Hardstyle Icon Headhunterz Returning to North America Three Years After Farewell Show

The organizers of an electronic music festival in Canada have succeeded in coaxing Headhunterz out of retirement for a rare DJ set in North America, his only performance on the continent in 2026.Nearly three years after the Dutch hardstyle legend played what he called his last show, he’s now poised to take the stage at REDLINE Festival, which will take over Calgary’s Big Four Building on November 21.

According to the event’s organizers, it will be his only North American tour date in 2026 and he will perform under the Headhunterz name, sharing the bill with Coone, KSHMR and more.The pioneering producer announced that he intended to stop touring back in September 2023, explaining that the toll of constant travel on his physical and mental health had led him to want a more balanced life.

His “final” performance, a hometown show in the Netherlands, took place on December 23 of that year.It capped an influential career of roughly two decades in hard dance for Headhunterz, during which became closely tied to the beloved Defqon.1 festival and DJed at some of the world’s largest EDM festivals, including Tomorrowland and EDC Las Vegas.

He ultimately made a surprise comeback at Sydney’s EPIK Festival on December 13, 2025 before returning in January for two Project One shows in the Netherlands alongside Wildstylez.Headhunterz’s booking at REDLINE was “far from routine,” according to Stanley Ho, who founded Electric Escape, the promotion company behind the festival.

“Securing his appearance took considerable persuasion, persistence and extensive back-and-forth with his team,” Ho tells EDM.com.“With Headhunterz having stepped away from touring, this was far from a routine booking.

We feel incredibly fortunate that he agreed to return to North America for REDLINE, and bringing this experience to fans means a great deal to us.” Tickets to REDLINE Festival are available here.Scroll to continue more from edm Brazi...