The country’s premier dance and electronic music festival landed in Sydney amidst plenty of excitement on Saturday, taking over Randwick Racecourse with estimated crowds of over 40,000 people. This year’s Future Music Festival boasted one of the broadest and most on-the-money artist lineups ever seen at a major event, and the touring talent delivered across all the different stages – check out the photos on ITM!

> Future Music Festival Sydney photos.

2009 was on the same massive scale as last year’s mega event, but the previous organisation and sound hiccups were for the most part ironed out, resulting in a smoothly-run party that allowed everyone to properly enjoy the fantastic music on offer. Angello & Ingosso played to massive mainstage crowds early in the day, but not as many as those who swarmed to catch N.E.R.D’s crowd-pleasing live show. Oakenfold and Basement Jaxx also delivered performances that managed to please the thousands upon thousands of punters who were present to check em out.

However, The Likes of You tent was the space that hosted the festival’s best underground talent, with Bodzin and Kleinenberg both throwing down sets that were of a predictable high quality. Richie Hawtin stole the festival though, with a driving selection of minimal techno that pleased even the hardened cynics. Over in the Sublime Pavilion the returning Markus Schulz trimphantly proved why he’s the world’s greatest progressive trance DJ, while back over the other side of the racecourse ‘The Cube’ melted brains and easily lived up to the hype.

Want more Future Music Festival news, interviews and DJ mixes? Check out our Festival Page and stay tuned for loads of post-event coverage as the tour takes it right across the country. And witness the spectacle that is “The Cube”...