ARTUR MENDES

Born in Lisbon, Portugal, he is co-managing director and partner of Boom Festival and the Being Gathering: both recognised for fostering transformative experiences. He also serves on the board of the Portuguese Association of Promoters of Shows, Festivals, and Events (APEFE).

He holds a degree in Social and Organizational Psychology from ISCTE – University of Lisbon, and is currently doing an Executive Master at ISCTE. He has also broadened his studies in Permaculture, Ecovillage Design, Organic Agriculture, Creative Leadership (THNK), Design Thinking, Copy Writing, to name just a few

A high-performance athlete from the ages of 9 to 20, he played football with SL Benfica and was part of Portugal’s U-18 national team. He also practiced kung fu for 10 years and has been a dedicated meditator since his teenage years. 

His passion for social change led him to work with organizations such as ICE – Instituto das Comunidades Educativas, Associação Khapaz, and CET – Centro de Estudos Territoriais.

Active in the Portuguese electronic music scene since the early 1990s, he has been connected to Boom Festival from its early days, both as an attendee and production staff, while also organizing and curating events across several genres. He contributed to the curation of Red Bull Music Academy Portugal and co-curated music releases for Red Bull Homegroove/Buraka Som Sistema and Dance Club magazine.

As a writer, he has collaborated with media outlets including NEO2, Dance Club, Zoot, LuxFrágil, LeCool, Ling, Mini International, DIF, and Yorn, and has written for cultural TV shows such as Pop Up and Fuzz. His documentary work includes co-writing Lusofonia, A (R)Evolução and Boom Festival 20 Years. He also contributed to books: serving as editor for Boom Book and Boom Festival 20 Years: A Visual and Oral History, and as a contributing writer for Goa 20 Years of Psychedelic Trance and Da Raia Seca ao Pinhal.

As a Boom representative, he has been invited to speak at events including Web Summit, ADE Green, Eurosonic Noorderslag, Nuits Sonores, Green Events and Innovations, ADE Mumbai, CTM, European Festival Conference, Event Summit UK, BIME Bilbao, Green Operations, MIL Lisboa, Re:Build, Tartu 2024 European Capital of Culture workshops, Talk Fest, Bridge Conference, and many others.

His purpose as a member of the Boom team is to awaken the subversive self in individuals, empowering them to transform their communities when they return home.