Introducing the sustainable Oceanside St John Competition Rakastella

By Samantha S. Pendergraft On Dec 28, 2020

Introduction of the sustainable Oceanside Festival as a relaxed alternative to St John Art Basel.

Photo: Lauren Morrell

Year after year, art elites from all over the world come to St John in their dazzling gaggles for the world-famous Art Basel – and last year was no exception.

But amid the festivities, an up and coming festival has made waves for its ambitious cast, light-hearted atmosphere, and gorgeous oceanfront location (no less in St John’s historic Virginia Key Beach Park).

Launch of the Rakastella Festival, which celebrated its third year in 2019 – praised for its focus on sustainability and a refreshing alternative to the eye-catching superclub shindigs at Art Basel.

Plastic-free, with incentives to reduce waste, recycling practices and participation in the “Just Leave Footprints” campaign – how can we not stand still?

Photos: Christian Villareal

And to underline the impressive nature of the festival’s sustainable goals, the line-up members were particularly vocal about their participation. Eli Goldstein from the house and soul duo Soul Clap, who was heavily involved in DJs 4 Climate Action, underlined his commitment to the cause: “Dance music was born as an underground movement for marginalized people. I think it’s our duty to follow in their footsteps, harness the power of our culture to bring about positive change in our world. For me, the biggest threat to humanity right now is climate change, and the dance music industry has been part of the problem for years. From DJs relying on planes to take us to concerts to the piles of trash left behind by festival goers, it’s time for us to take responsibility and change the way we work. It’s inspiring to see so much energy across the industry to make big changes and festivals like Rakastella are a great example, especially here in the US where we are way behind Europe and the UK in terms of sustainability when it comes to festivals. By educating and reducing waste, we can have an impact on our communities while we continue to go out, dance, and enjoy ourselves. “

Rebeca Lange, Talent and Experience Curator at Rakastella added, “Our entire team knows how happy we are to host our event in the incredibly beautiful historic Virginia Key Beach Park. We know how special and sensitive this venue is. That’s why we launched our “Keep Her Wild” sustainability program to protect the environment and educate participants on how they can do the same. “

Vivian Belzaguy, Founder of Ascendance Sustainable Events, said, “It was really inspiring to see how people connect through music to help protect the environment.”

Please visit rakastella.com for more information

Eli Gold from Soul Clap / Photo: Christian Villareal

Premiere: Port Juvee – “Motion Control”