Martin Garrix

Martin Garrix is a Dutch DJ, record producer, and songwriter who has become one of the most dominant figures in electronic dance music. He first exploded onto the scene as a teenager with his 2013 hit "Animals," a track that became a global anthem and made him the youngest DJ to headline Ultra Music Festival at age 17. Since then, Garrix has been ranked number one on DJ Mag's Top 100 DJs list five times: 2016, 2017, 2018, 2022, and 2024. His high-energy festival sets and chart-topping collaborations with artists like Dua Lipa, Bebe Rexha, and Khalid have cemented his status as a mainstage headliner worldwide.

Offstage, Garrix runs his own label, Stmpd Rcrds, which he launched in 2016 after leaving Spinnin' Records to gain creative control over his music. He also produces under the aliases Ytram and GRX, exploring deeper house and techno sounds. His debut album, Sentio, arrived in 2022, and he continues to release a steady stream of EPs and singles. As of 2026, he remains a top draw at festivals like Tomorrowland and Ultra, and serves as a global ambassador for Heineken and JBL. [edit]

Martijn Gerard Garritsen was born and raised in Amstelveen, a municipality near Amsterdam, to Gerard and Karin Garritsen. He has a younger sister named Laura. His interest in music began at age eight when he learned to play guitar. That same year, he watched Dutch DJ Tiësto perform at the 2004 Summer Olympics opening ceremony in Athens. The track "Traffic" inspired him to download FL Studio, a digital audio workstation, and start producing music.

Garrix began DJing in front of live audiences as a young child, often playing at weddings when he was nine or ten years old. He attended the Herman Brood Academy, a production school in Utrecht, and graduated in 2013. While still living with his parents, he produced tracks in his bedroom and uploaded them to YouTube and SoundCloud. In 2012, he caught the attention of Spinnin' Records, which signed him. His early releases included collaborations with Julian Jordan and Jay Hardway, but his breakthrough came in June 2013 with the big room house instrumental "Animals." The track reached number one on Beatport and charted across Europe, accumulating over 450 million streams on Spotify. In November 2013, he signed with Scooter Braun Projects, becoming the company's first EDM client. [edit]

Following the success of "Animals," Garrix became the youngest DJ to headline Ultra Music Festival in 2014 at age 17. He continued to release hits including "Wizard" with Jay Hardway and collaborations with Ed Sheeran and Afrojack. In 2015, he released "Don't Look Down" featuring Usher. A turning point came in 2016 when he left Spinnin' Records amid legal disputes over ownership of his music. He launched his own label, Stmpd Rcrds, and signed with Sony Music. That same year, he was ranked number one on DJ Mag's Top 100 DJs for the first time, the youngest DJ ever to achieve the honor.

In 2017, he released "Scared to Be Lonely" with Dua Lipa, which was nominated for Single of the Year at the Electronic Music Awards. He supported Justin Bieber on the Australian leg of the Purpose World Tour. He performed at the closing ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea and held residencies at Hï Ibiza and Ushuaïa Ibiza. In 2022, he released his debut album Sentio, and was ranked number one on DJ Mag for the fourth time. He embarked on a record-selling arena tour in India in 2023, released "Hurricane" and "Real Love" with Lloyiso, and became Heineken's global ambassador. In 2024, he was ranked number one for the fifth time, tying Armin van Buuren's record. [edit]

Garrix is known for his energetic, high-BPM festival sets that blend big room house, progressive house, and future bass. His visual aesthetic features his distinctive "MG" logo, often in black and white or neon colors. On stage, he is known for his high-energy movements and interaction with the crowd. The media portrays him as a prodigy who achieved extraordinary success at a very young age, but also as a grounded, business-savvy artist who takes creative control seriously. His social media content is professional and promotional, with occasional behind-the-scenes glimpses. Fans, often called "Garrixers," eagerly anticipate his annual Tomorrowland sets and frequently share videos of his performances online. [edit]

Martin Garrix's fanbase operates as a vast, decentralized global community rather than a single organized tribe. Unlike pop acts with monolithic groups like the Swifties or BTS Army, his supporters are known simply as followers across platforms boasting over 7.4 million on X and millions more on Instagram. These fans are fiercely loyal, mobilizing instantly for tour announcements and festival appearances at massive venues like Tomorrowland. Their connection is defined by direct engagement, exemplified by viral moments where Garrix disrupted schedules to surprise couples at weddings or premiere historic collaborations live on stage. This interactive dynamic has turned casual listeners into active participants in his evolving musical folklore, from the sheer scale of his streaming numbers to the shared excitement of witnessing crossover performances with rock legends. The audience celebrates these unexpected interactions as modern myths, proving that his reach extends far beyond the dance floor. Despite this massive following, no formal name exists for the collective. In the broader landscape of celebrity influence, Martin Garrix is currently the 21st most famous person in Electronic / EDM, a position he holds steady within the iFANN Global Fame Rankings. This standing places him among the elite tier of global attention tracked by the platform.[edit]

Martin Garrix produced his breakout hit "Animals" in his bedroom at age 16 while living with his parents. His journey began after watching Tiësto perform at the 2004 Olympics when he was just eight years old, leading him to play his first DJ sets at local weddings at age nine or ten. He operates under multiple aliases including Ytram for deeper house and techno tracks and GRX for future bass and pop projects. Garrix became the first EDM client signed to Scooter Braun Projects and performed at the closing ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea. He also created official music for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. A legendary moment occurred when Garrix and Ed Sheeran crashed a fan's wedding in Chicago after receiving a direct message request from the couple. Another iconic event took place at Tomorrowland 2026 in Belgium, where he premiered a new collaboration with U2 titled "Fireflies" on the mainstage alongside The Edge. The summer of 2026 also saw a unique atmospheric legend form during a total solar eclipse in Ibiza, which Garrix attended alongside Tiesto and Fisher, creating a visual spectacle widely shared online.[edit]

Garrix was born to Gerard and Karin Garritsen in Amstelveen, Netherlands. He has a younger sister named Laura. His parents supported his early interest in music, allowing him to convert his bedroom into a home studio. As of 2026, Garrix is not married and has no children. He keeps his family life private and rarely shares details about his parents or sister in interviews. [edit]

Garrix has collaborated with a wide range of artists across genres. His frequent collaborators include Brooks, Justin Mylo, and Zedd. He has worked with pop stars such as Dua Lipa on "Scared to Be Lonely," Bebe Rexha on "In the Name of Love," and Khalid on "Ocean." He also collaborated with David Guetta on "Like I Do" and "So Far Away," and with Usher on "Don't Look Down." Tiësto is a major inspiration, and they collaborated on "The Only Way Is Up." Garrix supported Justin Bieber on the Purpose World Tour in Australia. [edit]

Garrix has been notably private about his romantic life. His longest-known relationship was with Dutch model and social media influencer Charelle Schriek, whom he dated from 2014 to 2018. They were together during the peak of his early fame, and the relationship ended amicably around 2018. He was briefly linked to a woman named Ella from 2019 to 2020, though details remain private. As of 2026, Garrix is reportedly single and focused on his music career and label. He has no known children and has never been married. [edit]

Per iFANN's editorial analysis, Martin Garrix's net worth stands at $38 Million as of 2026. His primary revenue stream comes from performance fees, reportedly earning between $1 million and $3 million per major festival headline set. With a schedule of 50 to 80 shows annually, live performances generate the bulk of his earnings. Substantial revenue also flows from streaming royalties, accumulating billions of streams across various platforms. His label, Stmpd Rcrds, generates profit from releases by Garrix and his signed artists. Multi-year brand endorsements with Heineken, JBL, and Replay contribute millions annually to his portfolio. Additional income sources include merchandise sales, music publishing rights, and investments in music technology startups. Garrix owns properties in Amsterdam, though specific details regarding these assets remain private.[edit]

Garrix has won multiple major awards, including three MTV Europe Music Awards for Best Electronic Act (2016-2018), four NRJ Music Awards for Best DJ (2017-2019, 2022), and two Teen Choice Awards for Choice Electronic/Dance Artist. He also received International Dance Music Awards for "Animals" and as Best European DJ. His DJ Mag number-one rankings are considered among the highest honors in electronic music. [edit]