently tapped only one channel on the mixer while the other three CDJs sat untouched. That, combined with identical performances across days, has sparked heated debate about pre‑recorded sets.
Why top DJs might prerecord their sets
Many high‑caliber acts choose to prerecord their live festival appearances to ensure consistency, flawless transitions, perfect synchronisation with lighting, pyrotechnics and visuals, and to avoid technical mishaps. A Reddit thread addressing earlier accusations of SHM using prerecorded sets encapsulates this sentiment:
“Swedish House Mafia is too good for prerecorded sets. Why would anyone want to just stand up on a stage of that size, pretending to be mixing?”
Yet others reflect reality at this level:
“Many big shows are pre‑recorded. Yes, at this level.”
These comments suggest that at massive festivals like Tomorrowland, prerecorded sets have become common practice—even at the highest level.
Live mixing is still alive at other festivals
Despite the prevalence of prerecorded performances, live mixing is far from dead. At Ultra Music Festival, EDC Las Vegas and Parookaville, many DJs still deliver fully improvised sets using advanced Pioneer CDJs, Nexus mixers and live controllers. Ultra 2025 sets — for instance by Afrojack and David Guetta — remain widely uploaded and show genuine live mixing, and Afrojack’s Ultra set has reached 1.6M views. Parookaville continues to host DJs who mix live across multiple stages in front of audiences of over 200,000 people.
Ultra and Parookaville scale demonstrate it is absolutely possible for international acts to mix live, given the right equipment and setup.
Swedish House Mafia’s approach: why studio sets might make sense
- Brand consistency: SHM’s Mainstage production is tightly choreographed—from fireworks to lasers and stage visuals, all timed to the mix. A prerecorded set guarantees flawless alignment.
- Performance pressure: Festivals like Tomorrowland broadcast globally, making any technical slip highly visible. Studio sets remove that risk.
- Touring efficiency: Touring large-scale festivals on consecutive days with identical experiences can benefit from prerecording—especially for acts promoting a single new era or digital single like their 2025 release “Wait So Long” under Superhuman Music.
Numbers speak: live vs prerecorded likely percentages
While there’s no authoritative statistic, anecdotal and forum analysis suggest a spectrum:
| Festival Type | Likelihood of Live Mixing |
|---|---|
| Smaller/Emerging DJs | High (>80 %) |
| Ultra / EDC / Parookaville | Moderate (~50‑70 %) |
| Mega‑Mainstage acts (e.g. SHM) | Lower (~20‑30 %) |
In the expanding EDM industry, expected to grow from USD 10.2 billion in 2025 to USD 20.5 billion by 2035, festival production values and risk mitigation drive the adoption of prerecording among elite artists.
What do fans really want?
Many fans argue that live mixing is part of the magic of DJing: spontaneity, variation and musicianship. When sets across nights are nearly identical, as reported by festival‑goers:
“These sets were identical to the second!!! I was there two nights.”
Critics say that while prerecording delivers spectacle, it undermines the authenticity fans expect from a live art form.
Conclusion: Is prerecording “cheating,” or smart stagecraft?
Pre‑recorded sets at festivals like Tomorrowland 2025 are not only possible but often strategic. Swedish House Mafia appears to opt for studio‑perfect performances to preserve production quality and timing—but this choice doesn’t negate the reality that many top DJs still mix live at festivals like Ultra and Parookaville. Live mixing remains feasible and appreciated, but for mega‑events, prerecorded shows are a growing norm, especially when mainstream spectacle is paramount.
Keywords: pre‑recorded DJ set, Swedish House Mafia Tomorrowland 2025, live DJ mixing, festival DJ authenticity, Ultra festival live set, EDM festival production, prerecorded vs live DJ set
Photo credit: Parlophone Music Sweden
