‘The Culmination Of A Journey That Has Lasted More Than 20 Years’: Q’s With Vincenzo De Robertis, Founder, Panorama Festival Puglia

Puglia, Italy, has long been a much sought-out holiday destination thanks to its culture, architecture, food, wine, and endless shores of turquoise water. Since a few years, this region, which forms the heel of the Italian “boot”, has also built a reputation as a lifestyle and event destination, and Panorama Festival has its part to play in this development.

Founded in 2022 by Vincenzo De Robertis, one of Italy’s most established figures in electronic music and event production, Panorama, in five short years, grew to a 50,000-capacity event attracting guests from over 40 countries, and already entered DJ Mag’s Top 100 Festivals poll.

This year’s fifth edition will once again take over Cave del Duca, Aug. 14-16, a dramatic natural quarry and amphitheater spanning more than 12 hectares just outside the historic town of Lecce, transforming the landscape into an environment where music, architecture, light, and Mediterranean culture converge.

This year’s line-up features Peggy Gou, Solomun, Jamie Jones, Seth Troxler, The Martinez Brothers, Vintage Culture, BLOND, Mochakk, PAWSA, Mau P, Josh Baker and ¥ØU$UK€ ¥UK1MAT$U, alongside a strong selection of Italian talent.

As an increasing amount of travelers built their holidays around music experiences, Pollstar reached out to De Robertis to find out why he launched Panorama Festival, how he makes the economics work in today’s tough economic climate, and how his team makes sure, the festival grows organically, while remaining closely connected to the local community.

Pollstar: This year’s edition marks the fifth edition, correct? How would you sum up the festivals journey to date?
Vincenzo De Robertis: Yes, this year marks the fifth edition of Panorama Festival. While Panorama wasn’t our first project, it represents the culmination of more than twenty years of experience in electronic music, nightlife and event production. It has always been the festival we aspired to create.

Every edition has been a step forward. We’ve never approached Panorama as a one-off event, but as a long-term project that evolves year after year. Looking back, it’s remarkable to see how the festival has grown—from an ambitious idea into an internationally recognized destination for electronic music. The journey has been challenging, but also incredibly rewarding, and in many ways the growth of Panorama has exceeded even our own expectations.

It’s no secret that it’s hard to run a festival in today’s economy, given the high production costs. What made you decide that it was nonetheless the right time to launch a brand-new festival in 2022?
By 2022 we already had years of experience producing nightlife events and festivals and, before that, more than two decades in the nightlife industry. The pandemic had changed people’s relationship with live experiences, and we felt there was a genuine need to create something meaningful.

Rather than simply organizing another music festival, we wanted to build an experience that could reconnect people through music, nature and human connection. After such a difficult period, our ambition was to create something that felt uplifting, inspiring and emotionally powerful. Looking back, launching Panorama at that moment proved to be the right decision. People weren’t just looking for entertainment—they were looking for unforgettable experiences.

How do you make the financials – artist fees, production costs, ticket prices – work?
Running a festival today requires a long-term vision. You can’t evaluate the sustainability of a project based on a single edition; every decision is part of a broader growth strategy that develops over multiple years. Balancing artist fees, production costs and ticket prices is increasingly complex, but that’s where experience makes the difference. We rely on careful planning, responsible financial management and an exceptional team that constantly works to optimise every aspect of the project without compromising quality.

Equally important are the relationships we’ve built over the years—with artists, agencies, suppliers, production partners, ticketing companies and financial institutions. Trust and credibility are essential in this industry, and those long-standing partnerships allow us to continue growing while maintaining the standards Panorama has become known for.

Do you have (financial) support from the local government/municipality, because they understand the value a festival like Panorama brings to the local economy?
Panorama is primarily built through our own investment, the commitment of our partners and the support of our sponsors. At the same time, every year we apply for regional programs funded through European initiatives that support the development of major cultural events. These programs recognize the economic and tourism value that projects like Panorama can generate for the region.

The success or failure of events is often closely linked to this understanding of the local authorities, who have the power to pave the way for event organizers or put bureaucratic and financial obstacles in their way. It sounds like Puglia falls into the first category…
Organizing an event of this scale always requires constant dialogue with local authorities. It’s true that, historically, Southern Italy has been more cautious when it comes to large-scale events, and understandably so: institutions have a responsibility to protect residents and the local environment.

Over the years, however, we’ve built relationships based on trust, transparency and mutual respect. Today, local and regional authorities understand that Panorama is not simply a festival—it is a project that generates tourism, employment and international visibility for Puglia. That shared understanding has allowed us to work together towards the same objective: creating an event that benefits both visitors and the local community.

Hasn’t Puglia always been popular among tourists? In what ways do you see that Panorama has made it even more popular?
Puglia has long been one of Italy’s most beloved destinations, but over the last decade its international reputation has grown tremendously. Panorama has contributed to that evolution by introducing a new audience to the region: an international community of music lovers who travel specifically for high-quality cultural experiences.

Today we welcome visitors from more than 55 countries. What’s particularly rewarding is that many of them don’t come just for the festival. They extend their stay, explore the region, discover local traditions, food, beaches and historic towns, contributing directly to the local economy.

That’s one of Panorama’s greatest strengths. Rather than existing independently from its surroundings, the festival encourages people to experience Puglia as a destination. Music becomes the reason to travel, while the territory becomes the reason to return.

There are examples of tourist destinations that have become so overrun that they’re no longer what they used to be. How do you maintain a balance of an event that appeals to tourists while respecting the local population?
Panorama Festival has always grown in harmony with Puglia, never at its expense. We see the region not simply as a destination, but as a long-term partner. Every year we work to strengthen our relationship with the local communities, businesses and institutions, ensuring that the festival creates lasting economic opportunities and tangible value for the territory.

Our growth has always gone hand in hand with a deep respect for the identity of the region. Rather than changing what makes Puglia special, we aim to showcase it to an international audience while supporting its sustainable development. Our ongoing collaborations with local and regional tourism boards and public institutions are a testament to this shared vision.

Success, for us, is measured not only by the number of visitors we attract, but by the positive legacy we leave behind. As Panorama continues to evolve, our commitment remains the same: to grow alongside the territory, creating opportunities for local communities while preserving the authenticity that makes Puglia unique.

What’s the overall event/festival scene in Puglia like? Are there many events across the year, and especially in summer?
Over the past few years, Puglia has established itself as one of Europe’s most exciting destinations for cultural and music events. What was once primarily known for its coastline, gastronomy and heritage is now becoming a year-round destination where world-class festivals, concerts and cultural experiences are an essential part of its identity.

Summer is naturally the busiest season, with a rich calendar of music festivals, traditional celebrations, arts events and international productions taking place across the region. This diversity creates a vibrant ecosystem that attracts visitors from all over the world while celebrating the authenticity of local culture.
We are proud that Panorama Festival is part of this evolution. Together with regional and local tourism institutions, we are helping position Puglia not only as a beautiful place to visit, but as a destination people actively choose because of its cultural and event offering. This collective effort is strengthening the region’s international profile and demonstrating that Puglia has all the ingredients to become one of the Mediterranean’s leading destinations for world-class events.

How did you manage to get such a stellar lineup only five years in? I’m guessing it’s yours connections, but also the reputation Panorama has built in five years.
Relationships are certainly an important part of it. I’ve been working in the clubbing and live events industry for more than 20 years, and throughout that time I’ve built long-standing relationships not only with DJs, but also with the agencies and management teams that represent the world’s leading artists. Those relationships are based on trust, consistency and years of working together.

That said, relationships alone are never enough. Agencies and artists choose festivals they believe in. Over the past five years, Panorama has established itself as a reliable, professionally run event with a clear artistic identity, high production standards and an international audience that truly appreciates electronic music.
Today, when we approach an artist or an agency, they already know what Panorama represents. That reputation has become one of our greatest assets, allowing us to attract some of the biggest names in electronic music while continuing to grow year after year.

Can you give a breakdown of your journey in electronic music and event production?
My journey in electronic music began more than twenty years ago with the development of Guendalina, a club that became one of Italy’s most respected institutions for electronic music. Over the years, Guendalina welcomed many of the world’s leading DJs and played a pioneering role in bringing international electronic music culture to Southern Italy.

Alongside the club, we expanded into artist booking and event production, working closely with leading international agencies and management companies while producing events across Puglia. We became deeply involved in the regional electronic music scene, managing artist bookings and developing increasingly ambitious projects that gave us a comprehensive understanding of every aspect of the industry.

Before launching Panorama, we tested the market by producing several large-scale events with audiences of up to 7,000 people. Those experiences confirmed that Puglia had both the demand and the potential to host an international electronic music festival. When Panorama was born in 2022, everything came together. The turning point was discovering the limestone quarries of Cave del Duca: an extraordinary setting that perfectly embodied the vision we had been building towards for years. The combination of a world-class natural venue, an internationally respected lineup and decades of industry experience gave Panorama a distinctive identity from its very first edition.

Today, Panorama is the natural evolution of more than two decades of work, relationships and passion. It represents not only our journey in electronic music, but also our ambition to establish Puglia as one of Europe’s leading destinations for electronic music and cultural events.

What makes Panorama special in your eyes?
For me, Panorama is much more than a festival — it’s the culmination of a journey that has lasted more than twenty years. As Artistic Director, seeing an idea evolve into an internationally recognized event of this scale is incredibly rewarding. It isn’t something I take for granted, nor is it something I see as a personal achievement alone. It’s the result of years of hard work, consistency, countless challenges and an extraordinary team that has shared this vision from the very beginning.

What makes Panorama truly special is that it proves what can be achieved when passion is combined with commitment and long-term thinking. We’ve never chased shortcuts; we’ve built the festival step by step, earning the trust of artists, agencies, partners and our audience.

Rather than being a destination, Panorama is a motivation. Every edition pushes us to raise the bar, to innovate and to create something even more meaningful. That’s what excites me the most—the feeling that our best chapter is still ahead of us.

Anything you’d like to add about the festival?
If there’s one thing I’d like people to understand about Panorama, it’s that it’s much more than a music festival. Our ambition has always been to create a project that generates a positive impact well beyond the event itself.

That’s why we’ve built meaningful partnerships with organizations that share our values. Through our collaboration with Sylva, we actively support environmental sustainability initiatives and contribute to reforestation projects in Puglia. We also proudly work alongside LILT to raise awareness and support the fight against cancer, while collaborating with local associations to improve accessibility and ensure that the festival is as inclusive as possible for people with disabilities.

At the same time, Panorama has become a truly international destination. Every year we welcome clubbers from all over the world, creating a community that brings together different cultures through a shared passion for electronic music. With a capacity of up to 14,000 people per day, we are proud to see Puglia recognized as a destination capable of hosting major international events while preserving its unique identity.

For us, success isn’t measured only by the artists on stage or the number of tickets sold. It’s measured by the legacy we create—for the territory, for the people who attend, and for the generations that will experience Panorama in the years to come.

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