Once-In-A-Lifetime: How Disco Presents Is Bringing Music Fans & Space Nerds Together To Party With An Eclipse

Thirty years into his career, James “Disco Donnie” Estopinal Jr., is setting out on his most ambitious project yet with Texas Eclipse, which centers around the Great North American Eclipse taking place on April 8.

While speaking with Pollstar he sits in the midst of the 1,300-acre Reveille Peak Ranch in Burnet, Texas, where Texas Eclipse will be held April 5-9, promising a view of the full total eclipse, as early arrival fans are just hours away from driving in.

The lineup features the likes of Zeds Dead, Subtronics, Tipper, Charlotte de Witte, LP Giobbi, Maya Jane Coles, Ivy Lab and more. Along with dance music, the festival focuses on art, space and technology with speakers including NASA astronauts such as Ron Garan and Nicole Stott, as well as yoga led by top-notch instructors.

“This moment means so much to a lot of the people that are coming,” Estopinal says of the eclipse. “There’s a lot of pressure to deliver something worthy of their excitement.”
The promoter got his start back in the rave scene heyday of illegal warehouse parties that were frequently shut down. He also made history as the first major festival to return post-COVID with his Ubbi Dubbi. Estopinal says this festival feels even bigger, like the most important thing he’s ever done.

“During the eclipse, there will be a significant spiritual aspect with some type of indigenous ceremony happening at the sacred fire,” says Mitch Morales, founder of Texas Eclipse and Probably Nothing, who’s partnering with Estopinal’s Disco Presents for the event.

“Patrick [Kronfli, co-founder of Unify] who is leading one of the biggest real-time meditations around the totality, will be part of this. It’s an opportunity for a more spiritual experience. For those seeking a breathtaking view, a popular route is to hike up to one of the elevated areas on the property. There are several large hills accessible by hiking, offering an elevated vantage point with a 360-degree sunrise along with the midday sky going dark. This provides a unique perspective, with shadows, fractals and captivating visuals below. It’s an exciting aspect we’re looking forward to. While there won’t be a major public music programming planned, it doesn’t mean that someone in the campground won’t be playing music here and there. We won’t be shutting down the stages, but spontaneous musical moments may happen as part of the overall experience.”

An estimated 40,000 people are coming to the ranch, with Texas Eclipse employing 4,000 people on site across all areas throughout the weekend. The event features camping, artwork displays and workshops regarding space exploration, Web3, wellness and psychedelics. Another highlight is indigenous programming helmed by Gwen Gruesen, which includes a gathering of elders from an international community of tribes to connect with leaders in science, technology, medicine and art.

“The hardest part is getting everyone in,” Estopinal says. “You don’t want to be a burden on the county. The main goal is to get everybody in. We have to search them, process them as quickly as possible, get them to the spots they want to be so they can go set up and start having a good time.”

The early arrivals allow the festival to have a soft open to work out the kinks before the larger masses begin to make their way inside. The crew has largely been on site since January, working around the clock to ensure the stages were built, the layout was created and all 1,200 acres are primed for a once-in-a-lifetime experience for fans.
Estopinal says he’s worried about all that can go wrong as he knows the one guarantee in the industry is something will always go sideways. However, he has faith in the event and is also beginning to consider returning to the venue and creating something on this scale year after year.