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Five names. Five dates. One venue. Across August, five of our students step onto the decks at Destino Pacha Ibiza, and not one of them bought the slot. Each one earned it through the Talent Pool, the part of the Academy that turns lessons into bookings.
This is what the pathway looks like when it works. A gig, on a real Ibiza stage, in front of a real crowd.
Key takeaways
- Five Pete Tong DJ Academy students play Destino Pacha Ibiza across August 2026, every slot earned through the Talent Pool.
- The dates: Anto Zagu (7 Aug), Julieta Alvarez (14 Aug), Soulfie (21 Aug), Marc De Groot (28 Aug), Dolça van Leeuwen (30 Aug).
- Marc De Groot is a joint Grand Prix winner of the Academy's 2026 Future Talent Awards, announced at IMS Ibiza in April.
- The lineup spans Uruguay, Brazil, Spain and the UK, from tribal house to melodic techno.
- The Talent Pool is available to our Academy students. This is how you get into the room.
Five names, five dates
Here is the run, in order: Anto Zagu on 7 August, Julieta Alvarez on 14 August, Soulfie on 21 August, Marc De Groot on 28 August, and Dolça van Leeuwen on 30 August.
Five different countries, five different sounds, one venue. Read that lineup again and notice what it is not. It is not five people who look and sound the same. It is a spread, and the spread is the point.
What the Talent Pool actually is
Most DJ courses end with a video and a pat on the back. Ours ends with a booking, or the shot at one. The Talent Pool is the engine underneath these five names. Weekly and monthly challenges, mentor feedback, and annual competitions like the Future Talent Awards, all built to move a DJ toward a booth.
It has form. Our students have played Destino Pacha before, more than one summer running. Others have taken stages at Pacha and Amnesia. Destino this August is the same machine doing the same job again, five times over.
The lessons matter, and the structured DJ course path is where the skill gets built. The Talent Pool is where the skill gets seen.
Who is playing
Anto Zagu, 7 August
Anto Zagu is a DJ and producer from Uruguay who fuses house and tribal into high-energy sets. She has already played across Europe and South America. She opens the run on 7 August, and "high-energy" is the whole approach.
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Julieta Alvarez, 14 August
Julieta Alvarez started in Uruguay, playing as the sun went down, and now works out of Madrid. Her sound moved from warm and immersive to energetic house that blends electronic classics with jacking house. She plays vinyl. She has three releases on labels already.
Soulfie, 21 August
Soulfie is Sofia Franco, a house DJ and producer from Santa Catarina, Brazil, now based in São Paulo. Her sets run on groove and swing, built from a love of soul and disco, and she lifts a floor without ever chasing the BPM. She picked up a guitar at six and a DJ mixer in 2012. The plan now is more Brazilian swing inside house.
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Marc De Groot, 28 August
Marc De Groot has been DJing for over 30 years and lives in Ibiza, so a Destino booking is a home game. In April 2026 he was named joint Grand Prix winner of the Academy's Future Talent Awards at IMS Ibiza. He only started producing with purpose in October 2025.
Dolça van Leeuwen, 30 August
Dolça van Leeuwen is a Spanish-Dutch DJ and producer working in progressive house and melodic techno. She has played clubs and festivals across Rome, London, Amsterdam, Budapest and Barcelona, and events as far from a nightclub as the Spanish Formula 1 Grand Prix and Cannes Lions. She closes the month on 30 August.
Your name could be on next month's list. The Talent Pool is open to every student. Join the Talent Pool and get your shot at a real stage.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Pete Tong DJ Academy Talent Pool?
The Talent Pool is how the Academy connects students to real gigs. It runs challenges, mentor feedback and annual competitions like the Future Talent Awards, then channels the strongest students toward live opportunities. These five Destino shows came out of it. You can join the Talent Pool here.
Where is Destino?
Destino Pacha Ibiza is the Pacha group's resort venue on the island. It is the same venue that has hosted our students in previous summers, which is why this August run is a continuation of our students' effort.
How do students get picked to play?
Through the Talent Pool. Students take part in challenges, submit work, and build a track record inside the Academy. Mentors and the wider programme surface the ones who are ready. Marc De Groot's route ran through the 2026 Future Talent Awards, which he jointly won.
Do I need to be an advanced DJ to join?
No. The Talent Pool is built for beginners and advanced DJs alike. The point is progression, not a gate. You start where you are, put in the hours through the course path, and the opportunities open up as your skill does.
When are the shows?
Across August 2026: Anto Zagu on the 7th, Julieta Alvarez on the 14th, Soulfie on the 21st, Marc De Groot on the 28th, and Dolça van Leeuwen on the 30th, all at Destino Pacha Ibiza.
Five students, five nights, one of the most watched islands in dance music. That is not a raffle. It is what happens when a pathway is real and you walk it. If you want your name on a lineup like this one, the door is the same door these five walked through. Join the Talent Pool.
