Meet Festival makes a welcome return this year and has plenty of surprises in store as well as sets from Steve Bug, Shaun Reeves, Franky Rizardo, Danny Serrano, Andre Buljat, Sergio Parrado and many more.
It is a gathering that takes place in a beautiful location in Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic with the aim of not only serving up world class sounds but also acting as a meeting point for the industry. On top of that there is a real desire to help develop the local scene, make a positive impact and leave a lasting legacy all while ensuring you enjoy a range of local activities and cultures beyond the dance floor.
This year the team has signed a new deal with the 5-star Radisson Blu Boutique hotel meaning your stay will be even more special and here we speak to the people behind it for a full overview ahead of the festival itself.
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How are you, how excited are you to meet?
All good! Well, we are really, really looking forward to it after two years of silence brought to us by the pandemic, the whole team is really excited about this edition.
What have you got left to do, what do your days look like between now and the event?
These are days are crazy with a lot of work, although Meet is a boutique festival, it takes practically the same amount of work as a larger event would, so our focus lies there 100%.
What have been the hardest parts about making it happen and why?
The hardest part has been surviving two years of inactivity. Fortunately, we have managed to overcome the difficulties that arose and we have been able to resume work, something that makes us very happy.
Tell us what people should expect from the Dominican Republic as a place to visit? what surprises are in store?
Above all, the experience we offer, I think it is the magic of the Dominican Caribbean. We are very lucky to have beautiful landscapes, incredible weather all year round and a local audience that follows us with great passion. We invite anyone who wants to catch some of this magic to come dance and get lost in paradise.
How important is it to you to develop the local region, leave a lasting legacy with the festival?
It is one of the reasons why we started this project, to unite the Dominican scene and at the same time build a bridge in the Caribbean where local and foreign labels and brands can share one week of music and cultural exchange. Without a doubt, we want Meet to become a reference over the years, not only in the island, but also internationally.
How many local companies, djs, brands, labels, promoters etc are involved with the festival? how did you recruit them?
Meet was born from our label Yet Records in 2019, but after the pandemic we decided to partner up with other companies to be stronger. From the Dominican Republic we have: Clamp, LBM Sonido, Phantom Deck Records and Verano Desert. From outside the country we have: Bunker Productions, Happy Techno and Pink Flamingos from Spain and Jukebox from the UK.
How many stages are there, what will each offer, what will they look like?
Meet has different locations, the main one will be on the beach of the Radisson Blu Punta Cana hotel, we have reached an agreement with the hotel which will host part of the festival and offer accommodations for the festival goers. You can get more information on our website: www.meetfestival.net
Regarding stages, we will have many showcases with several record labels and brands, both the local and international scenes will be equally represented. The set design is something we work hard on and this year we have a visual spectacle of which we cannot reveal anything yet. Coming from the Chilean residing in Miami, Anatomico, one of the best VJs in the western hemisphere. We also work on having different visual performances for each day and we always wait until the end for people to discover the theme. In Meet you never get bored!
What informed the booking policy?
We mainly listen to the local audience and try to present to them new names that have never played on the island and that can be a contribution to the country’s electronic scene and culture. We also include well-loved artists on the island that people look forward to because it is not normal to see them since there really isn’t a club scene like in most countries. Nor do we forget all that audience that visits us from abroad, which is more and more everyday, and we see what shows are attractive to them aswell. At the end of the day, Meet is about experience and a balance in programming, and this is something that we achieved wonderfully in 2019.
What advice have you got to anyone coming, what should they do or check out in the region, what extras have you put on?
Above all, come with comfortable clothes to dance among palm trees next to the Caribbean Sea hahaha, you will enjoy great staging, a great visual show, impeccable sound and good organization. Meet is a boutique festival, it is very familiar and as the name says it, it is a great musical meeting full of good vibes. Apart from this we have many activities for everyone who comes: they can swim with dolphins, enjoy master classes or workshops, feel a day of adrenaline in the adventure park, excellent cuisine and the affection of the Dominican people… you’ll never get bored.
Meet! Festival hat else are you looking forward to/have you got coming up?
We want people to be happy, enjoy themselves and have an experience they can never forget…and our little island makes this possible.
We are waiting for you!
