MUMBAI: Percept Live, the wholly owned subsidiary of Percept Ltd, in collaboration with Goa based nightlife and promotions giant Klassique, successfully kicked off the very first edition of Sunburn Klassique in Vagator Goa on 23 and 24 February 2019, therein making its grand homecoming to its birthplace, Goa, after a hiatus of three years.
Sunburn Klassique stayed true to its promise to its fans and showcased an amazing nostalgic throwback to what Sunburn was in its early years with a combination of great music including commercial, techno and trance. Multiple stages featured an eclectic and elite mix of artists along with a host a food courts, flea markets, recreational zones and many more fun activities for Sunburn fans who descended from all over India and overseas to revisit the nostalgia of the original Sunburn Festival.
The Sunburn Klassique Main Stage reflected the unique vibe of Goa and connected diverse elements of Sunburn from its inception in 2007 till date while focusing on exclusive Goan elements such as surf boards, coconut trees and pristine beaches to create a surreal ambience for fans. Immersive visuals surmounting a phenomenal 3,000 sq. ft. of LED special effects, state-of-the-art acoustics, intelligent lighting and pyros left attendees completely overwhelmed and in awe. The Psy Stage created an awe-inspiring psychedelic atmosphere with the stage design being connected to the canopy which extended into the area inhabited by the crowds and projected images on the canopy thereby offering fans a surround sound and light treat. The Techno Stage was designed keeping techno music in mind, and had a complete LED setup with a differentiated level of SFX to heighten the impact of the techno music.
Sunburn Klassique hosted legendary artists from overseas and India to wow fans across the two days. The festival saw a power packed mix of International and Indian artists such as trance music maestros Markus Schulz & Richard Durand, the unparalleled act of Art Department, mysterious Claptone, psychedelic experts Mandragora, Sonic Species, Liquid Soul, and arguably India’s favourite artist KSHMR, as well as home brewed talent including Arjun Vagale, Ankytrixx, Bullzeye and many more coming together to take audiences back into time to what Sunburn originally stood for – “Nothing but Quality Music”!
Day 1 saw Medival Pundits, the famous act from India, which also brought Nathulala Solanki from Pushkar, a renowned master drummer of Rajasthan, to play the Nagad instrument with them which added an extra charm to their set. Art Department, one of the most famous techno music acts from Canada, known to build experimental original sound focused narrowly on the dance floor and a heavier, sunny house, techno sound. Claptone, the anonymous Berlin based DJ and producer who bridges the worlds of deep house and indie dance, played his famed track such as ‘Under the Moon’ and ‘The Drums’(Din Da Dora) which mesmerised the crowds. Sonic Species and Liquid Souls performed to a packed psychedelic sirkus stage. Day 2 of Sunburn Klassique saw the trance legend Markus Schulz give a power packed performance which completely energised the crowds. At the Psy stage Mandragora took the crowd into another dimension with his second-to-none set and meanwhile, KSHMRs story telling visuals and eclectic set left the crowd wanting for more, thereby wrapping up the first edition of the Sunburn Klassique festival on a high note.
Sunburn Klassique hosted Flea Markets, 30 F&B stalls to cater to the diverse taste buds of avid food connoisseurs, and multiple Activity and Gaming zones for fun and fitness enthusiasts. Sunburn Klassique saw a Sponsor integration of more than 7 leading brands including Kingfisher Packaged Drinking Water, GoAir, Skybags, Zee5, Fastrack, Havmor and Smirnoff with every brand incorporating a unique on-ground concept that continually engaged Sunburn fans. The Kingfisher zone created a photo opportunity for Sunburn fans with an inimitable Kingfisher Game of Thrones Chair which had wings symbolising the famed KF Wings and the Kingfisher World Lounge. GoAir had a fun Anti-Gravity Photo Opportunity and also installed GoAir branded charging stations across the venue. Smirnoff held a fun trampoline activity and offered fans memorable Photo Ops around the popular Techno Kraft stage. Havmor had a massive larger than life Cone shaped installation and Havmor ice-cream carts helped fans beat the Goa heat with some flavourful Havmore-licious ice-creams. Skybags had an evergreen mechanical bull activity which gave fans a chance to win some free Skybags. Red Bull displayed an amazing Experience Bar with a matchless Viewing Gallery atop from where fans could enjoy spectacular views of the festival.
Sunburn Klassique brought in substantial returns to the local Goan economy and created multiple business opportunities for the region through the weekend via Hotel accommodation, Transport, F&B and miscellaneous expenses incurred by festival audiences. The hotel industry in Goa witnessed an upsurge in occupancy and the transport sector saw sizeable business spike with both private and public transport witnessing a huge surge in demand for their services during the weekend of Sunburn Klassique. From F&B stalls en-route to the venue, to vendors selling all types of wares for festival goers, every piece of land around the Vagator region boosted business and stimulated the overall economy.
Said Karan Singh, CEO, Sunburn, “We are thrilled that our return to Goa has been magical and we look forward to once again joining hands with the Government and the local populace to build Goa into a flourishing global music festival destination. Sunburn Klassique’s first edition was a super success as we delivered an unparalleled fan experience without compromising on our production and experiential ethics. The successful feedback and response to the first edition reinvigorates us to go in all guns blazing to make subsequent editions even bigger and grander in the year ahead."
Said Shailesh Shetty, Klassique, “It was great to be a part of Sunburn’s homecoming to Goa after three years. We worked around the clock hand in hand with local authorities to get all requisite permissions and ensure a seamless first edition of Sunburn Klassique. The event set up and vibe brought back a lot of memories to fans who have been part of the entire Sunburn journey in Goa since inception. We are immensely grateful to the Chief Minister and the Tourism Minister of Goa, the Police Department and to all the concerned departments of the Government for their incredible support in our collective endeavor to create history. We look forward to hosting many more Sunburn Klassique events in Goa through 2019.”
