After 3 years in Maharashtra, Sunburn returns to Goa for 13th edition

Sunburn was moved to Maharashtra in 2016 after the Goa government banned it citing criminal activities. File pic

It's official! Goa will bid goodbye to the year 2019 with a bang as Asia's biggest electronic music festival, Sunburn, returns to its home after three years. The 13th edition of Sunburn Music Festival, a Percept Intellectual Property, will be held from December 27 to December 29 at Vagator Goa.

Karan Singh, COO of Percept Live, the organisers of the festival, is filled with nostalgia as he readies for Sunburn homecoming. "Goa is Sunburn's home and it's a fantastic nostalgic feeling to witness festival's homecoming after a long gap of three years. We left Goa with a very heavy heart in 2016 and missed it every moment," Singh said.

Speaking about the past three Sunburn editions organised in Maharashtra, Singh said the festival in 2016 at Keshnand, Pune, saw massive footfalls. The two subsequent editions, too, saw more than 2 lakh fans at the music festival. "It was a roaring success" in Pune but destination plays a vital role in music festivals, he added. "Goa is Goa... unmatched to any other destination. It's impossible to re-create the Goa magic anywhere else. And Sunburn is as Goan as the Goans!" Singh said.

Singh promises a rich experience for the attendees of the festival with the newly introduced 'The Lounge'. Along with a campsite with adventurous activities, this year's fest will also "offer a mind-boggling mix of recreational activities to keep everyone happy", he said. "A slew of after parties, post-10 pm... will leave festival goers spoilt for choice with manifold options to choose from," Singh added.

The Sunburn Music Festival, which started in 2007, was shifted to Maharashtra in 2016 after the Goa government banned it citing pending dues and rise in criminal activities. However, this also resulted in a major tourist slump in Goa.

Singh, speaking on the controversies surrounding the fest, said, "Our biggest challenge is that often people misunderstand what it is we are trying to execute, and then it becomes our responsibility to educate and demonstrate what we truly represent - a colossal, open collaborative, engaging platform for the Youth of India to connect, engage and just be themselves.

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