Viva El Gonzo
EXPERIENCE DIRECTION // CONCEPTUAL DESIGN // ART DIRECTION // IMMERSIVE ART CREATION
Viva El Gonzo 2025
META designed and produced Goose’s first-ever Viva El Gonzo festival into a cohesive visual and spatial narrative, guiding guests through a series of immersive installations from the moment they arrived. Glowing flower sculptures framed a defunct Vegas-style Viva El Gonzo sign, offering bold focal points without competing with the desert’s natural beauty. Projection environments deepened the experience between and during sets, inviting reflection and engagement.
META designed the two bespoke stages—Crania and Round Rocks—to harmonize form with function and nature with technology. Crania featured Mad Max-style structures and tiered seating for uninterrupted views of a custom triangle LED stage. Round Rocks emerged from raw stone formations and meandering paths, creating a central, in-the-round setting lit by Jigantics’ luminous flower sculptures, encouraging movement and connection.
Beyond the stages, META curated and placed all onsite artwork to enhance flow and discovery. Ila Rose’s murals brought die-cut shapes to life through local storytelling. A hidden alcove beneath an ancient mango tree showcased regional artisans. Kevin Michelbrink’s projection mapping onto a Gonzo-esque convertible and desert boulders added texture to the Art x Nature energy. Local technologists Parallel Studios contributed analog interactive TV sculptures, an LED tunnel, and a stunning laser vortex entrance to Crania.
META’s Justin Bolognino designed two signature spaces inspired by Fear and Loathing: one honoring the infamous Lizard Bartenders—now crashed and forgotten—and another reimagining the infamous “I think I took too much” hotel scene.
Together, these elements created a world beyond the music—a fully integrated environment where every visual was intentional and every interaction part of the story.
CREDITS
PRODUCTION TEAM
Justin Bolognino / META / Experience Director
Will Thresher / Goose / Creative Director
Rüts / META / Creative Producer
Max María / Playa Luna Creative Manager
Mayari & Malio / ATOMICO / Creative Build Team
Madison Schuler Creative Coordinator
ARTIST INSTALLATIONS
Ila Rose / Field of Giants paintings
Kevin Michelbrink / Projection Artist
Scott Hedstrom / Magic Mirror
Jigantics / Round Rocks Flowers
Emanuel Zarate / Ortiz Saturn Cyclops, Spirits of the Forest sculptures
Last Call / Rest Nest Tapestries
Parallel / Interactive TVs, Lasers Fields, LED Tunnel
McKenna Raymond / Red actor
Christopher Shardt / Paraluna
GOOSE TEAM
Management / Ben Baruch + Dave DiCianni w Maddie Taylor / 11Eleven Management
Tour Manager / Sam King
Audio Engineer / Eric Loomis
Lighting Designer / Andrew Goedde
VIVA EL GONZO PROMOTER/PRODUCER
100x Hospitality