Armin van Buuren is bringing a touch of old-school trance to his new residency at [UNVRS] Ibiza, with the Dutch artist set to dedicate one hour of every performance entirely to vinyl.

The special element forms part of his five-date A State of Trance residency, running every Monday from September 7 through October 5, celebrating 25 years of the globally recognised trance brand.

A Return to Vinyl

Van Buuren revealed that each of his five-hour performances at [UNVRS] will include a dedicated vinyl-only section.

The idea takes him back to the early years of his career, when vinyl was still the standard format for DJs and digital performance tools had yet to become commonplace.

He has also revealed that he is preparing new vinyl specifically for these performances, alongside records from his own collection.

For the artist, the appeal is as much about the physical experience and nostalgia as the music itself.

Classic Trance at the Dome

The vinyl concept has already been previewed through a special recording made inside the Dome at [UNVRS].

The approximately one-hour set features classic trance tracks from artists including Chicane, Energy 52, Paul van Dyk, James Holden and The Thrillseekers, alongside material from van Buuren's own earlier catalogue.

The recording was released earlier this summer, offering audiences a taste of what the vinyl sections of the residency will sound like.

Five Hours of A State of Trance

The residency itself is built around extended performances rather than conventional short headline sets.

Van Buuren will play five hours at each of the five Monday dates, giving him considerably more time to develop each night's musical journey.

The residency celebrates the 25th anniversary of A State of Trance and combines the extended sets with specially selected guests.

Face-to-Face Sets

The first four dates also feature van Buuren's Face-to-Face format.

He is joined by Hannah Laing on September 7, Eli Brown on September 14, Argy on September 21 and Funk Tribu on September 28.

The final date, October 5, is the residency closing party, with van Buuren taking the Main Room for another five-hour performance.

From 1999 to 2026

The vinyl concept has particular significance for van Buuren because of the period in which he began DJing.

He has spoken about his early career between roughly 1999 and 2005, when vinyl was central to the DJ booth.

By bringing that format back for part of every [UNVRS] performance, he is connecting the anniversary of A State of Trance with the period in which his own career and the trance scene were developing together.

Trance at [UNVRS]

The residency is also significant for Ibiza.

Van Buuren has a long history on the island, including previous summer residencies, and [UNVRS] is giving his A State of Trance concept a new home in San Rafael.

The venue's large-scale audiovisual production provides a very different setting for the more nostalgic vinyl sessions, combining the analogue format with one of Ibiza's newest high-production club environments.

A Different Side of Armin

The vinyl hour adds another dimension to a residency otherwise built around the scale and technology of modern Ibiza.

Instead of relying entirely on digital tools, van Buuren will spend part of each night working with records, longer track structures and the limitations of traditional vinyl DJing.

That contrast between classic technique and modern production is becoming one of the defining features of the residency.

Five Mondays in Ibiza

Armin van Buuren's A State of Trance residency continues every Monday at [UNVRS] through October 5.

Each night features a five-hour set, with one hour dedicated entirely to vinyl, while the surrounding programme brings contemporary trance and progressive house together with specially selected guests.

For fans of trance, the residency offers a rare opportunity to hear one of the genre's most established figures revisit the format on which he built his early career, while placing that sound inside one of Ibiza's most technologically advanced new venues.