Armin van Buuren’s Unusual Ways to Kill Time Backstage at Medusa Festival Have Fans Curious

Discover the quirky and unexpected rituals Armin van Buuren engages in while waiting backstage at the Medusa Festival in Spain. From silent meditation to creating AI-generated soundscapes, his eccentric downtime habits are as legendary as his music.

Introduction

When fans flock to massive EDM festivals like Medusa in Spain, they expect the lights, the sound, and the unforgettable drops. But few think about what goes on behind the scenes — particularly what artists like Armin van Buuren do while waiting for their moment to shine on stage.

Turns out, Armin’s backstage rituals are just as captivating as his performances.

This year at Medusa Sunbeach Festival 2025, Armin left fans buzzing — not just from his high-energy set, but from a string of bizarre and creative pre-show routines witnessed by insiders and briefly teased online. What does one of the world’s top DJs do to kill time? You might be surprised.

Let’s dive into the unorthodox world of Armin’s backstage habits.

The “Silent Suit” Meditation Chamber

Rumors had been swirling since Tomorrowland 2024, but Medusa confirmed it: Armin travels with a portable, soundproof meditation pod — dubbed by staff as the “Silent Suit.” This collapsible chamber looks like a sleek, futuristic tent, lined with noise-canceling foam, LED stars on the ceiling, and a floor made of temperature-controlled gel.

Inside, Armin practices deep, immersive meditation using binaural beats synced to his heart rate. Some crew members said he emerged after 45 minutes of this in a trance-like state, “like a monk who just returned from space.”

“It’s where I recharge. It clears my brain before I create chaos on stage,” Armin reportedly shared with a smile.

AI-Generated Sound Games

Armin is known for pushing boundaries in tech, and backstage at Medusa, he took it further by creating AI-assisted soundscapes in real-time. With a custom app on his tablet — designed in collaboration with a Dutch AI composer — Armin would input random crowd noise recordings and let the AI morph them into chill ambient loops.

Then, he’d challenge his crew to guess the original sound sources. Was that loop made from a beer can opening or someone shouting “Armin”? It became a full-on pre-show trivia game.

Some of these bizarre AI creations were even sampled live in his Medusa set.

Armin’s Backstage Arcade: When Retro Games Meet Trance Vibes

While most artists might scroll through their phones or rehearse sets, Armin transforms his waiting area into a mini retro arcade. Equipped with classics like Pac-Man, Tetris, and a trance-themed custom Dance Dance Revolution machine called “TranceStep,” this setup is anything but ordinary.

What’s unique? The arcade music is synced to ASOT mashups created exclusively for the Medusa show. Sometimes, the lights on the arcade even pulse in time with his upcoming set’s BPM.

“Gaming is how I get into flow. If I beat my high score, I know my set will be fire,” Armin reportedly joked to a crew member.

It’s become a fun ritual for both him and select VIP guests who are lucky enough to be invited backstage.

The “Reverse Playlist Ritual”

Before every big performance, Armin reportedly listens to a playlist of complete silence for 15 minutes. Not ambient, not soft jazz. Just actual silence.

It’s his way of “clearing sonic memory,” allowing his ears to reset and truly feel every frequency once he’s live.

Then, he plays his most embarrassing old tracks — including unreleased bootlegs from 1998. He laughs, reflects, and mentally compares then and now.

“It’s like looking at old photos of yourself with bad haircuts — humbling and hilarious.”

Pet Robot Assistant Named Lumi

Yes. Armin has a miniature AI-powered robot assistant named Lumi — short for Luminosity.

Lumi handles his schedule, keeps track of hydration, plays quick music trivia games, and tells awful trance-related dad jokes like, “What did the bassline say to the snare? See you at the drop!”

Fans glimpsed Lumi briefly in a behind-the-scenes Instagram Story, and now demand Armin bring Lumi on tour.

The Mind Behind the Music

What Armin van Buuren does before stepping on stage isn’t just time-killing — it’s mental tuning. His rituals may seem eccentric, but each serves a purpose: calming the mind, sharpening creativity, or simply keeping the mood light.

From AI games to LEGO cities and robot jokes, Armin’s downtime is a mirror of his artistry: bold, unexpected, and ever-evolving.

So the next time you’re screaming at the drop, just know: hours before, your favorite DJ might’ve been sipping “ASOT on Ice,” meditating in silence, or beating a fan at chess from a QR code taped to a tent.

Now that’s what we call legendary.