Goa is all set to rock to the party beats with two of the biggest Electronic Dance Music festivals being scheduled for the last week of December.
The popular, but controversial festivals Sunburn and Vh1 Supersonic, which draw thousands of young urban Indian tourists enamoured by the music, are claiming to draw a crowd in excess of hundreds of thousands of music revelers. Sunburn, in its 9th year, is being organised at stunning Vagator hill top while Supersonic is being held at Candolim beach. Both festivals will be held on the same dates — from December 27 to 30.
Addressing the media persons, Jaideep Singh, senior vice-president of Integrated Network Solutions, a subsidiary of Viacom18, which is organising the festival said that this year his festival will be bigger and better. "last year we pulled off the event in just 21 days. This year we want to make our event remembered as the happening dance music festival ever," Singh told The Pioneer.
He also strung out a list of number of DJs (Disc Jockeys) who he said are lined up for this festivals, this year in its second edition. But the festivals have not been without controversy with issues like that of tax evasion, narcotics being sold outside the venues and traffic congestion making headlines. The organisers have also been criticised for selling tickets even before the permission has been granted by the authorities. Singh however, didn't see the delayed permissions as a problem he faced.
"The bringing together of the festival is a continuous process. It isn't as if we go to the Government and expect the permission the next day. Everything you see here is a result of our discussions and deliberations with the Government," he said even as the praised the State Government's single window system of clearance, which is said is a "positive way of doing things".
He said that holding two festivals in the State will boost tourism more than anything else. "It will bring a good image to Goa and will promote tourism without the Government doing anything," Singh said. Goa, the State's top beach tourism destination, annually attracts three million tourists annually, out of which half a million are foreigners. The Congress, however, accused the organisers of the two festivals of evading entertainment tax.
"Each ticket sold for the festival should be endorsed by the Commercial Tax department. As per the existing law, the organisers have to pay an advance fee. In this case they are already selling tickets even before the permission is granted by the Dovernment," Congress spokesperson Sunil Kauthankar.