A Behind-the-Scenes Look at BEONIX with A&R Director Andrej Buhonov
With the Beonix Festival creeping up quickly, we sat down with the A&R Director of the festival, Andrej Buhonov, to delve into his journey from promoter to festival organizer, and to get an insider’s view on what makes Beonix so unique. He shared insights into the evolving electronic music scene in Cyprus, the challenges of organizing a high-production festival on a small island, and the exciting developments for the 2024 edition of Beonix.
What made you want to become a promoter in the first place rather than a DJ?
I started as a promoter when I finished school, organizing parties for my friends. Later, during my time at university, I started running campus parties to earn a bit of extra money to pay for my studies. I don’t think I’m destined to be a musician; I enjoy organizing parties much more!
What is the local Cyprus scene like? What sounds are popular? What makes it unique?
Cyprus’s local scene is pretty small, with every town having its own ‘most popular’ sound. For example, Nicosia is pretty popular with Techno, whereas Limassol loves Afro House and Melodic Techno.
It’s difficult to say that something is unique, but I think Cyprus is the only country in Europe where the scene is only just starting up now or has only started up in the past few years. So it’s fantastic to see how all of these small collectives are growing.
What are the biggest challenges of putting on this event each year?
There are a lot of challenges, one of them being that BEONIX is still a pretty young festival, with 2024 being only our third edition.
However, I believe that one of our biggest challenges is our technical team. Cyprus is a small country and an island—in Düsseldorf, for example, there are 25 sound and lighting rental companies, whereas in Cyprus, there are only about 4-5. So we’re quite limited in what we can do and source on the island, which can create a lot of difficulty when trying to set up a high-production event.
It can also be tricky to find a good lineup balance between “ticket-seller acts” as well as fresh and young artists with a good attitude and unique sound.
What's new or evolved for 2024, and how has the festival generally had to evolve and adapt since it launched?
Our biggest change was last year when we moved from Larnaca to Limassol. Our fantastic venue ETKO will be our home for the next few years.
However, we’ve been evolving year by year in all aspects of the festival. Our designers have been creating new props, art, and other visual elements, and our technical and visual team have been improving the light and sound design to push boundaries from previous editions.
This year, we’re also adding a new stage just for young local artists. In my mind, it is so important that more 18-25 year olds get a chance to showcase their sound on a big festival stage.
What informs the lineup this year? How do you approach choosing which artists to book? Is it more about selling tickets, appealing to fans, or showcasing your own taste?
As mentioned before, for my team, the most difficult part is to find a good balance in the lineup between “ticket-seller acts” as well as a mix of fresh and young artists with a good attitude and unique sound. I think this year, we have a great variety of bands, live acts, and DJs across the Afro House and Hard Techno spectrum.
Tell us about some of the production at BEONIX—the size of the screens, the number of lights, the power of the sound system, etc.
I don’t know the exact numbers, but it is massive.
How important is it to work with local artists, promoters, production crews, and DJs when putting on this event?
Inviting local artists/DJs, promoters, and production crews is so important to us. This year our festival guests can join over 20 established local artists and 15 young talents. We also work with local clubs and promoter crews to collaborate and grow step by step.
What tips have you got for anyone coming for the first time?
Stay for a few days more and try to enjoy not only our festival but also the island.
