Culminating yet another successful year on the touring front and from putting out massive singles, Martin Garrix is all set to floor India this December with his headlining act at Sunburn 2019 in Goa. The 23-year-old DJ and producer has been at the forefront of the electronic dance music scene in the world, with chartbusters like 'Animals' and 'In the Name of Lonely.' More recently he made waves with his Dean Lewis collaboration called ‘Used To Love’. His presence in India has been apparent since his first stint in 2013.  

Martin Garrix with Shailendra Singh at Sunburn in 2015  

Garrix has even gone the extra mile with performing for free for the largest crowd ever of 52,000 to educate 10,000 children through former Percept MD Shailendra Singh's Guestlist4Good event in 2016. "Music is something that always gives me so much energy and it’s my biggest passion. And being in India just heightens that experience. I love being here! The fans are so dedicated and the crowds go crazy during the shows. I also think music is super powerful since it can unite people all over the world.", says Garrix, who can't wait for his return to India in a month.

Reeling back to 2007, the country was just getting accustomed to EDM when Singh created Sunburn, with its first edition attracting thousands for its stellar lineup. For continued editions of the EDM festival, Singh brought to India popular international names like Martin Garrix, DJ Snake and The Chainsmokers for their first-ever performances in India, all of whom are headlining the 2019 edition of Sunburn in its hometown, Goa. Among these, Garrix has been a constant in the country. While he consistently travels around the world to venues, clubs, and festivals, his performances in India have been regular with his unstoppable mixes and high energy. "Once, in 2016, he wanted to walk through the crowd to feel the energy and he and I put our hoodies up and traversed the entire crowd. It was phenomenal!", Singh said, who has had a longstanding association with the Dutch artist.

Other international names who have been Sunburn constants are Carl Cox and Dimitri Vegas and Like Mike, popularly known as DVLM. With consistent energies, these artistes have stayed on, owing to the intense electricity and welcome they feel from Indian fans. Having headlined the first-ever edition of Sunburn in 2007, Cox forged a path for every other international artist in the country wanting to perform at Sunburn in India. The legend had given the festival a dramatic climax on its second day in 2007, and Singh was a testament to the magic as he stood on stage with Cox and witnessed scores of awestruck fans.

Carl Cox with Shailendra Singh at Sunburn 2007

The festival boasts of hosting every top DJ in the world, from Hardwell and Afrojack to David Guetta and Axwell among a host of others. The Swedish House Mafia, who first came to India with their 'One Last Tour' in 2012 - 2013 across three metro cities — Mumbai, Delhi, and Bengaluru — for one of their most legendary performances, have also been regulars at Sunburn. Their Sunburn Arena event was historic for the 25,000 plus fans that attended the rage. Singh who was instrumental in bringing the Swedish group to India found himself listed in the 50 Most Powerful People in EDM list, compiled by inthemix, in the following year.

With a legacy as such of Sunburn in India, Singh is proud that he and his team at Percept took the plunge 13 years ago with an electronic dance music festival that developed into a dynamic experience today.