Aruba launches Electric Festival

During the weekend of September 6 to 8, Aruba - with its warm waters and miles of white powdery beaches that have been named some of the best in the world - will host the launch of the Electric Festival (EF) which is to become the largest global and annual electronic music conference in the Caribbean. Hereby, showcasing Aruba’s leading role in furthering the electronic dance movement in the Latin American and Caribbean region. EF will be more than just a dance music event by encompassing and portraying creative arts, cuisine and lifestyle in general. The first edition of EF will be held in Aruba in 2014 with a music conference powered by Amsterdam Dance Event and a playground of studio sessions, workshops and exhibitions for DJs, producers, artists and fans.

EF is being organized in conjunction with the Aruba Tourism Authority, Amsterdam Dance Event, Evenpro and Dirty Dutch. The Aruba Tourism Authority is excited to be the main sponsor of EF as this event is to grow into an internationally respected event and become an independent driver of a new stream of visitors for the island. This will allow Aruba to expand and renew the base of visitors and cater to future affluent generations of tourists.

This year, the launch of EF will include a series of events across the weekend. EF will include performances by Aruba resident, world-renowned and Forbes’ Worlds Greatest DJs listed and music producer DJ Chuckie. Accompanying Chuckie will be former Guns N’ Roses lead guitarist, Slash, who has been induced into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012. Also present will be DJ Mag’s prestigious Top 100 #6 ranked and IDMAs Best Breakthrough DJ of 2012 and Best European DJ of 2013, Hardwell.

Last year, Chuckie proved that while Aruba may be small, it is a contender as one of the top EDM destinations. What started out as an event to celebrate the Dutch DJ, producer and label head’s birthday celebrations expanded to become an 8,000 capacity event, drawing a varied array of international stars that included the likes of Akon, Jasmine Villegas, Just Blaze, Robin van Persie and Dirk Kuyt (both soccer players for the Netherlands National Team).

This year’s launch will also include a groundbreaking event for the youth of Aruba - Solarbeats. Solarbeats is an initiative of Play Foundation, a foundation that has been created with the purpose of bringing the youth closer to their love for music. During Solarbeats, Play Foundation will announce the Ultimate School contest where the winning school will win a party with DJ, Artist and Producer Chuckie and other gifts such as solar panels, whiteboards and iPads.

Full details on the full festival program and lineup will be revealed in the coming weeks.