[Interview] Pulse Events CEO Luffy Huang Talks Upcoming Spring Festival, Asian Inspired Dance Music, EDC Korea, and More

In just two weeks, Pulse Events returns with its third annual Spring Festival: Lunar New Year Celebration. With this year being the year of the snake, it was fitting to have DJ Snake to close out day 3, with ILLENIUM and DJ Diesel also making headlining appearances. Other acts adding to the festivities include, JVNA, yetep, Space Laces, Audien, and many more. The stacked 3 day festival takes place at Avant Gardner on 1/30 -2/1 and will no doubt be the best way to party and celebrate the Lunar New Year that weekend in the tristate area.

The man behind Spring Festival is none other than Luffy Huang who is the CEO of Pulse Events. Since establishing Pulse Events in 2015 as the first Asian-led entertainment company in the United States, Luffy’s mission has been to foster diversity, unity, and togetherness through the power of music. Throughout his career, Luffy has been instrumental in diversifying the dance music landscape in North America, while promoting asian culture through high-profile events. His recent accomplishments include developing Krazy Super Concert, one of America’s premier K-pop music festival brands, and bringing the first ever S2O Festival to New York City which is regarded as the biggest water festival in the world. Under his leadership, Pulse Events will also be producing EDC Korea in Incheon on April 25-26. On top of these large scale events, Pulse Events has hosted over 70 industry-leading electronic music artists such as Martin Garrix, Marshmello, SLANDER, Afrojack, Gryffin, KSHMR, Kill The Noise, Like Mike, Seven Lions, Vini Vici, Yellow Claw, and more.

We had the opportunity to sit down with Luffy ahead of Spring Festival to get the rundown on the planning behind the festival, asian inspired dance music, EDC Korea, and more.

First off, thanks for chatting with us. This year’s lineup looks amazing and it seems like each edition of Spring Festival just gets better and better. Can you share any changes/improvements that we can expect this year from the previous?

This is our third annual Spring Festival and it is definitely our biggest one yet. We are expanding from two days to three days this year at Avant Gardner‘s Great Hall and we’ve booked massive headliners including ILLENIUM, Diesel and DJ Snake. Our night market is back and will be even more immersive, and lion dance performances will again showcase the Lunar New Year culture. New this year is an art installation that will be a cool photo op for fans – an LED lion. We are also introducing unique merch including Pulse Events branded lion head beanie hats that fans can wear at the show and throughout the two weeks that we celebrate Lunar New Year.

Lunar New Year is a significant cultural event for many Asian communities, symbolizing family reunion and new beginnings. How do you believe dance music events such as Spring Festival can contribute to a deeper understanding of Asian culture and traditions?

Dance music is a universal language and our headliners this year are popular not only among Asian fans, but fans around the world including in the US. Like our past two Spring Festival editions, we are excited to welcome fans who are not only from New York City’s Asian community, but who are of all backgrounds who love to see top talent perform. From the moment that attendees step into Spring Festival, they will be walking through the night market and witness lion dance performances. This will be integrated with Lunar New Year-inspired decorations at the Great Hall. Fans will be able to dance together to their favorite DJs while being introduced to or becoming more connected to cultural traditions through music. We will be one big family celebrating Spring Festival.

Balancing tradition and innovation is crucial in today’s evolving cultural landscape. How does Pulse Events strike a balance between preserving the core elements of Lunar New Year and incorporating fresh, innovative ideas, particularly within the realm of electronic music?

First and foremost, we make sure that the artists we book are aligned with our mission to highlight Lunar New Year. As you can see in our event flyers, the most prominent thing is the cultural elements and this year, drawing attention to the Year of the Snake. This year, we were very lucky to have our wish come true, to be able to book DJ Snake to close out the three-day event. It will be the most fitting and perfect ending.

The choice of headliners is essential in shaping the overall experience of a music festival. How do you ensure that the selected headliners align with the cultural themes and spirit of Lunar New Year, resonating with the diverse audience?

I aim to book artists who are popular in Asia as well as in the US. These artists such as DJ Snake, our day three headliner, play in Asia often and draws huge crowds. Secondly, I try to book artists who are of Asian background. For example, direct support for ILLENIUM on day one will be Taiwanese-American DJ JVNA. Also many of our local support DJs are Asian and known in the community, and help us spread the word about our unique Lunar New Year celebration.

What is Pulse Events’ long-term vision for promoting cultural diversity and inclusion through electronic music events? How do you plan to continue fostering a sense of community and shared experience while celebrating Asian culture?

Our long-term vision is that through holding events with renowned DJs and infusing Asian culture into the production elements, we will help people recognize what a huge part of Asian culture dance music has become, and give them a taste of what it’s like to experience shows in Asia. Our mission has become not only to bring the east to the west as we have with Spring Festival and other events like S2O New York, but we are now bringing the west to the east as I am heading up EDC Korea’s return this year to Incheon.

What inspired you to create Spring Festival and how does it feel producing the event for a third year in a row?

Spring festival, or Lunar New Year, is the biggest celebration of the year in Asian culture. That is why it is the first event I brought to New York City. I feel very fortunate to be producing it for the third straight year at the world-class venue that is Avant Gardner. I feel blessed that it has grown to be three days and that we have booked amazing talent all around for this year.

What are some of the most rewarding moments and challenges from the first three iterations of Spring Festival?

One of the most rewarding moments of the past two iterations of Spring Festival was being able to book SLANDER last year. They are a favorite among our Pulse Events fans and it was a massive success for us. One of the challenges was bringing the vision of the night market and decorations to come to life and expand on it. The first Spring Festival, we only had the decorations and it was a good start, but last year we were able to bring in the night market and the lion dancers and I’m very proud that it went from a challenge to rewarding to see that grow from my vision.

How has Pulse Events evolved since the first Spring Festival and what were the most exciting moments?

Spring Festival started as a two-day event in 2023 that just had New Year-themed decorations at Great Hall. Last year, we activated a night market, which allowed fans to partake in some of the traditions that happen during this special time of the year. For me, the exciting moments were when the lion dancers performed right before the headliners. I felt that fans realize that our event is different from any other show with the same artists and really set us apart.

Where do you see the future of Asian inspired dance music events heading this year?

I see a bright future for Asian-inspired dance music events this year. As I said earlier, Pulse Events is dedicated now not only to bringing the east to the west, but the west to the east. One of my main focuses right now is producing EDC Korea, which is returning for the first time in years. EDC Las Vegas is the biggest electronic music festival in the US and the brand will make a huge mark in South Korea this year. I am so excited for Korean fans to experience the magic that is Electric Daisy Carnival.

How did you approach curating the artist lineup for Spring Festival?

I think about who the hot acts are at the moment and how they would fit into the world of Spring Festival. I also listen to feedback from fans and see who they are desiring to watch. I also put a lot of thought into the support lineup for the event. Many of the many of them are locals who are of Asian background and one of my biggest goals in Spring Festival and all my events is to boost people in our community.

What is the best reaction you’ve seen from a fan at your show?

The most heartwarming reactions from fans I’ve seen are at the Spring Festival night market. It allows them to understand the Lunar New Year culture and I love seeing fans take pictures with their friends at the photo booth. We also have a makeup and Kandi making station coming this year. It’s great to see fans receive positive energy from our show and start the New Year this way.

What events can we expect to see from you and Pulse Events in 2025?

The biggest one is going to be EDC Korea in April. We are working very hard on that and I cannot wait to share the special elements and lineup that are going to make it an epic comeback to the country. We are also going to be bringing back S2O for the second annual edition at the Brooklyn Mirage and are thrilled to do so after a highly successful first edition last year.

What are some highlights attendees can expect to see at this year’s Spring Festival?

ILLENIUM’s performance will be a big moment for Pulse Events and our fans. It is the first time that we have booked ILLENIUM and he is one of the most popular artists among our fans so we are so excited to bring him. He is also a huge supporter of the Asian community and knows he has many Asian fans so it’s going to be very special and memorable.