Festivals

Tropical Festivals Around the World

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The world is such an interconnected place these days that far flung places are no longer out of reach to party people. 

If you have a desire to get some winter sun, to lay back on a lunger while your friends and fam freeze back home, then look no further. 

In the coming months there are myriad chances to explore new places, cultures and musical scenes thanks to these essential tropical offerings. 

EPIZODE⁴

Phu Quoc, Vietnam

https://epizode.com/

Dec 27, 2019 – Jan 7, 2020

EPIZODE is a unique coming together of music, art and culture in Vietnam’s most picturesque island getaway, Phu Quoc. The 11-day long festival kicks off after Christmas and ploughs through the hustle and bustle of the New Year with magical sunsets, gorgeous sunny days and endless chances to explore the culturally rich local island all with a world class soundtrack.

Over the last three editions, the festival has quickly attracted a friendly, culturally curious crowd looking for new experiences. In 2019, attendance rates doubled from previous years, with more than 10,000 people from 79 countries attending including ravers, industry folks and avid travellers who get lost in a dreamy environment that comes alive with next level production, gigantic sculptures, installations and light shows that make it an unreal artistic setting.

This year the festival will focus on green credentials with a new eco-initiative that will substitute plastic straws with organic ones made in Vietnam, introduce a cup-sharing system, reusable pocket ashtrays and a focus on educating the team, local partners and the audience about the responsibility that one can take to prevent the collapse of the ecosystem, through a series of advisory meetings, lectures, cleaning actions on the beach, in the forest, on the road and so on, all of which adds to the importance of Epizode Festival.

Artists include: ANJA SCHNEIDER, APOLLONIA, BEN UFO, CRAIG RICHARDS, GUTI, LEHAR, LILLY PALMER, LOCO DICE, LUCIANO, NICOLAS LUTZ, RARESH, RICARDO VILLALOBOS, wAFF, WILLIAM DJOKO & MANY MORE

Electric Gardens Festival

Sydney, Australia

www.electricgardens.com.au

Saturday 22nd February

In Summer 2020, Electric Gardens delivers its biggest and most diverse lineup yet for its 5th anniversary: Half a decade of cutting-edge producers and world-class DJs will be celebrated in Sydney’s shining Centennial Park on Saturday 22nd February 2020 including Armand Van Helden, DJ EZ, Craig David Presents T5, Nora En Pure, Gorgon City, Alan Fitzpatrick, My Nu Leng, Pan-Pot, Reinier Zonneveld live, Wilkinson and many more world class DJs and live shows. 

Since a game-changing debut  back in 2016, Electric Gardens has established itself as an essential boutique event for electronic music fans across the country. Electric Gardens 2020 continues the event’s tradition of presenting top-tier electronic artists and underground sensations; with dazzling stage production, generous set times and a pristine location. It’s careful curation that has seen the event become a staple for Australian fans over the past five years, and the milestone is a testament to Electric Gardens dedication to booking exciting electronic talent, while simultaneously steering clear of trend-dependent and novelty acts.

SXM Festival

Saint Martin, The Caribbean

https://sxmfestival.com/

March 11 – 15, 2020

Set on the paradise island of Saint-Martin / Sint-Maarten in the Caribbean, featuring a wealth of international DJs and electronic music talent, SXM Festival prides it itself upon drawing the most discerning crowd of music lovers. A reaction to large, faceless festivals around the world, SXM sees an influential group of dancefloor aficionados – who value and respect the scene’s history and culture – come together in beautiful surroundings to dance together and experience the joys of one of the Caribbean’s most fun and friendly locations.

Lineup includes: Bedouin, Blond:Ish, Britta Arnold, Cassy, Chaim, DJ Tennis, Enzo Siragusa, Holmar, Jade (CA), Jan Blomqvist (Live), Jenia Tarsol, Loco Dice, Luca Bacchetti, Maga, Maher Daniel, Marco Carola, Parallells (Live), Ricardo Villalobos, Rony Seikaly, Sabo, Sainte Vie (Live), Serge Devant, Sonja Moonear, Unders, wAFF, YokoO

Heart Festival

Miami, Florida

December 6th & 7th 2019

https://factory.electrostub.com/event.cfm?id=210868

On December 6th and 7th, 2019, attendees of Heart Festival at Wynwood Factory will have the unique opportunity to experience the return of a legendary concept. 

For Art Basel 2019, the team behind Heart Nightclub is reawakening the beloved brand as a 2-day, 63-act, genre-bending festival at the beautiful Wynwood Factory. Designed by the experienced team behind Heart Nightclub and Humans Alike, Heart Festival at Wynwood Factory features over 60 of the best electronic DJs and live performers utilizing three distinct rooms and one open-air lot, each featuring a top-of-the-line sound system and a distinct energy. The lineup features top-tier techno staples such as The Martinez Brothers, Sasha & John Digweed, Damian Lazarus, Cassy and Bedouin, but also brings live performers and creative up-and-comers, such as Rodriguez Jr.

Lineup Includes: The Martinez Brothers, Sasha & John Digweed, Damian Lazarus, Bedouin, Andrea Oliva, Artbat, Boris, Brina Knauss, Carlo Lio, Cassy, Chelina Manuhutu, Cocodrills, Culoe De Song, Davide Squillace, Denney, Fiin

Guy J, Hector, Hugo Bianco, Ilario Alicante, Popof, Rodriguez Jr. (live), Technasia & many more

Envision Festival

Uvita, Costa Rica

https://envisionfestival.com/

Feb 17 – 24, 2020

Envision is the world’s biggest eco friendly festival, a 7 day wellbeing and music experience held on Costa Rica’s Pacific coast where the jungle meets the ocean. There’s a big focus on yoga: classes run all day in two ‘yoga temples’, with top teachers from around the world. Expect workshops on anything from permaculture to natural remedies and astrology, while music – across four stages – will be provided by local and international live acts and DJs. 2020 will mark the 10th year anniversary of Envision, so expect bigger and longer celebrations for this special global landmark event.

In an effort to leave a positive footprint, Envision hosts a reforesting program which has planted more than 12,000 trees over the last 8 years. To protect the environment and cut down on waste, ALL single use plastics and outside alcohol are banned, while vendors serving foods onsite pledge to uphold Envision’s commitment to buy locally grown produce for an authentic dining experience that can’t be found anywhere else in the world.

Lineup includes: Rufus Du Sol, Tipper, Clozee, Monolink, Yokoo, Be Svendsen, Random Rab & many more

LXM Festival

Lisbon, Portugal

https://lxmfestival.com/

December 13, 14, 15th 

So, it happens and we present something that we have definitely been settling since 2004, is the biggest event of LXMUSIC to date, an event only possible now, after 14 years of affirmation and sharing with Lisbon and the world the best of the universe of the world. electronic music. There were hundreds of artists above the thousand who shared with us and built the foundations, paths, new starting points for the present and the future.

The LXM Festival is based on an adult, concerned and responsible concept, which aims to affirm and believe electronic music as an expression and as an art form, no doubt. It is also a sample for the new generations; what is expected again; what is there to explore.

The LXM Festival also emerges based on the evolution of technologies and science. The venue for the event, the Parque das Nações International Fair of Lisbon, is located in Nova Lisboa, where the best means and accessibility are located, constituting as a reference of technological development, with road, rail and air communications. few minutes from each other.

FRIDAY – 13th December

Boris Brejcha [In Concert / Album Release Tour]

Ann Clue

Deniz Bul

Theydream

SATURDAY – 14th December

I Hate Models

Benjamin Damage (Live)

SUNDAY – 15th December

Ben Klock

Dax J

Paula Temple

Answer Code Request (Live)

Etapp Kyle

Les Dunes Electroniques

Nefta, Tunisia

http://www.dunes-electroniques.com/

Nov 16 – 17, 2019

Les Dunes Electroniques was founded in 2014 as a collaboration between the Ministry of Tourism and Handicrafts of the Republic of Tunisia. After three years away, the festival makes a welcome return in 2019 from September 21-22nd. The action goes down at Ong Jmel, near Nefta, at the gateway to Tunisia’s southern desert—globally recognised as the setting of Luke Skywalker’s hometown, Mos Espa, in the original Star Wars franchise. This unique musical adventure will serve up 30 hours of uninterrupted music from the Tunisian, French and international electronic scenes with more than 30 artists on the bill.

An unprecedented format, an exceptional natural scenery, a strong representation of the Tunisian youth … all the ingredients are gathered to make this third edition unforgettable, in the process providing a unique experience to the public of DUNES ELECTRONIQUES.

Artists include: Axel Boman, Apollonia, Nicolas Lutz, Luciano, Behrouz, Stimming and many more

Project Sound

Tulum, Mexico 

https://www.facebook.com/projectsoundmx/

January 5th / January 6th 

Cult and long established promoters Project Sound invite you to spend the New Year with them, deep in the mystic jungle of Tulum, Mexico at their specially built new club, Templo Xunanha. This organic structure will come alive with Mayan spirits and world class sounds from Solomon, Maceo Plex, Ame and Dixon.

Project Sound have been creating special, high quality events at the Riviera Maya for more than 12 years. They are always respectful of the magic of the Mayan land and put together tasteful line ups in unreal locations, always with a focus on world class sound and production. 

After that on January 5th is Solomun’s world renowned +1 concept makes the trip over from its home in Ibiza and will see the Diynamic label founder play with Maceo Plex, the space techno pioneer behind the Ellum Audio label, all amongst the incredible nature of the jungle. 

Then, on January 6th, masters of deep house emotions and Innervisions founders Âme and Dixon will play back to back for an extended all night set that will find them go into every corner of their record bags to serve up a truly enchanting set. 

These three parties are set to be historic night in the heart of the Mexican jungle that will be talked about for years to come.

 

NuraiFest
Abu Dhabi
Nov 22 – 24, 2019

 

 

Abu Dhabi’s luxury private resort Zaya Nurai Island is to give itself over to a high-class music festival that will take place on 22nd to 23rd November 2019. At NuraiFest there’s something for everyone, no matter what time of the day; from pool parties in different corners of the island to sunset beach parties, all culminating with the famous VIP Estate party and world-renowned DJs such as Audiofly, Steve Lawler, Tiga, wAFF, M.A.N.D.Y., Satori live and Serge Devant performing on both days. 
This will be an immersive and dream-like island experience like no other. It is where reinvigoration, music culture and relaxation seamlessly intersect as you dance on flawless white sand beaches and soak in translucent azure waters under a golden island sun. Ignite your sense of adventure, this is not déjà vu; this is something you’ve never seen or felt before.


Artists include: Audiofly, Steve Lawler, Tiga, wAFF, M.A.N.D.Y., Satori live, Serge Devan & more

V Festival 2016 Review

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This summer has been something of a festival adventure for me. From the Valencian coast to the Garden of England, I’ve experienced a whole mixture of music, workshops, performers, and events, but V Festival is by far the biggest festival yet, and definitely the most commercial. The style of the festival has definitely changed since it’s conception 21 years ago. Although Kaiser Chiefs took the MTV stage, and Jake Bugg played a beautifully executed set of Country Rock and Roll on Sunday, the presence of typical rock, indie bands or simple singer-songwriters seemed almost banished from the premises, different from the days when Kasabian, Paul Weller and the Courteeners would take the stage. The festival this year boasted iconic pop headliners instead, with Justin Bieber taking the Saturday slot in Hylands park and Rihanna closing the Chelmsford site on Sunday, their 90,000 people capacity can definitely be seen packed across the various stages.

 

 

V Festival is one of the main chapters of the British festival season. It’s increasingly popular, features a lot of various stalls from sponsors, and a tonne of fairground rides. For a festival this size there are only two campsites, which though both incredibly large, are meticulously separated at ticket purchasing. When buying a V festival ticket You can choose to camp in either red or yellow, and if you have friends in another campsite or make some there who happen to have chosen differently, too bad, the security will probably bite your head off for suggesting you pay them a visit. This being said, the campsites themselves are pretty well organised, lit and have their own food vendors to satisfy their chosen ones, not to mention your fellow neighbours are friendly enough. Contrary to many rumours of tent burning, I saw absolutely no mindless violence or foul behaviour, but maybe that's because they were all in yellow camp, so I guess I’ll never know.

 

V is technically only a two-day festival, but with the vast majority of punters arriving on the Friday, the Arena is open, which at this point fairly clean, and the Radio 1/MTV stage showcased the likes of the incredible DJ EZ and Eric Prydz, who although had an incredible light show, played a set perhaps a bit too house inspired, and the silent disco is open until 1am to subdue the crowds and simultaneously adhere to the residential sound level of the Chelmsford area.

Smirnoff House

Saturday rolled around, and boasted a whole load of dance acts, such as the Smirnoff house stage, where Tinie Tempah’s DJ (if you could call him that) somehow wowed the crowds with his repetitive mix of hits. On the live music front, however, Rick Astley made a comeback with an incredible live performance. A big turnout and lots of fun, he threw in a cover of Mark Ronson’s Uptown Funk before ending his set with his beloved classic Never Gonna Give You Up, he certainly didn’t let us down. Also on the MTV stage, John Newman blew away expectations with new track Olé, as well as some classics and his Rudimental beginnings, also throwing in a surprising lone acoustic song written only a week previous, and performed for the first time on that stage. Emotional messages for loved ones graced the lyrics of the song, and although widely unexpected, it was a touching moment in an otherwise jam-packed show. Saturday also saw the likes of pop princesses Jess Glynne and Zara Larsson play, as well as the actual Tinie Tempah, and the elusive Sia’s strangely captivating stage show, which although fifteen minutes late was incredibly entertaining.

Performers at Sia

But really we need to talk about Justin. Rumours about a cancelled set were floating around on the Friday, and when he took the stage Saturday evening it was clear to see why. Looking desperately hungover, and clinging onto signs of life in his various backup dancers, any energy was almost non-existent and he’s half-hearted miming to about half the set was not fully appreciated by the crowd. This, paired with the fact he kept treating the whole show as another stop on the Purpose world tour; and calling the crowd ‘London’ over and over again, made for a pretty disappointing set, but I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt, advise him to take an Alka-Seltzer next time and put it down to illness.

Justin Bieber

One thing that V festival has upped it’s game on is the food vendors around and inside the arena. After some freshly ground coffee, a chicken Caesar Salad with soft poached eggs and (my favourite) a four-cheese Mac N Cheese topped with Jerk Chicken, I can safely conclude you will be able to find something amazing to eat, which you’re going to need to keep you going as you power walking through the absolutely massive festival site.

Sunday came around even quicker than expected and brought with it a lot of more guilty pleasures. All Saints made their reunion on the main stage, and my childhood was made in the few minutes it took them to perform Never Ever and Pure Shores. Following on the Girl Band theme of the day, Little Mix also took the main stage, though opening with Salute and rocking khaki leotards, took a very Destiny’s Child turn, which, alongside a bubbly, high energy stage presence, worked for them massively, as well as bringing Lethal Bizzle on stage with them, driving their fans wild. The main stage also saw the likes of Travis, which though nostalgically fun, didn’t really fit with the other artists, and Example, who seemed to be experiencing some technological issues around his sound, but was fun to watch all the same.

All Saints

Little Mix

 

Over on the MTV stage, Big Sean brought the fire and got the crowd going, ending with his signature ‘I don’t F**k with you’ – a big favourite among the Adidas, flower garland-wearing crowd. Katy B also hit the MTV stage, performing a few of her old tracks, as well as some new ones. Jake Bugg played the MTV stage shortly after, which although backed up by only a band, some simple lights and a colourful backdrop, blew the smaller crowd away with his faultless voice and mesmerising lyrics. David Guetta was the second to last act on the mainstage, just before Bad Gal RiRi herself closed the festival, taking inspiration from the art deco style of the 80’s with her stage show, and seemingly channelling Michael Jackson from beyond the grave, she gave a show-stopping performance. A set which combined the Dirty Diana/ Billie Jean styled tunes of ANTI – Desperado and Love on the Brain amongst my favourites, alongside a lot of fan favourites, including a medley of Run This Town, Live Your Life, and Love The Way You Lie. Although the mass amount of crowd around us were rather uninteresting and seemed content at watching the show through a smartphone, her voice, performance and crowd-pleasing setlist was enough to make us move and put the biggest, guiltiest smile on my face.

 

Big Sean

The crowd and general atmosphere of the whole festival was pretty boring, a lot of the festival goers seemed a lot more interested in their image than the acts, which was a bit of a first for me. Because the Lineup at V is so commercial, you don’t really get to stumble across many new bands or acts, as I’ve been lucky enough to do at other, smaller festivals. The smaller stages boost either DJs, already established artists or other acts such as comedy – which although enjoyable – doesn’t scream the festival atmosphere I enjoy. Where I appreciate that  V is one of the most expensive of the British festivals and therefore needs to pack in a crowd-pleasing list, it's lineup is actually pretty small, and doesn’t hold nearly as many artists as one of its main rivals, say Reading + Leeds, who still manage to support and showcase new bands.

I knew from the get-go that V wasn’t exactly my cup of tea, and with this in mind, I did still have a great time. It’s sheer size and sponsorship means that they get some big names, and they know how to accommodate them, the stage show for each performance fairly mesmerising and well planned. There’s also a fair amount of things to see and do (provided you’re willing to pay) but if as long as you like the music, walking, camping, and are adamant that you want to be surrounded by like-minded Instagram happy crowds, then V is the one for you, and you will definitely have fun.

Field Day 2015 Review – Saturday

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Field Day, held in East London’s Victoria Park and now in its eighth year, is a festival that always caters to a wide range of music tastes. This is arguably what puts it ahead of its rivals and cements its status as one of, if not, the best London music festivals of its kind. Saturday’s line up leant slightly towards the electronic but did not fail in providing ticket holders with a first class choice of acts that led to the day selling out.

London’s Benjamin Garrett, who goes by the stage name Fryars, attracted an impressive and attentive crowd during his mid-afternoon set at the Shacklewell Arms stage. A firm favourite with music critics, Fryars set the day’s bar high with his piano pop melodies and sweet, meaningful vocals. Starting his set off slow with tracks including a rather sombre ‘On Your Own’, Fryars finished on a high with ‘Cool Like Me’ – an upbeat track reminiscent of Daft Punk which was the main highlight of the set. It may be true that Fryars sounds better on record and looks like a hipster but the set did not feel out of place on the festival bill.

Photos by Carolina Faruolo

As soon as Kindness hit the stage albeit a bit late, it was clear the crowd were in for a treat, as the whole band seemed in very high spirits. The brainchild of Brit Adam Bainbridge, Kindness were no strangers to the worldwide music scene having played everywhere from South by Southwest (SXSW) in Texas to the Sydney Opera House. What was great about this band was there was no hierarchy – each member of the group had their time to shine. We had impressive melodic vocal solos from the chirpy backing singers, various co-ordinated dance moves and a lot of tambourine shaking. There was even a guest performance and a funk inspired cover of Whitney Houston’s ‘I Wanna Dance With Somebody’, which got the whole crowd going. With the qualities of both Jungle and Primal Scream, it was an impressive set that would no doubt keep you grooving. Kindness were definitely the highlight set of the day and very much screamed funk and soul soundtrack of summer.

Scottish art-rock favourite’s Django Django used their Field Day set to play tracks from their recently released new album ‘Born Under Saturn’ which received a great response from the crowd. The track ‘Reflection’ was a particular crowd pleaser.

A sneak peek into the packed Crack Magazine tent uncovers electronica favourite Chet Faker performing a cover of Backstreet’s ‘No Diggity’ for which the crowd go wild.

One of the most hyped artists of this year, FKA Twigs was unapologetically late to start her set at the Crack Magazine stage. It seemed that the crowd forgave all as she appeared, engulfed in mountains of smoke and began flirting with the audience. Almost ethereal in her presence, it seemed that the crowd were admiring her beauty more than admiring her music and this seemed to translate into a somewhat disconnected performance as she tried to keep the mystery alive. The acoustics in the tent were not great but FKA Twigs’s trip hop beats and whispery vocals still managed to mesmerise the overflowing crowd ready in time for Caribou’s headline set. 

Photos by Carolina Faruolo

It may be surprising to some that Caribou headlined Field Day Saturday but Canadian Dan Snaith’s band has established a huge cult following since its inception in 2005. The career spanning set produced not only the best of the electronic and the psychedelic but also included a spectacular visual display, which truly secured their status as an impressive headline act. Highlights included the lead single from 2010 Album ‘Swim’ – ‘Odessa’ and ‘Our Love’.