Bella Grazia: Entering The Year of Female DJs
Bella Grazia isn’t just spinning tracks; she’s spinning the narrative for women in electronic music. What began as a senior-year dream has transformed into an international rise, with her sound rippling through both North America and Europe’s underground and mainstage EDM scenes.
Inspired by the lack of female representation in house music, Bella set out to carve her own space through pure persistence and undeniable talent. What started with her holding up the Notes app in European clubs that read, “Let me DJ with you,” evolved into festival slots at Tomorrowland and Breakaway. Bella Grazia is a name quickly climbing toward the top of lineups you’ll be seeing everywhere soon. Drawing influence from Jackie Hollander, John Summit, Layla Benitez, and Anyma, Bella crafts a perfect fusion of techno and house. It’s clear she’s formed a sound that’s high-energy, precise, and authentic. After returning home from performing in world-class European venues, she faced rejection from local venues. Now, she’s become a resident DJ at those same spots and has had even bigger opportunities touring around the world.
As Bella prepares to drop her new song “They Found” at the end of this month, I sat down with her to talk about her come-up, her time mixing on international stages, and what’s next as she continues to redefine what it means to be dynamic behind the decks.
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Have you faced any challenges or biases as a woman in the DJ scene?
“A lot of times people think I have it easier because I’m a girl. They think people only follow me because of my looks, but that’s not true. People tend to underestimate you more, but that doesn’t mean you are less likely to succeed. I get asked all the time, ‘Do you know how to set up your equipment?’, ‘Are you even mixing?’, ‘You’re a girl, you can’t DJ’. All I can say back is, ‘You are literally watching me DJ right now.’ Even some men I’ve met in the industry tell me I’ve only gotten this far because I’m a girl. But actually, I work my ass off every single day. I make connections every single day. I do what a lot of them don’t in my free time, and not a lot of people notice that. I started from the ground up and built my own brand because I love the craft, not because of any external advantages that come from being a woman.”
What advice would you give to other young women hoping to break into DJing?
“I would say just start. Starting is the hardest part. Once you do that, just genuinely work hard, have ambition, and be extremely driven. You’ll be able to achieve anything you put your mind to, no matter who you are, where you come from, or what kind of DJ board you have. Anyone can do it, you just have to keep going. Another piece of advice is that every time you want to give up but decide to keep going, it puts you ahead of every single other person that quit. Lastly, don’t be afraid to be vulnerable and ask for help. Being able to ask questions, network, and build relationships will give you such an advantage in this industry. You never know who you’ll meet, so just be genuine and it’ll get you a long way.”
How did you first get into DJing, and what did your come-up look like?
“I started DJing in college after my friend Kailyn and I bought DJ boards together. One of our friends taught us the basics, but it wasn’t until I studied abroad that my passion truly took over. While abroad, I spent more time emailing venues and festivals than focusing on school. During my first weeks in Sydney, I didn’t get many chances to play, but I brought my board everywhere and mixed with friends, learning as much as I could from everyone around me. One night in Bali, I held up a note on my phone that said, “I DJ too, can I play with you?” The DJ let me join him on stage and despite being nervous and using professional equipment for the first time, the set went really well. I started doing this everywhere I traveled and soon, I was DJing in Rome, Milan, and Ireland. However, not every experience was positive. After one set in Florence, a DJ told me I had no idea what I was doing and made me get off the stage. While this was very discouraging, it taught me an important lesson: every career has highs and lows. The highs mean you can’t settle, and the lows should push you to new limits. During my final weeks abroad in Spain, I was determined to get my own set. After reaching out to a DJ in the U.S., I was unexpectedly offered seven European dates. I panicked—I had never played alone or even prepared music properly—but I spent every hour of every day in the studio teaching myself and my friends supported me endlessly. My first solo show was in the basement of Sutton, one of Europe’s largest clubs. I expected a small crowd, but people flooded in from the main stage. Afterward, the promoters told me I’d be playing the main stage at Opium the next night—one of the biggest clubs in the world. From there, I went on to play at Shoko and in Ibiza, and I had never been so proud of myself. When I returned to the U.S., bookings weren’t immediate, but I stayed consistent. I began opening for major DJs, played new venues, and booked my first festival at Breakaway Ohio. Within a year, I achieved something I never imagined—playing Tomorrowland Belgium, the biggest music festival in the world. Since then, I’ve played Breakaway Philadelphia, Lost Lands, and venues across Punta Cana, Hawaii, Miami, NYC, Denver, and more. This journey has shown me that with persistence and hard work, you can go far beyond what you ever thought was possible.”
What’ve been your most memorable gigs so far?
“My most memorable festival was definitely Tomorrowland. Even though I played on a small stage, I loved it. I played all the classics like Avici, David Guetta, and Swedish House Mafia, so everyone was dancing and singing their hearts out. The energy was so high and everyone was so happy to be there. At Tomorrowland everyone appreciates the music itself, it doesn’t matter what you’re playing or when it came out. I think the older artists deserve more credit because they shaped EDM, so it was cool being able to see people genuinely appreciating that. I was also surrounded by so many artists that inspire me, I even got to see John Summit play his first main stage at Tomorrowland. Seeing how happy he was really inspired me to keep dreaming and working towards my goals.”
Who would be your dream B2B (back-to-back) partner?
“John Summit, he’s so inspiring. I love the way he combines energy and emotion in his music. It’s genuinely amazing to see what he’s built and how many audiences he can reach at once. His raw authenticity and talent is something I really look up to. I also would love to play with Fisher because he is one of my favorite personalities. I’d love to drop down from the sky and play a set in Ibiza with him. I think we’d have such a crazy, goofy set.”
