The Best Sets from 2016; Skrillex, Martin Garrix, Disclosure, Carl Cox, Calvin Harris and more

2016 was THE year for EDM. Calvin Harris headlined Coachella, Avicii played at Ultra for the last time , Skrillex dropped his unforgettable Boiler Room set, Rufus Du Sol launched into the stratosphere after thir Coachella Do Lab set. It was truly the golden era of EDM.
In honor of 2016, we’ve been going through all of our favorite sets from that year and thought we’d share them with you.

Avicii – Ultra Music Festival Miami

I’m not going to lie. This one still hits different knowing it was Tim’s final Ultra performance. And what a way to go out. He opened with “Without You” featuring Sandro Cavazza and immediately had the entire crowd locked in. When he dropped “I Could Be The One” with Nicky Romero, you could literally feel 50,000 people become one. But the real moment? When those iconic melodies of “Levels” hit at the 21-minute mark. I’ve never seen pyro sync so perfectly with a drop in my life. He previewed unreleased gems like “Forever Yours,” “City Lights,” and even teased “Heaven” with Chris Martin vocals. The man gave us a 52-minute masterclass in progressive house, throwing down “Wake Me Up,” “Hey Brother,” and “Waiting For Love” back to back. Every single person in that crowd knew they were witnessing something special. We just didn’t know how special it would end up being. Rest easy, legend. ? ?

Skrillex – Boiler Room Shanghai

Okay, let me tell you about the set that broke the internet. This wasn’t just Skrillex’s Boiler Room debut—this was Sonny Moore reminding the entire world why he’s the GOAT. From the jump with JOYRYDE’s “Hot Drum” mashed with “Renegade Master,” you knew this wasn’t going to be your typical festival set. The man went absolutely FERAL, dropping “El Chapo” into the Sikdope remix, throwing in Getter & Ghastly’s “666!” while the Shanghai crowd lost their minds in that tiny room. When he transitioned the Jack Ü track “Mind” (Malaa Remix) into that filthy bass house section? CRIMINAL. This set proved that Skrillex doesn’t need a mainstage with a million LED screens. Give him a crowd of 200 people in a sweaty room in China and he’ll create pure chaos. Try to count the tracks he rips through in just over an hour. The energy in that room was so insane you could feel it through the screen. This is the set I send to anyone who says “Skrillex only does dubstep.” No. Skrillex does whatever Skrillex wants.

Calvin Harris – Coachella

Calvin came to the desert and absolutely DOMINATED. Headlining the Coachell mainstage is already a flex, but Calvin made it look effortless. Opening with that “Sweet Nothing” intro into Rihanna’s “BBHMM” R3hab remix immediately set the tone; he was cueing up a greatest hits celebration. “Thinking About You,” “I Need Your Love,” “Under Control” with Alesso; hit after hit after hit. When he dropped his remix of “Eat Sleep Rave Repeat” and transitioned into “Lean On,” the entire polo field erupted. The “Outside” into “We Found Love” mashup? CHEF’S KISS. And when “How Deep Is Your Love” and “Blame” came through those speakers during the sunset? I genuinely think people ascended. It was the moment Calvin Harris cemented himself not just as a producer but as a true headline-worthy performer. First EDM artist to headline Coachella? He earned every second of it.

Disclosure – Coachella

The Lawrence brothers brought that UK house heat to the California desert and absolutely DELIVERED. Their live set was a journey through both “Settle” and “Caracal” and it was pure magic. Opening with “White Noise” featuring AlunaGeorge immediately transported everyone to a London warehouse. When “F For You” with Mary J Blige dropped, the groove was so infectious I swear I saw people discovering house music in real time. “Magnets” with Lorde? Ethereal. “When A Fire Starts To Burn?” The entire tent turned into a proper rave. “Holding On” with Gregory Porter’s vocals soaring over that sunset was genuinely one of the most beautiful moments I’ve ever witnessed at a festival. They closed with “Latch” featuring Sam Smith and the crowd sang every single word. Guy and Howard proved that UK garage and house music belongs on the biggest stages in the world.

Martin Garrix – Ultra Music Festival Miami

At just 19 years old, Martin Garrix took the Ultra mainstage and reminded everyone why he’s been dominating since “Animals” dropped. But this set was different—this was Martin evolving. He opened with “Lions In The Wild” and immediately had the crowd bouncing. The “Poison” into “Wizard” mashup with Jay Hardway was absolute CHAOS. When he brought out “Turn Up The Speakers” into “Virus (How About Now),” the energy was unmatched. But the real highlight? He premiered “In The Name Of Love” with Bebe Rexha and the entire crowd knew this was about to be the song of the summer. The “Tremor” into “Waiting For Love” (Avicii) mashup was a beautiful tribute. “Don’t Look Down” with Usher, “Gold Skies,” “Now That I’ve Found You” as the closer—Martin proved he wasn’t just the Animals kid anymore. He was a legitimate superstar.

Deadmau5 – Ultra Music Festival Miami

Joel decided to take Ultra’s Live Stage and deliver one of the most technically impressive sets of the entire weekend. Opening with “Avaritia”—that slow, building, almost menacing intro—you knew this wasn’t going to be a generic festival set. “Imaginary Friends” had the crowd absolutely hypnotized. When he dropped “Beneath With Me” featuring Kaskade and Skylar Grey, that surprise collab got people emotional. The “My Pet Coelacanth” section proved that progressive house can be just as heavy as any bass drop when done right. But when “Ghosts N Stuff” finally came in? PANDEMONIUM. The mau5 delivered a tech-house journey that reminded everyone why he’s one of the most important figures in electronic music. No gimmicks, no crazy pyro shows—just pure, unfiltered Joel Zimmerman doing what he does best.

Carl Cox – 9 Hour Space Ibiza Closing Set

OH YES. OH YES. OH YES.
THIS. SET. LEGENDARY DOESN’T EVEN BEGIN TO DESCRIBE IT. After 15 years of residency at Space Ibiza, Carl Cox closed out the venue forever with a 9-HOUR MARATHON that went from 8 PM until 8 AM. 126 tracks of pure techno and house history. He opened with Heller ‘N’ Farley’s “Ultra Flava” and took everyone on a journey through decades of dance music. Jeff Mills’ “The Bells” shaking the foundation, Âme’s “Rej” creating those euphoric moments, Layo & Bushwacka! bringing that classic energy. When he dropped his own “Time For House Music” three different times throughout the night (including the Davide Squillace remix), the crowd went CRAZY. “Positive Education,” “Work” by MAW, Josh Wink’s “Superfreak”—every single track was a perfect selection. At 8 AM, Carl put on a pink wig, tears streaming down his face, as the crowd gave him a proper Ibiza send-off. “Oh yes, oh yes” echoed through those walls one final time. This was the closing of a chapter in dance music history. A legendary moment from the legend, Carl Cox.

Rufus Du Sol – Coachella (Do Lab)

Before RÜFÜS DU SOL was selling out stadiums, they were the Do Lab’s secret guest at Coachella 2016, and everyone who caught that set knew something special was happening. Fresh off releasing “Bloom” in January, Rufus took the decks for a surprise DJ set that lasted over an hour and absolutely TRANSFORMED that stage. The sun was setting, the Do Lab’s signature vibes were immaculate, and these three Aussies were playing with their friends and family dancing around the stage. It was intimate, it was magical, and it was the moment RÜFÜS truly arrived in America. They literally said the Do Lab stage was “a hidden gem at Coachella” and this set proved it. Pulsing house beats, those dreamy RÜFÜS atmospherics, and a crowd that was discovering their new favorite group in real time. This was the turning point for their stratospheric rise.

Galantis – EDC Las Vegas

When Galantis took the kineticFIELD stage at EDC Las Vegas 2016, they brought that arena-anthem energy that only they can deliver. Opening with Shapov’s “Future Rave” into their own “Friend (Hard Times)” set the tone immediately—this was going to be a PARTY. “Firebird” had people’s hands up across the entire speedway. When “Gold Dust” dropped and those melodies soared under the Vegas night sky? Magical. The “In My Head” into “Runaway” section was PEAK festival euphoria—everyone was singing, everyone was jumping, everyone was living their best life. They blended Dada Life’s “One Last Night On Earth” in there too because of course they did.

Mall Grab – Boiler Room Paris

If you want to understand the lo-fi house explosion of 2016, this is the set you need to watch. Mall Grab, a then-23-year-old from Newcastle, Australia, made his Boiler Room debut in Paris and absolutely BODIED it. Sound Pellegrino boss Teki Latex brought him in and said it best: “He definitely carries the torch for sample-based grainy lo-fi house at the moment.” In 59 minutes, Jordon Alexander showed exactly why he was Mixmag’s breakout artist of the year. That warm, fuzzy, nostalgic sound that makes you feel like you’re hearing something from a cassette tape? That’s Mall Grab’s signature. Fresh off dropping “Can’t” which would go on to get over 1.5 million YouTube plays, and his legendary “Sun Ra” EP that was selling out everywhere, this set was the coronation of the lo-fi house king. The crowd in that small Paris room was absolutely hypnotized by those sample-heavy house cuts.

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