By Namrata Joseph
Did the Sunburn EDM festival of 2023 attract over 1.5 lakh people and was it a success or a flop? Despite all local allegations of noise pollution, wrongdoing and the promotion of a dangerous liquor and drugs culture amongst young people? Here we have a fan of Sunburn saying it was a huge success as she waxes lyrical over the controversial EDM event! Say this is the flip side of such rave musical events with many against them as many for them…
SINCE 2007 Sunburn has been recognised for its pioneering efforts in creating momentum for the electronic dance music scene in India and has been successful in putting India on the global festival map!
Hosted in Goa, Asia’s biggest electronic dance music festival made a glorious return for its 17th edition, despite all the challenges, for its monumental 3-day jaunt of world class recreation and action-packed revelry, welcoming over 1,50,000 people as the year came to a close.
Electronic dance music fans from all over the world descended on the shores of Vagator as Sunburn opened its doors for loyalists who eagerly await the dance music giant’s return to begin their new year with zeal. Music enthusiasts of varying age groups and nationalities were seen thronging the box office to once again revive the “Live, Love, Dance” philosophy of the Indian festival juggernaut. Loud music echoed throughout the northern shore of Goa as attendees moved to DJs’ pulsating beats across multiple stages.
MAMMOTH FESTIVAL
THE mammoth festival site spanning across 40 acres welcomed attendees with a carnival-like experience —fireworks, pyrotechnics, stilt-walkers, smoke, confetti, lasers, LEDs, SFX, art installations, pop-coloured streamers and the personalized themes displayed on the jumbotrons behind each performer. Going by its reputation of being the grandest electronic music celebration of the year that promises a larger-than-life and an all-encompassing experience, this year was no different, with scrumptious food courts, spacious camping zones, captivating flea markets, interactive gaming zones, adventure rides and much more.
DESIGNER STAGES
KNOWN for its’ quintessential stage designs, world-class technological installations and innovative festival themes, Sunburn Goa 2023 entertained over 120 artists in four stages viz. Enchanted Forest Stage Main Stage, The Nomads In Forest Absolut Stage, Neon Paradise Kingfisher Stage and Magical Land Rupay Stage that were hosted by Mc Stretch.
The 100-feet high and 300-feet wide majestic mainstage that towered over the crowds paid an ode to the festival’s 2023 theme of Enchanted Forest, mimicking the wild jungles and all of nature’s mythical discoveries. The stage featured 500+ lights, 30 lasers and never before seen SFX pyrotechnics.
Day 1 of Sunburn Goa 2023 kicked off on an electrifying note. Dutch electronic DJ duo Bass Jackers were in full flow, playing a steady stream of sub variants of house music, as they demonstrated their incredible technical abilities behind the decks. Powerful and bold, the Russian duo 39 Kingdom enthralled the crowds in a captivating trance with their progressive house and melodic techno.
Techno music powerhouses of the likes of Serbian DJ and producer Space Motion and Parisian duo KASST saw a massive turnout at their hypnotic sets. Dutch DJ and producer Maddix with his experimental yet dancefloor-friendly tunes immersed audiences in his unique and captivating world of kinetic beats and astounding visual spectacles.
Making her debut as the festival’s first female headliner, Belgian maestro, Charlotte De Witte– who is the world’s #1 techno artist – jumped behind the decks to serve up her darker style of warped, acid-tinged electronics and warehouse-shaking techno, creating a meditative trance experienced on the dance floor ambience. Her mesmerizing and gritty performance brought the spirit of Europe to Goa for a night to remember.
The first day’s stacked line-up also included scintillating performances by Ana Lilia, Siana Catherine, RealMM, Julia Bliss, Zenith, Johnnie Ernest, TSNR, Kshitij, Akade, DJ Rinton, Heliosphere, Ravenine, Bemet Beyoker Afterall, D-Rain, and Sound Avtar, V Society, B-Moss, Benz & DJ Anik.
SURGING SYNERGIES
THE festival witnessed a surge in energies on Day 2 with catchy floor-fillers by three-time Scandi Grammy-nominated DJ Tungevaag and classically trained Italian musician turned live electronic artist Giorgia Angiuli. German artist Deniz Bul, signed to Boris Brejcha´s FCKNG SERIOUS set the stage ablaze with his with an arsenal of techno hard-hitters while Ukrainian breakout sensation Korolova with her melodic house/techno performance set a perfect tone for a standout set from Italian EDM production and DJ duo Vinai who added some much-needed warmth to the mid-winter evening.
The tempo transformed into a dark yet whimsical “rager” with top-notch audio-visual production perfectly complimenting the cutting-edge big room bounce music. Crafting those dance-floor-ready tunes and surprising his audience with a series of house heaters to groove out to, the second day of Sunburn 2023 was absolutely thrilling. This was courtesy Australian powerhouse and headliner Timmy Trumpet. Taking over the main stage deck duties with an epic back-to-back set, there is no denying this was an absolute highlight for both attendees and those watching at home with his remixes of hit Indian songs such as Lut Gaye, Naacho Naacho, Doobey, Oo Antawa Mawa.
Other artists on the second day line-up such as Starling, Kash Trivedi, Houdini, IND RA, Olly Esse, Pro Bros, Teri Miko, Greff, Priyanjana, Karan Vig Whatnot, Soul Konnect , DJ Ganesh, Candice Redding, Disco Bar, Kalinga Son, Nitin, Shiva Manvi, Bass Hunk, Solo Fader contributed to the non-stop merriment.
REMARKABLE FINALE
Day 3 of Sunburn was a remarkable affair, with thousands of people from different countries gathered in a place they call home to celebrate love, music and unity amidst some sun, sand and sea. The third day of Asia’s biggest electronic dance music festival, Sunburn was marked by stellar techno presentations by Italian beat-driven duo Glowal and Parisian artist POPOF who opted to build a rolling techno groove above which they filtered in layered synths and mesmerizing atmospherics while green lasers combed the crowd. Italian DJ and producer, HIISAK sampled some classic house while British multi-platinum icon John Newman delivered an immersive experience with his feel-good energetic dance-pop set. Tunisia born DJ Dali interlaced some traditional ethnic sounds with afro, electronic and techno rhythms and Mexican DJ Broz Rdz showcased some serious mixing skills. New York City-based record label and immersive series Indo Warehouse made an impressive debut as they premiered their authentic breed of South Asian-inspired house and techno that had the masses jumping, swaying and dancing.
Post sunset, the mainstage transformed into a sea of lights and high-octane liveliness, as Dutch superstar Hardwell delivered an unforgettable headlining performance. Unleashing the spirit of rebellion and innovation through his anthemic set list, he captivated the crowd with his seamless blend of big-room, techno and hard trance as he bid goodbye to the audience waving the Indian flag.
A special mention must be made to the Indo Warehouse crew, who hosted the Rupay stage for the entire day and captivated audiences with their brand new sound which is indeed taking Indian & South Asian musical influences all over the world. Label stalwarts Kahani and Kunal Merchant also delivered an electrifying set on the main stage during sunset.
The other artists on the third day line-up for Saturday included the likes of DJ Dali, Almost Human, AXL Stace, Pierre Ravan, Sartek, Ravatek, Arnav, Ayush Avo, Priya Sen, Mister K, Sixth Ocean, DJ Lion, Zoya, Thugnaari, Ranjana, Ethyr, Payal Jay & Areblue ensuring another spirted day of pulsating oomph at Sunburn 2023.
Ushering in some post-event revelries were the crazy after parties at Westin and Levels that kept the festival goers entertained till the wee hours of the morning. Hardwell states, “India is one of my favourite places to perform and it’s always heart-warming to return to a country that has so much respect and love for electronic dance music. Thank you, Sunburn Goa, for being an excellent host as always.”
A BIG SHOUTOUT!
CHARLOTTE De Witte states, “A big shoutout to all my Indian fans for coming out to my set. I had an incredible time headlining Day 1 of Sunburn and the energy was just palpable.” Timmy Trumpet states, “A big shoutout to all of the Sunburn attendees for being the best crowd ever. You guys were remarkable and showed how India is one of the biggest consumers of dance music. It felt amazing to be back. See you soon!”
Karan Singh, CEO, Sunburn states, “Sunburn 17 was truly historical in every aspect. The event witnessed a colossal turnout with some of the biggest headliners, top of the line security measures, world class production and unique technological offerings in spite of all the odds. The event was extremely well attended with on-ground 1.5 lac fan participation from more than 20 countries over three days. Sunburn is one of the world’s greatest events where, alongside the incredible musical line-up, the sense of community and inclusivity really does shine above everything else.
No matter what country you are from, what race you are, or what color you are, Sunburn unites the world as one and that is one massive achievement at the close of 2023. With the 17th edition concluding on such a successful note, we are all geared up for the next season as we know it’s going to be bigger, better and bolder!
(Note: Interestingly, the writer Namrata Joseph is the PR accounts director of the event and media publicist, marketing strategist and event coordination of Dream N Hustle Media which presumably played a role in the promotion of Sunburn.)