Armin Van Buuren dresses in drag for Dutch TV show

September 16, 2026

Armin van Buuren uses ‘Mystery Queen’ appearance to celebrate freedom of expression

One of trance music’s defining artists, Armin van Buuren, made an unexpected television appearance as the “Mystery Queen” on Make Up Your Mind, a Dutch TV show where celebrities step into the world of drag.

For van Buuren, participating in the show represented more than dressing up or surprising viewers. The appearance offered him an opportunity to publicly support values of inclusion and freedom of expression.

“That’s the reason I said yes to this,” van Buuren explained in an Instagram post following the appearance. He described his participation as a way of “supporting something I genuinely believe in: everyone should feel safe to be themselves.”

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Van Buuren also acknowledged that conversations surrounding self-expression and identity can sometimes be considered taboo, but emphasized the importance of speaking up for what he believes is right.

His message extended directly to the culture he has spent decades participating in. Van Buuren wrote that music and dance have always represented freedom, expression, and the ability to bring people together, adding that he wants people to feel safe being themselves on dance floors worldwide.

That sentiment carries particular significance within the history of dance music. Long before electronic dance music grew into the global industry it is today, marginalized communities heavily shaped modern club culture. Disco emerged from underground nightlife in the 1970s, with Black and LGBTQ+ communities playing an important role in its development. These dance floors offered more than a place to hear music; they also created spaces for communities to gather, connect, and express themselves more openly.

Drag similarly holds a longstanding place within LGBTQ+ culture. Drag balls in New York can be traced back more than a century, while Black and Latino LGBTQ+ ballroom communities later developed influential forms of expression through fashion, performance, and dance.

After spending decades performing on some of the world’s largest stages and building one of electronic music’s most recognizable careers, van Buuren used his appearance on Make Up Your Mind to reinforce a message closely connected to the history of dance culture: the dance floor should be a place where people can freely express who they are.

“I’m proud to have taken part in this,” van Buuren concluded, “and hopefully remind you that it’s okay to be exactly who you want to be.”