On this page
Key takeaways
- Most festival DJ contests open between January and May and close after two to five weeks. Miss the window and you wait a year.
- We list only contests with an official organiser page, and we never guess 2027 dates. "Not announced yet" means the organiser has not published them, with last year's window as a guide.
- Contests that are open right now sit at the top of the calendar.
- Winners rarely have the best gear. They send a short, clean mix for the exact stage, a sharp photo and one link with everything a promoter needs.
- Promoters: you can run your own contest for free on Backstage, with entries and jury in one place.
How to use this calendar
The list covers techno, house, tech house, drum and bass, jungle, dubstep, trance, hardstyle, hardcore and open "all genres" contests. Most are in Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany, because that is where most festival contests run, plus Austria, Spain, France, Ireland, the UK and Croatia.
Each contest shows one of three labels:
- Open now: you can enter today. The deadline is on the card.
- Dates announced: the organiser has published the 2027 dates.
- Not announced yet: no 2027 dates yet. We show the last published window so you know roughly when to look.
Filter by genre or country, and always click through to the official page before you enter. Rules, mix length and prizes change from year to year.
Last checked November 8, 2026
36 contests
Open now
- Open now
Cluster Festival local DJ call
Back to Bounce x Cloud Nine x SauscoreGhent, Belgium
- Bounce
- Trance
- Groove
- Deadline
- November 16, 2026
- Prize
- 1-hour set, EUR 75 fee, wristband and clips
- How to submit
- Mixtape via VI.BE
- Voting
- Not stated
- Who can enter
- Ghent / East Flanders
- Open now
D-DAYZ 2027 DJ Contest
BeursfuifWaregem, Belgium
- All genres
- Deadline
- November 18, 2026
- Dates
- D-DAYZ 2027 on Mar 19 or 20
- Prize
- EUR 50 and a set at D-DAYZ 2027
- How to submit
- Mixtape and image via VI.BE
- Voting
- Audience and jury
- Open now
Urban Jungle DJ Contest
Monkey Business SoundsystemGenk, Belgium
- Breakbeat
- Jungle
- Drum and bass
- Electronic
- Deadline
- December 15, 2026
- Dates
- Contest Jan 9, 2027, final Feb 6, 2027 (Club 26)
- Prize
- Final slot, 2 hours of coaching, photos, tickets, travel refund
- How to submit
- Mixtape and image via VI.BE
- Voting
- Audience and jury, jury has the final say
- Who can enter
- Age 16 to 30
- Open now
Student DJ Contest 2027
HI The Hague / Study in The HagueThe Hague, Netherlands
- Danceable, all genres
- Deadline
- December 19, 2026
- Dates
- Final Feb/Mar 2027
- Prize
- Slots at The Hague festivals, incl. the Liberation Festival, plus a cash prize
- How to submit
- 30 to 60 min demo on SoundCloud, photo (min 2 MB), tracklist, bio
- Voting
- Jury
- Who can enter
- Students
February
- Not announced yet
Electric Love DJ Contest
Electric Love FestivalSalzburgring, Austria
- All electronic
- Last window
- 2026: Jan 23 to Feb 15 (2025: Jan 24 to Feb 9)
- Prize
- Mainstage set, headphones, recap video. In 2026 the Top 9 also played other stages
- How to submit
- Online form, press photo and bio, 1-min 16:9 video
- Voting
- Jury picks Top 10, then 60% jury, 30% public, 10% community
- Not announced yet
Concurso Vida Club DJs
Vida FestivalSpain
- Electronic
- Vinyl
- Hits
- Last window
- 2026: Jan 15 to Feb 2, final May 10
- Prize
- Paid set at Vida plus a merch pack
- How to submit
- Instagram story video of you DJing, tag @vidafestival
- Voting
- Jury, then public and jury
March
- Not announced yet
Sea You DJ Contest (Water Stage)
Sea You FestivalFreiburg, Germany
- Afro house
- Deep house
- Techno
- Tech house
- Melodic
- Last window
- 2026: deadline Mar 2
- Prize
- Top 6: Water Stage support slot with fee and VIP tickets. Top 7 to 15: social features
- How to submit
- New 30 to 75 min set (SoundCloud / Mixcloud), Instagram or TikTok, 15 to 60 s reel
- Voting
- Jury (no open voting)
- Not announced yet
DGTL x BUD "Tower of Celebration"
DGTL and BUDAmsterdam, Netherlands
- Not stated
- Last window
- 2026: deadline Mar 6
- Prize
- DJ set in the crane at DGTL Amsterdam plus a crane-suite stay for you and 3 friends
- How to submit
- Online questions, optional video
- Voting
- Not stated
- Who can enter
- 25+
- Not announced yet
Concurso de DJs DANZU FSTVL
Origen MusicalMallorca, Spain
- All genres
- Last window
- 2026: Feb 25 to Mar 15
- Prize
- 4 winners each open a festival area, backstage access
- How to submit
- Max 30 min set on SoundCloud, proof of residence
- Voting
- Jury
- Who can enter
- Mallorca residents, 18+
- Not announced yet
Bad Habit DJ Contest
Bad HabitGhent, Belgium
- House
- Deep house
- Funky
- Soulful
- Last window
- 2026: deadline Mar 20 (2025: Aug 25)
- Prize
- Spot on a line-up, EUR 50 or EUR 70 in tickets and drinks
- How to submit
- 30 to 60 min mix, image, 2 questions
- Voting
- Not stated
- Who can enter
- East Flanders
April
- Not announced yet
OranjeGloed DJ Contest
OranjeGloed (Lucas and Steve)Maastricht, Netherlands
- Not stated
- Last window
- 2026: Mar 18 to Apr 8
- Prize
- Slot on the Koningsnacht line-up
- How to submit
- Mix and/or video, max 15 min, motivation
- Voting
- Jury
- Who can enter
- 16+
- Not announced yet
Ferdinands Feld x DJ Mag Germany
DJ Mag Germany and Ferdinands FeldGermany
- Techno
- Hard techno
- House
- Last window
- 2026: deadline Apr 15
- Prize
- 3 slots (festival opening, mainstage opening, hard techno opening) plus a DJ Mag starter package
- How to submit
- Official form and a social post
- Voting
- Not stated
- Who can enter
- 18+
- Not announced yet
Castle Beats DJ Contest
Castle Beats FestivalBurg Ehrenburg, Germany
- House
- Tech house
- Techno
- Hardstyle
- EDM
- Last window
- 2026: deadline Apr 24
- Prize
- 1st: DJ slot at the festival. 2nd: VIP tickets and meet and greet
- How to submit
- Form, MP3 set of at least 25 min, social links
- Voting
- Voting phase (type not stated)
May
- Not announced yet
Rampage Open Air x Dubstep FBI
Dubstep FBI and RampageBelgium
- Dubstep
- Riddim
- Last window
- 2026: deadline May 1
- Prize
- Slot on the Dubstep FBI stage
- How to submit
- 20 min mix on SoundCloud, Instagram post tagging both
- Voting
- Jury
- Not announced yet
RTE 2FM x Forbidden Fruit
RTE 2FMDublin, Ireland
- Not stated
- Last window
- 2026: deadline May 1
- Prize
- Slot on the 2FM Rising Stage at Forbidden Fruit
- How to submit
- 20 min mix and a short artist profile by email
- Voting
- Not stated
- Not announced yet
Intents Festival DJ Contest
Intents FestivalOisterwijk, Netherlands
- Hardstyle
- Hardcore
- Uptempo
- Last window
- 2026: deadline May 14, public vote May 18 to 22
- Prize
- One of 9 spots at the festival plus artist lounge access
- How to submit
- Registration and a recorded opening mix, max 30 min, public on SoundCloud
- Voting
- Public vote, then the Top 10 judged 50% votes, 50% jury
- Not announced yet
Liquicity Festival DJ Contest
LiquicityNetherlands
- Drum and bass
- Last window
- 2026: May 8 to May 29, winners Jun 29
- Prize
- Stage set, weekend ticket and gear for the top 2
- How to submit
- 30 to 45 min mix with tracklist, form, social post
- Voting
- Jury picks 10, community vote decides
- Who can enter
- 18+
- Not announced yet
SMAG Sundance DJ Contest
SMAG Sundance Open AirEssen, Germany
- Tech house
- House
- Bass house
- EDM
- Last window
- 2026: Apr 23 to May 18
- Prize
- 1st: main stage opening and Pioneer gear. 2nd and 3rd: gear
- How to submit
- 30 min live set on SoundCloud or Mixcloud, by email with Instagram
- Voting
- Jury decides, Instagram vote considered
- Who can enter
- NRW (Germany)
- Not announced yet
Genk On Stage DJ Contest
Genk On StageGenk, Belgium
- All genres
- Last window
- 2026: deadline May 18
- Prize
- DJ opener slot, EUR 250 plus hospitality
- How to submit
- Mixtape and image via VI.BE
- Voting
- Not stated
- Who can enter
- Limburg (Belgium)
- Not announced yet
We Are Terras warm-up DJ
We Are TerrasLiedekerke, Belgium
- House
- Tech house
- Groove
- Last window
- 2026: deadline May 30
- Prize
- Warm-up slot (no fee), hospitality, guest list, recording
- How to submit
- Bio, mixtape, image
- Voting
- Not stated
June
- Not announced yet
gemak! Festival DJ Contest
gemak! collective and Cafe AperoLeuven, Belgium
- House
- Garage
- Trance
- Last window
- 2026: deadline Jun 10, final Aug 1
- Prize
- Main stage slot plus EUR 75
- How to submit
- 30 to 60 min set, image
- Voting
- Jury
- Who can enter
- Leuven, age 16 to 20
- Not announced yet
TRAUM "Art of the Opening DJ"
TRAUMAntwerp, Belgium
- Not stated
- Last window
- 2025: deadline Jun 27
- Prize
- 9 opening slots in the summer programme
- How to submit
- Mix
- Voting
- Not stated
July
- Not announced yet
GROUND BREAK DJ Contest
GROUND BREAKHasselt, Belgium
- House
- Tech house
- Groove
- Last window
- 2026: deadline Jul 5
- Prize
- Slot (no fee), hospitality and guest list
- How to submit
- Bio, mixtape, image
- Voting
- Not stated
- Not announced yet
Crossfader x Rise Festival
Crossfader and Rise FestivalLes Deux Alpes, France
- Not stated
- Last window
- 2026: Jun 10 to Jul 19
- Prize
- Main stage set, a second set, flights and accommodation
- How to submit
- 30 to 60 min mix, video if shortlisted
- Voting
- Jury
- Not announced yet
Lokerse Feesten DJ Contest
Lokerse FeestenLokeren, Belgium
- Electro
- Disco
- Techno
- Last window
- 2026: deadline Jul 20
- Prize
- EUR 150 plus drink vouchers, Club Studio Brussel stage
- How to submit
- Max 45 min mixtape with timecoded tracklist, image
- Voting
- Not stated
- Not announced yet
BoeCult DJ Contest
BoeCultBoekel, Netherlands
- Not stated
- Last window
- 2026: deadline Jul 31
- Prize
- Two winners each get a 30 min set
- How to submit
- Details by email
- Voting
- Jury
August
- Not announced yet
Circle of Talent: the harder styles
Full Circle AntwerpAntwerp, Belgium
- Drum and bass
- Hard techno
- Hardcore
- Last window
- 2025: deadline Aug 7, final Oct 10
- Prize
- Line-up slot with fee plus a gear voucher
- How to submit
- 60 min mix via VI.BE, image
- Voting
- Live final
- Who can enter
- Antwerp, age 18 to 30
September
- Not announced yet
Electric Residence DJ Contest
Electric Residence (Flottmann-Hallen, Herne)Herne, Germany
- House
- Tech house
- Last window
- 2026: Jul 25 to Sep 13, live final Oct 10
- Prize
- Slot at Electric Residence Festival 2027
- How to submit
- Motivation, audio or video link, Instagram
- Voting
- Jury preselection, then jury and audience at the live final
- Who can enter
- 18+
- Not announced yet
Jourdeau DJ Contest
Jourdeau EventsAntwerp, Belgium
- Afro house
- Deep house
- Tech house
- Melodic
- Last window
- 2025: deadline Sep 10, final Sep 21
- Prize
- Opening set, EUR 75 and a radio set
- How to submit
- Set of at least 30 min via VI.BE, bio, motivation
- Voting
- Jury
- Not announced yet
Junglist Network DJ Competition
Junglist NetworkUnited Kingdom
- Jungle
- Last window
- 2026: deadline Sep 14
- Prize
- Trophy, headphones, coaching, agency representation, event sets
- How to submit
- 30 to 60 min mix (at least 50% jungle) and a photo, video rounds later
- Voting
- Public and industry
October
- Not announced yet
Andromedik Invites DJ contest
Andromedik InvitesAntwerp, Belgium
- Drum and bass
- Last window
- 2025: deadline Oct 23
- Prize
- Opening set, EUR 50, hospitality
- How to submit
- 30 min mix and image
- Voting
- Jury
- Not announced yet
Club Vaag "THE FUTURE" hard techno contest
Club VaagAntwerp, Belgium
- Hard techno
- Last window
- 2024: deadline Oct 9
- Prize
- 5 winners each play a 1.5 h set, one warms up for an international act
- How to submit
- Mixtape of at least 30 min, image
- Voting
- Not stated
- Who can enter
- Flanders / Brussels
November
- Not announced yet
Dropzone "Play In Paradise"
DropzoneZrce, Croatia
- Hard dance
- Last window
- Last published edition: deadline Nov 17
- Prize
- 2 winners: party slot, travel up to EUR 250, 5 nights, backstage pass
- How to submit
- 30 to 40 min mix on SoundCloud, social posts, email
- Voting
- Jury
Dates not stated
- Not announced yet
Burn Energy x Mixmag DJ Open
Mixmag and Burn EnergyEurope-wide
- All genres
- Last window
- 2026: second edition, tour June to December
- Prize
- Paid tour slot with travel and accommodation, Mixmag workshop
- How to submit
- Mix of at least 1 hour and a bio
- Voting
- Jury
- Who can enter
- 18+, several countries
- Not announced yet
Wild Woods DJ Contest
Wild Woods FestivalEllingen, Germany
- EDM
- House
- Techno
- Hardstyle
- Trance
- Last window
- 2026: dates not stated
- Prize
- Slot at the festival
- How to submit
- Not stated (finalists show bio, photo and set)
- Voting
- Public
- Not announced yet
Beats and Wine DJ Contest
Beats and WineGermany
- House
- Tech house
- Last window
- 2026: dates not stated
- Prize
- Not stated
- How to submit
- Set link, intro, contact details, equipment
- Voting
- Not stated
When DJ contests open: the 2027 rhythm
Based on the last published windows:
- November to January: club and city contests (Belgium is busy here), plus early calls for spring festivals.
- January to March: the big summer festivals open. Electric Love (Austria) and Vida (Spain) were among the first in 2026.
- March to May: peak season. Sea You, DGTL, DANZU, Ferdinands Feld, Castle Beats, Intents, Liquicity and many Belgian festivals all closed in this window in 2026.
- June to September: late-summer festivals and autumn club series (TRAUM, Ground Break, Lokerse Feesten, Jourdeau, Junglist Network).
- October and November: autumn club contests and next year's early calls.
A simple routine: open this page on the first of every month and set a reminder for any contest in your genre.
Open call boards worth checking every week
Many smaller contests are only posted on regional call boards. These are the ones we check:
- VI.BE Kansen(opens in a new tab)BE (Flanders, Brussels)
- Court-Circuit (appels)(opens in a new tab)BE (Wallonia, Brussels)
- mx3.ch(opens in a new tab)CH
- songchallenge.at (DJ category)(opens in a new tab)AT
How to win a DJ contest
Juries listen to a lot of mixes, fast. Here is what makes a jury keep listening.
1. Make the mix for that stage
A generic mix is the most common mistake. If the slot is a 15:00 opening on a house stage, do not send a peak-time set. Read who else is playing that stage and build a mix that fits right before them.
2. Win the first two minutes
Start with a track that says who you are, and make your first transition clean and early. Many jury members decide in the first minutes whether to keep listening.
3. Respect the rules to the letter
Length, format, title, tracklist, the hashtag they ask for. Juries use the rules to cut the long list. Do not give them an easy reason.
4. Record it clean
No clipping, no talking, no long silence at the start. Check the levels and listen back on headphones and on a phone speaker before you upload.
5. Send one link with everything
Many contests ask for a bio, a photo and your socials. A jury that wants to know more should find it in one click: your best mix, a short bio, a good photo, the shows you played and your tech rider. That is what a DJ press kit is for.
- A fresh mix recorded for this contest, at the right length
- First two minutes that show your sound and your mixing
- A sharp landscape photo, not a crowd selfie
- A short bio (three to five lines) that names your sound and your city
- A list of the shows you played, even the small ones
- A tech rider, so the organiser knows what you need on the night
- One link with all of the above
After the contest: win or lose
- You won: confirm the slot, fee, set time and what is included in writing. Send your tech rider early. Our booking contract guide shows what to put in writing.
- You did not win: ask the organiser for one line of feedback. Many will answer. Then send a short, friendly email to the promoter: you liked the event and you are available for an opening slot next time. That is how a lost contest still gets you booked. Our booking email template helps.
For promoters: run your DJ contest on Backstage
Running a contest by email and spreadsheets is painful. On Backstage you can host a DJ contest for free: one public page, entries with the DJ's press kit and mix attached, and a jury that scores in one place. See open contests or host yours.
Find DJs by genre
Frequently asked questions
When do DJ contests for summer festivals open?
Most open between January and May, a few weeks before the festival announces its full line-up. In our calendar, the busiest months for deadlines are March, April and May. Club and city contests run all year, often in autumn. Windows are short, usually two to five weeks, so check the calendar every month.
How do DJ contests usually work?
You upload a mix (often 30 to 60 minutes), sometimes with a photo and short bio. Then a jury picks the winners, the public votes, or both. Many festival contests use a public vote to shortlist and a jury for the final pick. The prize is usually a set at the festival, sometimes with a fee, tickets or gear.
How long should my DJ contest mix be?
Exactly what the rules ask, and if they give a range, stay in the middle of it. Juries often listen to the first minutes of hundreds of mixes, so the first two minutes have to show your sound and your mixing. Record it fresh for the contest and match the stage you are applying for.
Are DJ contests with public voting worth it?
They can be, if you treat the vote as a test of your audience, not your skill. DJs with an engaged local crowd win public votes. If you enter one, plan your posts for the whole voting window and give people one simple link to vote. If you have a small following, jury-only contests are a better use of your time.
Do DJ contests pay a fee?
Some do. In our calendar, several prizes include a fee (for example EUR 50 to EUR 250), others offer a slot with hospitality, tickets or gear only. Always read the prize description on the official page and ask before you accept if something is unclear.
Is this calendar complete?
No calendar is. We only list contests with an official organiser page, we never guess dates, and we re-check the list every month. If you know a contest we are missing, tell us and we will check it.
