Visac, DJ, producer and CEO of Vilus Festival, tells us about how this festival was created and its progress to date.

The Vilus Festival has become one of the most important electronic music festivals in the Canary Islands. The event has just announced the date of its third edition: 1 August 2026, on the island of La Palma, Canary Islands, Spain.
The festival, which surprises us every year with its guest artists (Nervo, Quintino, Yves V, Lexlay, Brian Cross, Sergei Rez...) and the quality of its staging (sets, sound, lighting, pyrotechnics...), invites us to take part in an edition that, through social media, is being described as historic.

Vilus TV – Good afternoon, Visac. First of all, thank you very much for agreeing to this exclusive interview with our media outlet. The first question is obvious: How are you? How are the preparations for this new edition going?

Visac – The truth is, I'm fine. I feel energetic and healthy. At work, we're in the most difficult months, but we're excited about everything we have going on.

Vilus TV – Before we get started, we wanted to ask you a question about the beginnings of the Vilus Festival. How was it? Did you imagine you would get to where you are now? 

Visac – I think we realised that it was time to embark on a project like the Vilus Festival, a format that people on the island of La Palma were demanding. It was a new way to go out, a new holiday plan. We began to shape the festival in 2021, and the first edition was held in 2024. We spent three years working behind the scenes to create what Vilus is today: artists, structures, venue, ideal date... we wanted to bring together all the ingredients to create a unique experience. And most importantly, we wanted to distance ourselves from the concept of a “pure” music festival based on a good line-up and nothing else.

The rest of Europe was selling real experiences and productions, such as Tomorrowland, Medusa... There was a need for a European-style festival in the Canary Islands, and that's where the initial success came from. The second year, with that ‘Tomorrowland’ touch in terms of artists, was a big leap forward in the festival circuit in the archipelago.

Vilus TV – We are going to ask you some more specific questions, but first of all we wanted to ask you: What would you say are the key factors, at a business level, for a project like the Vilus Festival to grow year on year and be profitable?

Visac – People believe that a festival like this is always profitable, but the truth is that it isn't. You lose money for many years before you can start making a profit. We're talking about a project costing thousands of euros, with the first few editions being very difficult. Fortunately, we have quickly positioned ourselves at a business level and have placed special emphasis on bringing headlining artists exclusively to the Canary Islands. We believe this is a fundamental part of growing year after year, edition after edition.

The approach remains the same as in the first edition: create a quality product and always think about the audience. Many promoters organise large events without considering the audience, for example in terms of comfort, waiting times, drinks, etc. At this point, we always think like consumers of the event. It consists of providing a product that is commensurate with the ticket price you are going to set.

Vilus TV – Why an electronic music festival? Is it a passion for this genre?

Visac – Electronic music is my passion; it's the music I play in my sets, and my concept of a festival has always been linked to electronic music. On the island of La Palma, the local audience was forced to travel to other places to enjoy this type of event, as the island lacked large electronic music events. Vilus was born out of a combination of both these factors.

Vilus TV – However, it is becoming increasingly common for electronic music festivals to introduce more urban genres, such as reggaeton, into their line-ups. line ups. This fact angers more than a few electronic music fans, as they believe it takes away from the “purity” of the event. What do you think about all this?

Visac – It's a subject that, to be honest, pisses me off a bit. When we started hearing the word “reggaeton” alongside the word “electronic”, it's true that at first it hurt a little as a fan of electronic music and as a promoter. However, we have to be aware that today, reggaeton is one of the most listened to musical genres in all media, and inevitably you start to consider the option of including other musical genres. People shouldn't forget that a festival is a business and promoters have to make money. 

That said, we try to create the best offer for the public, while also thinking (as is logical) about selling as many tickets as possible.

Organising a festival solely dedicated to electronic music and aiming to attract 20,000 people is extremely challenging. To achieve this, you have to diversify. If you want to organise a large-scale event, you have to be open to many genres and possibilities. Always without compromising on the musical quality of the festival.

Vilus tv – You've told us about the experience you're looking for in the assistant. Do you think this concept has somewhat mixed up everything that a music festival actually means culturally?

Visac – Fortunately, we have had considerable support at the regional level. The La Palma Island Council understands the importance of music festivals. They know that thousands of people visit the island just for events like Vilus and that we generate a lot of revenue for the municipalities. At least they have listened to us.

It is true that, perhaps, we are not as well regarded socially as other cultural sectors such as folk festivals, opera or theatre. I believe that in ten or fifteen years' time, when everyone, including those in power, has experienced this type of festival, we will be seen in a different light. Festivals have always existed.

Vilus TV – How far does the role of the CEO extend? 

Visac – I get to know 100% of what happens at the festival. We work all year round for the festival, but our experience from previous years allows us to know what is going to happen each day. In the end, when you have been in the industry for more than seven years, you know what is going to happen. There are times when a situation will get out of hand, but you already have a plan in place to control it.

I know what a waiter earns, I know what all the artists earn, I put together the line-ups, I manage the publications... We know everything. Our position at the festival itself is based on public relations, because we have to take advantage of the opportunity to get closer to the artists, the organisations, the television, etc. But we do have different pieces that only tell us if something happens.

During the preparations for the festival, we have a great time, we work our asses off, and you don't sleep for a week. But you're ready for anything. Before we start, we go over everything, especially security, and then we have another meeting halfway through the festival in case anything has changed. In the end, you're working 24 hours a day for almost seven days.

Vilus TV – In my humble opinion, the Vilus Festival has borrowed some ideas from Tomorrowland. Do you pay close attention to this mega event when developing your strategies? 

Visac – I'm not going to lie to you, we've seen successful festivals and tried to adapt them to Vilus. We've been to many festivals in different places to gather different ideas, give them a twist and implement them by creating new ones. Many people know us as ‘The Canary Islands Tomorrowland’, which is a huge compliment for us. We continue to work hard to bring in top-level artists and improve every aspect of the event, but we are still a long way from the level/budget of festivals such as those mentioned above.

Vilus Tv – Tras tantas experiencias, idas y venidas y momentos vividos en el Vilus. ¿Con qué te quedas después de estos años?

Visac – I'm left with the feeling of seeing the whole audience at the festival shouting, jumping... You see people crying, hugging each other... It sounds clichéd, but you really see it. Days later, they tell you they had a great time, that they'll be back next year without a doubt... it's an incredible feeling of satisfaction.

Then, as a DJ, getting up on stage and seeing 3,000 people in front of you... realising that you're part of this, and that my wife and I have created all this together... It leaves you speechless.

And, of course, with the great team we have put together to make this happen.

Vilus TV – To wrap up, what can we expect from this third edition?

Visac – The most ambitious edition we have produced to date awaits you, a very special edition that I believe will leave no one indifferent.

There is very little time left before the start of this third edition.
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