The 5th Element Festival Showed Promise in Puerto Rico Despite First-Year Growing Pains

The 5th Element Festival in Puerto Rico brought world-class artists to intimate jungle and beach settings, though logistical challenges tested attendees throughout the seven-day event.

Nestled in the jungle and on the water of Puerto Rico, The 5th Element Festival brought something different to the dance music in early January. Over seven days, this inaugural event combined music, art, wellness programming, and a relaxed Caribbean vibe that felt distinct from most mainland United States festivals. Founded by the co-founder of The BPM Festival, the event showcased over 60 artists, including Traumer, Ben Sterling, Dennis Cruz, Shonky, Seth Troxler, Carl Craig, Dyed Soundorom, Barac, Dubfire, and Cristi Cons across three stages and local club takeovers.

For US citizens, the festival’s location in Puerto Rico offers a unique advantage. No passport is required, making it one of the most accessible international-feeling festival experiences available to Americans. There simply isn’t another festival quite like it in the United States, and that distinctiveness became increasingly apparent as the week unfolded.

Photo Credit: @neia_art

This festival really grew on me by the end, largely due to the exceptional quality of the lineup.

The festival kicked off on Wednesday with Romanian artists Sepp, Vizan, and Nu Zau alongside Idris D. I caught most of Sepp and Nu Zau’s sets, both artists I’ve been following for years. This Wednesday crowd was incredibly intimate, maybe 20 people. This initially felt concerning, but ultimately created a special atmosphere you rarely experience with DJs of this caliber.

Thursday delivered what I considered the highlight of the entire festival. Traumer B2B Shonky B2B Dyed Soundorom for six hours was a masterclass in selection. Watching these three legends blend digital and vinyl showcased their deep knowledge of music and their willingness to take risks. There was a moment when Traumer played a track, and Shonky, while cueing his next song, heard both the crowd reaction and the tune come in, and just laughed with excitement. Seeing the three of them genuinely enjoy themselves for six hours straight, occasionally surprising each other with their selections, highlighted for me what makes back-to-back sets like this special.

Friday brought Avision and Danny Tenaglia to the Horizon beach stage. Avision, an artist I’d only recently discovered, played groovy house music that perfectly suited the setting. Then the legend Danny Tenaglia followed. Every time I see him, I picture being at Twilo in NYC during his legendary ’90s residency. Friday also marked the first night of the Temple and Eclipse stages opening in Rio Grande. However, I decided to head back that evening to rest up for the long weekend ahead. Though I heard Nicole Moudaber and Paco Osuna’s B2B was great too.

Photo Credit: @neia_art

Saturday featured some of the weekend’s most prominent names.

DJ Tennis played a groovy set at the Horizon beach stage. That man never misses. At night, Archie Hamilton, Ben Sterling, and Dennis Cruz commanded the Temple stage while Dubfire, Cristi Cons, and Barac took over the Eclipse stage. Cristi Cons was my highlight. He delivered a fun, energetic house set that had the crowd dancing. Ben Sterling’s set felt a bit off from what I’ve seen him play previously. It was heavy on hip-hop tech-house edits that didn’t quite land for me personally. I’m also disappointed I missed Barac. His set looked hypnotic based on videos I saw online, definitely a music lover’s favorite DJ.

Sunday brought the first of several weather-related challenges. Chus & Ceballos played their first set together in five years, making the 5th Element Festival the inaugural stop on their reunion tour. Carl Craig B2B Seth Troxler closed down the Horizon beach stage. This legendary pairing provided an exceptional end to the night. However, weather forecasts and mud conditions forced organizers to close the jungle stages. They rescheduled the highly anticipated Inversions takeover featuring Âme, Trikk, and Dixon to a nightclub in San Juan. While the club, 7eight7 was crowded, Âme’s set had incredible energy. Both he and Dixon reminded everyone why they’re considered legends in the scene.

Monday brought the festival to a close with Stacey Pullen, the Blackflag Records founder and Detroit legend. Having followed his label for years, seeing him play in person was a fitting way to end the week. His set was a great way to end the festival.

Photo Credit: Julie

The three main stages took a refreshingly minimal approach to production.

Horizon sat on the beach while Temple and Eclipse resided deep in the jungle. Rather than massive LED screens or elaborate visual setups, the stages featured colored lighting, dream catchers that tied into the wellness theme, and integration with the natural surroundings.

The production felt intentionally designed to complement nature rather than overpower it. Sound quality was excellent across all stages, thanks to high-quality speaker systems. The intimate crowd sizes created an incredibly special atmosphere. Peak attendance typically reached 300 to 500 people at each stage, from what I could tell. That intimacy is rare with artists of this stature, though, and I appreciate that.

Food and drink options were fine. Food consisted of handheld items like empanadas and other easy options. However, I mostly explored Puerto Rico’s excellent local dining options instead. The island has an incredible food culture that would be a shame to miss. Drink prices were reasonable, with a good selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic options. However, the lack of free water stations meant $5 bottled water added up quickly in the Caribbean heat.

The Sacred Space programming featured yoga, cacao ceremonies, and breathwork from 9am to 12pm daily. While conceptually interesting, the no in and out policy meant attending morning yoga required staying at the venue from 9am until past midnight. Something I was a little confused about although I am not sure if anyone had an exception made.

The bathrooms were great. They were clean, well maintained, and plentiful throughout both venues. The smaller crowd size meant this often problematic festival aspect was handled exceptionally well.

Photo Credit: @neia_art

As expected from a first-year festival, logistics presented significant challenges.

Ricardo Villalobos couldn’t attend due to visa issues that weren’t resolved in time. The festival initially promised 90+ artists with continuous music over seven days. This eventually became 60+ artists with music from 2pm to 4am due to curfew restrictions discovered late in the planning process.

Originally, organizers wanted to avoid publishing set times. They hoped to encourage attendees to simply come for the music without an agenda. However, numerous lineup modifications forced them to post schedules daily on social media. Even then, artists consistently went on 30 minutes late throughout the week.

Finding the venue locations proved difficult without clear addresses provided. The shuttle service between venues was $50 round trip per person, while rideshare averaged $30 each way. This made the official transportation option confusing from a value perspective.

The mud at the jungle stages was so bad that it warranted closing those venues entirely on Sunday. Additionally, the Munchietown experience with DJ Tennis, which I was excited to try, turned out to be invite-only for friends rather than open to festival attendees as originally suggested. Despite these challenges, organizers ensured every booked artist who could make it performed. Notably, no one received less than a 90-minute set. Which I do appreciate a lot.

The other surprising thing about this festival was its timing. The 5th Element Festival’s timing in early January puts it in direct competition with other established events. Day Zero, Zamna in Tulum, and Trotomundo in Ecuador all have similar artists and similar crowds during this time. Many artists played Puerto Rico before heading straight to Ecuador or Tulum.

Photo Credit: @neia_art

Despite significant first-year growing pains, the festival genuinely grew on me.

The crowd itself was a healthy mix of Europeans, Americans, Central and South Americans, and Puerto Ricans. It skewed older, 30s-40s, and those who are a bit more knowledgeable about the music. This is exactly the demographic you’d expect for this caliber of underground house and techno. I do know that many locals discovered the festival at the last minute through word of mouth. Many of my Uber drivers mentioned that when they were done working, they were going to try to come to the festival.

The music was exceptional throughout the week. Caribbean culture added a special touch to the overall experience. The intimate venue sizes created rare opportunities to see world-class DJs up close. The vibes remained consistently high despite logistical setbacks.

At around $300 for seven days, the value proposition was solid for the caliber of artists featured. Compare that to most mainland festivals charging similar prices for three-day weekends with larger but more mainstream lineups. Especially look at events in Tulum, where it’s not uncommon to pay $300 for a single-day event.

The 5th Element festival reminded me of Wonderfruit in Thailand in one crucial way. I never felt like I was being sold something. That authentic, community-focused approach is increasingly rare in the festival landscape. It speaks to the organizers’ genuine passion for the music and culture.

Photo Credit: @neia_art

Would I go back for year two? Absolutely.

First-year festivals always face challenges, and the organizers navigated adversity while maintaining music quality. Weather issues forced significant pivots that were handled as well as could be expected given the circumstances.

With lessons learned and improvements implemented, the 5th Element Festival has genuine potential to become a destination event. Puerto Rico offers a unique setting that US citizens can access easily, without a passport. There’s clearly room for this type of intimate, music-focused experience that prioritizes underground sounds over mainstream appeal.

The foundation is solid. The artist relationships are clearly strong, given the caliber of talent that showed up for year one. The venues themselves are beautiful and well-suited to this type of event once the weather and logistics are better planned. Make a few small improvements to those things, and this festival could become truly special.

Follow The 5th Element Festival:

Website | Facebook | Instagram