Goa’s connection with electronic music is long and storied, and for nearly 20 years, Sunburn has been a part of that. Billed as “Asia’s largest music festival”, today Sunburn Festival — which takes place in December — brings thousands of festival-goers to the west coast of India for three days of fun in the sun. “Entering our 18th edition, we stood at the crossroads of honouring Sunburn Goa’s legacy while delivering our most ambitious event yet,” explains Sunburn CEO, Karan Singh. “With nearly two decades of bringing world-class electronic music to India, Sunburn Goa 2024 felt particularly pivotal — a moment where we needed to showcase our continued evolution as tastemakers and experience curators.” In practice that meant creating a “magical aquatic escape” that immersed attendees “in the surreal beauty of the ocean”, and booking dance music’s global elite — names like Skrillex, Peggy Gou, Alesso and KSHMR — alongside the underground acts that are breaking through thanks to their bleeding-edge approach, like Ahadadream, Manara, Hamdi and Sicaria. It’s clearly worked, as Sunburn breaks into the top 10 after landing just outside last year. “Having our fans vote us into the DJ Mag Top 100 this year, for a second consecutive year, hits differently — it’s deeply personal because it represents a direct choice from the people who matter most to us,” says Singh. BEN HINDLE
