{"id":31619,"date":"2025-08-27T15:20:32","date_gmt":"2025-08-27T13:20:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/xceed.me\/blog\/?p=31619"},"modified":"2026-01-13T15:39:09","modified_gmt":"2026-01-13T13:39:09","slug":"interview-steven-braines-defected-glitterbox","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/xceed.me\/blog\/en\/interview-steven-braines-defected-glitterbox\/","title":{"rendered":"Interview with Steven Braines (Head of Events at Defected\/Glitterbox)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

With Defected<\/a><\/strong> and Glitterbox<\/a><\/strong> now occupying cult status on the global clubbing map, few names feel as in sync with their moment as Steven Braines<\/strong>. Recently appointed Head of Events<\/strong> for both brands, Braines brings more than just experience\u2014he brings a reputation built on inclusivity, risk-taking, and community-building at scale. His track record spans decades of work behind the scenes as an artist manager and cultural leader, plus the genre-defying, proudly queer platform HE.SHE.THEY<\/a><\/strong>, which he co-founded and continues to run in parallel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Wez
Wez Saunders, Steven Braines, and George Pritchard (Credits: Defected)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In this exclusive interview, we dive into how Braines balances intimacy with scale, stays grounded while producing some of the most recognizable events in electronic music, and keeps the soul of house alive in an era of brand overload. He talks artist curation, community-building, and the backstage grind that powers Defected\u2019s global orbit\u2014from Ibiza residencies to 2025\u2019s record-breaking Croatia festival.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
go out in your city<\/strong><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Defected and Glitterbox have become global brands with a loyal following. What\u2019s the strategy behind making a house music event recognizable \u2014 and desirable \u2014 from Dubai to Croatia?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Defected is all about the music, and Glitterbox is about the music but also the show as well, the dancers, the costumes are all really important elements there too. That\u2019s the main point of difference and only a few DJs play both brands, so they are sonically separate. Ultimately, though, it\u2019s about good times, good vibes, and incredible music in an inclusive space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

How do you approach market saturation? With so many cities now running 2\u20133 major events per weekend, what\u2019s your take on avoiding brand fatigue while still scaling?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ibiza has new people there every week, apart from its residents, which keeps the audience fresh and prevents fatigue. Other than London for both brands and NYC for Glitterbox, we tend only to visit each city around once a year, twice at most and that feels really comfortable. Far from being fatigued, I like to think we leave people wanting more! Some fans travel all around the world to different shows, and I love that. I think it shows a real community. I believe someone could come to one of our parties on their own and leave with friends for life. We\u2019re visiting new places all the time, but that\u2019s fuelled by demand from our fans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Defected Malta (Credit: @dsargent.photo \/ Defected)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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What\u2019s a misunderstood or underestimated part of producing Defected\/Glitterbox shows that most people from the outside never see?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Probably how much work goes into everyone else having a lovely, safe time. At the start of the Ibiza season, I was doing 20-hour working days for the first 2 weeks of it. It\u2019s not just one party you\u2019re working on. It\u2019s all the parties over the next 6 months and planning the Ibiza season already for next year, plus our two festivals in Croatia and Malta. I easily get more emails in a month than most people get in a year! If our team weren\u2019t a family and didn\u2019t care as much as they do, it wouldn\u2019t work. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

From your global POV, what do you wish more promoters or clubs understood when trying to book or build a night?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I think the most important thing is the fan and not your own ego. You can\u2019t just program something for yourself. It has your influence for sure, but it\u2019s about making other people \u2013most of whom have a very hard life nowadays\u2013 happy for 6 hours or if it\u2019s a festival for a few days. We offer them an escape through joy and community. You can\u2019t just use community as a word; you have to mean it, you have to live it. You also have to respect your audience and not treat them like an ATM! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Defected Croatia (Credit: @dsargent.photo \/ Defected)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n

Is there ever tension between staying true to the roots of house music and doing big-ticket, globally recognized events?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I think there\u2019s a lot of talent out there. If you are doing a show, we\u2019re lucky that our brands sell a lot of tickets just from their own name. We only program headliners that make sense to our brands and their music policies. Most headliners at Defected shows will have either released on the label or done a remix. Same for the support acts. That’s what makes it keep its identity and why our line-ups aren\u2019t just the same as everyone else\u2019s. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s a recent risk you took that paid off?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We had Kaytranada<\/a><\/strong> and Lizzo<\/strong> play Glitterbox on their Ibiza debuts. We really believed it would work \u2013 some people weren\u2019t sure, but it was INCREDIBLE. One of the best nights of my life. You have to evolve and take calculated risks. Even if it hadn\u2019t worked, I would still be proud that we had tried because failure is part of success and evolving. Those brands that never take risks aren\u2019t there anymore.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Lizzo and Kaytranada at Glitterbox Ibiza (Credits: Connor Baker \/ Glitterbox)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Are you seeing a generational shift in crowds or expectations?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We see a real intergenerational crowd at our parties. The majority are 18 – 35, but we see clubbers older than that who have been with the brands since day 1. Everyone is welcome. That\u2019s the whole point of what we do. Everyone brought together by house music, love, tolerance and respect. Defected and Glitterbox both sell a lot of tickets just on the name, as we\u2019ve built up a trust with our fans to be strong curators. Then more when the line-up is announced, you can attract those newer to our brands. There\u2019s a lot of competition on the island every day, so you have to really make the best line-ups you can every week. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Where is the next scene-defining moment likely to happen?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Next year, there are some INCREDIBLE things planned globally. We have some tours planned. A decade of dancing in Croatia in its tenth year will be a big one for sure. Both Drumsheds, London and Malta, have seen their quickest selling ever so far, and will definitely sell out ahead of time, just like Croatia 2025. It feels like a very exciting time to be at Defected & Glitterbox for sure!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Credits: Connor Baker \/ Defected<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n
Feel like clubbing?<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"With Defected and Glitterbox now occupying cult status on the global clubbing map, few names feel as 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