Pure Ibiza 94.7
today06/06/2024
Pure 94.7’s Clint Maximus interviewed our resident DJ & presenter, Jon Besant as he prepares for an exciting new adventure outside of the UAE.
Jon, you’re usually here for your ‘Live for The Weekend’ show every Saturday morning, so tell us about the how you hype up to come here because obviously the studio is empty on the weekend.
I have an energy drink on the way here every single week, and people can hear it in my voice around 20 minutes in. You might’ve heard it where my voice goes a little bit high pitched? That’s when the energy drink is kicked in. I get itchy skin and a high pitched voice.
Rumor has it you’re leaving us, tell us a bit about that?
I’ve been in Dubai for 15 years now, I actually arrived the month that the Burj Khalifa opened, October 2009. When I first came out, I ended up going back home to the UK for a little bit before realised I wanted to be back here. I’ve lived here over a decade now, and I’m just ready to try something new.
What was Dubai like back then? How was it when you first came, compared to how it is now?
In 2009, we had a club called Chi, which not many listeners will know about, unless they’re Emirati or they’ve been here a long time like we have. It was all the way up at the airport, but it was rammed. Now people get a nosebleed if they go past Hessa Street, right? People used to come up on a Friday, watch myself, Mark Pickup, you know, some of the old school DJs, Charl Chakka, people like that. Guests would pay a hundred dirhams to get in, and we were the headliners. Three thousand people would turn up every single Friday.
I also remember doing Barasti my first ever New Year’s Eve for Marty Metcalf. Again, it was myself, Mark, Charl Chakka, a few other local guys as the headline DJ’s. There were twelve thousand people at Barasti.
Times have changed, things are very different now because you have so much opening, so many parties and events. Why is America different/ the next step for you?
It is really one of the reasons why I’ve decided to head off to America. Because I feel personally that I’ve reached my full potential here of what I can do. I recently had a trip in March where I went over to America for the first ever time for Miami Winter Music Conference and I fell in love with the place. I think America’s falling in love with me too now. After that first taste I knew I wanted to go back.. I think there’s a lot of my creativity, passion, contact, networking, prowess that I can bring to America.
You’ve been doing your show ‘Live For The Weekend’ every Saturday for a few years now, and now you’re heading to the US you’re leaving us, which is super sad. So this Saturday will be your final show.
It is my final show. I’ll be playing two hours of all of my favorite anthems that I’ve played on the airwaves here over the last 15 years. It will be the usual high energy with a lot of classic songs. I‘m really, really excited. I’ve got CN Williams, my favorite DJ here in Dubai joining me.
Tell us about what the future holds for Mr. Jon Besant?
I can’t really believe I’m saying this, but I’m leaving Dubai on Tuesday. I’m taking my family on a three week cruise with no mobile phones. When I come back from the cruise, I’m straight on a flight to Thailand where my PT Alex is going to be training me for eight weeks. So I’m going to come back more shredded than you, Clint. When I come back from Thailand, I’ll visit my family. Then I have a week in Ibiza for the closing parties. After that I fly one way to America. I’m flying into New York before I fly across to Vegas where I’m having a three day party in Vegas with one of my new business partners. And then I’m on to Miami to set up shop.
In my new business, we’re going to be doing festivals. We’re going to be doing so many events, club nights. We’ve got Halloween already booked in this year. We’re going to do kids festivals, adult festivals. There’s a lot of concepts that I’ve taken out of my last 15 years here in Dubai that I’m going to be taking over with me… and also a lot of partners and brands and labels and DJs and so on.
So it really is a very, very exciting time for me. I’m going to be back in the UAE for Formula One Abu Dhabi, the Grand Prix, as always, it’ll be like my 10th year. I’ve got my own private activation this year with a company over three days, and I’ll be working with the guys trackside at the W as always.
I’ve also set up something that’s going to be announced any day now, a travel business from Dubai to Thailand. Now, if you remember I played on a boat, Yona, at Christmas time. Everybody’s was asking, how do we get on this? It got me thinking, so I’m actually setting up a company of events from Dubai to Thailand too.
We wish you the best of luck with everything as we send you off into the world, we hope you enjoy it.
Thank you so much. Don’t forget to listen to my last show this Saturday from 11 to 1 on Pure 94.7 with myself and the godfather of house, Mr. CN. Williams.
Catch Jon’s last show ‘Live for The Weekend’ this Saturday from 11am-1pm on Pure 94.7.
Written by: Nicole Little