Plan a quick holiday in Asia and catch these electronic music festivals before the year is over!
Earlier this year, we lined up some of the best summer music festivals to check out all around the world; if you managed to end up at one of them (like the Hideout Festival in Croatia), good on you! But if you’ve yet to hit your festival quota and your party animal is still craving some dancey action, you can still catch these music festivals in Asia before we bid farewell to 2016 – it’s looming closer than you think! From indie marathons to EDM extravaganzas, these festivals are worth making a quick escape to.
Arcadia Landing: 9 Oct in Taiwan
Nothing much to see here… just a stage taking the form of a gargantuan 50-ton mechanical, steampunk spider (see above) with smoke jets, lasers, fireballs and dangling acrobats!! The only one in the world, this larger-than-life, 360-degree spider stage will be landing in Taipei for an immersive extravaganza, with the world’s top DJs dropping EDM bombshells from its belly.
Top acts: Nicky Romero, Kaskade, Andrew Rayel, Vicetone.
Arcadia Landing, 9 October, Dajia Riverside Park, Taipei, Taiwan. Buy tickets here.
Quest: 4-6 Nov in Vietnam
Combine the frolicsome madness of a festival with fantastical folklore, and you get this North Vietnamese jamboree that looks to be one surreal head-trip. The theme of Quest, now on its sixth year, revolves around mountain and sea gods and their love triangle with an emperor’s daughter (much drama!), and this will be portrayed in elaborate, artsy performances and exhibitions. But if you’re more music-minded, you’ll find both bands and DJs paying homage to the gods in their own way; expect a cyclone of genres including hip-hop, funk, drum & bass, psy-trance, shoegaze, house and folk.
Top acts: Say Yes Dog, IPHAZE, Windstar Soul, Me & Her, Liquid Ross.
Quest Festival, 4-6 November, Son Tinh Camp, Dong Mo, Ba Vi, Hanoi, Vietnam. Buy tickets here.
It’s The Ship: 4-7 Nov in Malaysia
Party sailors and first mateys, who’s up for round three?! You guessed it – It’s The Ship 2016, the massive Malaysian music festival is back to rave and roam the open seas. We can personally vouch for this swashbuckling voyage (see our It’s The Ship 2015 review), and this third edition will feature stopovers in Penang, even more blistering EDM acts, and special guest host, David Hasselhoff (yes, The Hoff himself!).
Top acts: Andrew Rayel, Dada Life, Knife Party, Sanver van Doorn.
It’s The Ship 2016, 4-7 November, sails off from Marina Bay Cruise Centre, 61 Marina Coastal Drive, Singapore 018947. Buy tickets here.
Clockenflap: 25-27 Nov in Hong Kong
Definitely Hong Kong’s biggest arts and indie music festival that hipsters all over Asia flock to, Clockenflap has brought down class acts and legendary icons in the last eight years, including New Order, The Libertines, and Primal Scream. Its eighth edition will continue to push the envelope with film tents, mind-melting installations, and top-notch stages set against the dazzling skyline of the Pearl of the Orient.
Top acts: Foals, Sigur Rós, Crystal Castles, George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic.
Clockenflap Festival, 25-27 November, Central Harbourfront, Hong Kong. Buy tickets here.
ZoukOut: 9-10 Dec in Singapore
The crown jewel of Singapore’s dance festivals is organised by none other than it most iconic club, Zouk. The humongous, annual, beach spectacle often attracts punters from all over the region, with a balanced line-up of international commercial EDM acts, underground house and techno artistes, and the cream of the crop reppin’ the local dance scene. We’ve even begun putting together our ZoukOut 2016 guide!
Top acts: Hardwell, Zedd, more TBA.
ZoukOut 2016, 9-10 December, Siloso Beach, Sentosa, Singapore 099538. Buy tickets here.
Djakarta Warehouse Project: 9-10 Dec in Indonesia
Casually recognised amongst festival troopers as the Jakarta counterpart of ZoukOut, DWP is another alternative for EDM star power if you don’t happen to be in Singapore at the time. What started out as a warehouse concept – hence its name – in the mid-2000s has bloomed into a phenom in the Asia festival scene, garnering tens of thousands of ravers each and every year. Did we also mention the legendary Carl Cox is playing?
Top acts: Carl Cox, Hardwell, Martin Garrix, Yellow Claw
Djakarta Warehouse Project, 9-10 December, Jalan Benyamin Suaeb, Pademangan Timur, North Jakarta, DKI Jakarta, Indonesia. Buy tickets here.
808 Festival: 10-11 Dec in Myanmar
Any festival that gets its name from the iconic Roland drum machine is an instant hit amongst dance enthusiasts. This year will be the first time the 808 Festival – originally only in Bangkok – expands to the city of Yangon, with a musical programme that has attracted both EDM heavyweights (like Armin van Buuren) and underground trendsetters (such as Jamie Jones). Details are still scant, but we’re certain it will give us yet one more reason to swing by Myanmar this year.
Top acts: TBA. Pasts acts include Clauve VonStroke, Porter Robinson and Jack Ü.
808 Festival, 10-11 December, full venue in Myanmar TBA.
Wonderfruit: 15-18 Dec in Thailand
Many large-scale music festivals tend to guzzle tonnes of energy that bear negative impacts on the earth, but this sustainable festival hopes to generate some change. On its third year, Wonderfruit – that takes place in the rural countryside of Pattaya – scores a point for Gaia by partnering up with biodiversity reserves to reduce its carbon footprint, so rest assured you’ll be partying without polluting. Entertainment-wise, Wonderfruit 2016 features an eclectic mix of dance and live acts, fashion and design areas, eco-friendly art installations, and even glamping options so you can boogie in your backyard.
Top acts: Young Fathers, Rudimental, Wolf + Lamb, Matador.
Wonderfruit Festival, 15-18 December, The Fields at Siam Country Club, Pattaya, Thailand. Buy tickets here.
Sunburn: 27-30 Dec in India
India’s undoubtedly a cultural capital, but did you know it’s also home to one of the biggest music festivals in Asia? Dance culture, too, is epitomised along the beachy shores of Goa, with a juggernaut of a fest (it drew over 350,000 punters last year) that flaunts colossal stage design, monstrous sound, fringe activities like bungee jumping and hot air ballooning, and top global acts. Sunburn 2016 looks to be even more special, as this will be its even-grander 10th edition.
Top acts: TBA. Past acts include Seth Troxler, Martin Garrix, David Guetta and Art Department.
Sunburn Festival, 27-30 December, full venue TBA. Buy tickets here.