Ahead of their monumental 20th edition of the festival, we sat down with promoters Wilson Neves and Bernardo Bernardes to discuss their inspiration to start Sound Waves, the biggest challenges they have faced and the legacy they want to leave.
Hitting 20 years is a milestone like no other and Sound Waves have consistently brought some of the biggest names in the electronic music industry to coastal settings in Portugal, something they felt the Portuguese scene was lacking at the time. 20 years on they put on their biggest show yet in Esmoriz, Portugal.
What inspired the creation of Sound Waves back in 2005, and what was the scene like in Portugal at the time?
Wilson Neves: The creation of Sound Waves comes from the lack of electronic music events in Portugal at that time. Electronic music was a niche underground movement, where few had access and knowledge, hence the creation of the festival.
Looking back over the last two decades, what moment or performance stands out as the most iconic in Sound Waves history?
Bernardo Bernardes: We’ve had several iconic performances over 20 years with hundreds of artists, it’s hard to count but perhaps the return of the mythical Danny Tenaglia to Portugal, and more recently Sara Landry and I Hate Models.
What have been the biggest challenges in keeping the festival thriving for 20 years and standing out amidst countless other events?
Wilson Neves: The biggest challenge we have faced is the lack of support. Sound Waves is currently a festival without sponsors, and being able to maintain a festival for 20 years without support is practically impossible, however with a lot of effort and dedication we have kept the festival constantly growing even without corporate support.
Talk us through your lineup programming – how do you select the artists for each year and balance huge names with fresh underground talent?
Bernardo Bernardes: We already work with practically all the big names on the world scene, which makes it increasingly difficult to select artists. We always try to build new line-ups and not repeat names from edition to edition. We always try to have new artists at the festival mixed with the big names that guarantee us the perfect line-up.
What do you hope a first-time visitor will take away from their Sound Waves experience this year, and what legacy do you want the festival to leave?
Wilson Neves: We hope that the Ravers who come to Sound Waves for the first time will take away unforgettable moments from this experience, it’s a 21-hour non-stop festival, packed with the biggest names in hard techno and with an ever-increasing audio visual production. We hope our ravers leave as satisfied as we are when we feel we’ve done a good job.
What does the 20th anniversary mean to you personally, and what message would you give to everyone who’s been part of the journey so far?
Bernardo Bernardes: Firstly thank you to all our ravers for putting their trust in Sound Waves and allowing the festival to grow year after year, festivals survive on the public and our public has been a fundamental base for us to continue to grow the event. This 20th anniversary edition will be the biggest ever and we’re very much looking forward to welcoming all the ravers who make Sound Waves a festival not to be missed every year!
With technology constantly evolving, are there any new tech elements, stage designs, or interactive experiences coming this year?
Wilson Neves: Yes, in this edition we’ve improved and added various audiovisual elements, we’ll also have a second stage, we have various improvements from the 2024 edition to the 2025 edition, perhaps this edition is the one where the festival has developed and grown the most to date.
If you could describe the Sound Waves journey in three words, what would they be, and why?
Bernardo Bernardes:
MORE THAN TECHNO
It’s our slogan, Sound Waves is much more than a techno or electronic music festival, it’s a cultural movement that moves people from all over the world, it’s a moment of unity, happiness and love for electronic music and rave culture.
If you’d like to see what went down at last years edition of Sound Waves Festival, you can check the link below to see their aftermovie.
ratemyrave 