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Lauren James

Coachella? Overhyped. Glastonbury, who? When it comes to music festivals in 2020, it’s all about Asia.
Rapidly rising as a destination for music lovers from around the world, the region boasts a host of impressive music events covering a wide range of sounds.
Festivals in Asia are often better priced than elsewhere in the world and many are close to iconic cities, making for a perfect party-meets-sightseeing break.
Here are the best Asian music festivals coming up in spring and summer.

1. UnKonscious Festival 2020
Asia’s biggest trance music festival returns with a bang in February, bringing hypnotic electronic sounds to the rainforests and mountains of Phuket. Dance all night long to the sounds of John Askew, Simon Patterson, Sean Tyas, Ferry Tayle, Dan Stone and The Thrillseekers.
February 6 -7 , Paradise Beach Phuket, Muen-Ngern Road, Pa Tong, Kathu District, Phuket, Thailand . Tickets from US$101 at festicket.com
2. DreamMonster Music Festival 2020
Trance overlords Simon Patterson, John Askew and Alex Di Stefano are set to entrance Taipei in February at DreamMonster Music Festival, an all-night rave in one of Asia’s coolest cities.
February 8, Nuzone, 106, Taiwan, Taipei City, Da’an District, Section 3, Civic Blvd . Tickets from NT$1,300 (US$43) at nuzone.kktix.cc

3. VH1 Supersonic
Fresh from his appearance at the Grammy awards, US dance superstar Diplo will be headed to India in February to head the line-up at VH1 Supersonic, a weekend of EDM thrills at one of the country’s biggest festivals. Also featured will be producers Illenium, Machine Gun Kelly, Prateek Kuhad, Divine, Ash Roy, Madame Gandhi, and many more. Plus, K-pop will be welcomed to the event for the first time with the appearance of Korea’s Z-Stars.
February 7-9, Mahalakshmi Lawns, Nagar Road, Pune, Maharashtra, India . Tickets from 1,000 rupees (US$14) at in.bookmyshow.com
4. Java Jazz Festival
Throwing some major sevenths into an ocean of EDM elsewhere, Indonesia’s small and intimate Java Jazz Festival punches well above its weight in the star power department. The Jacksons headline this year, alongside Omar Apollo, Ari Lennox, Bruno Major, Cosmo’s Midnight and Ezra Collective.
February 28 to March 1, Simprug Gallery, Blok A1, 10 Jl. Teuku Nyak Arief, South Jakarta . Tickets 775,000 rupiah (US$57) at javajazzfestival.com
5. Kolour in the Park
Black Coffee, Sabrina Claudio, Atma, DJ Tingle, and Dark White are among the first acts confirmed for Thailand’s Kolour in the Park, the festival that celebrates diversity, inclusion and creativity. Expect genres as varied as house, techno, indie, funk and disco at this event set among rice fields and lakes. Outside the music, punters can go swimming, and enjoy arts and crafts, interactive art installations, gourmet food and massage stalls.
March 7, Thai Wake Park, Bungkumploy, Lumlukka, Pathum Thani, Thailand . Tickets from 1,700 baht (US$55) at eventpop.me

6. Wanderland Music and Arts Festival
Festivalgoers in the Philippines are about to be rocked by a great line-up at Wanderland Music and Arts Festival. Joji, Foals, Sabrina Claudio, Ari Lennox, Bruno Major, Omar Apollo will be flying in to perform alongside local indie groups Ysanygo, Flu and IV of Spades.
March 7-8, Filinvest City Event Grounds, Bridgeway Ave, Alabang, Muntinlupa, Metro Manila, Philippines . Tickets from 5,500 pesos (US$108) at wanderlandfestival.com
7. Rockaway Festival 2020
Heavy favourites Atreyu, Lacuna Coil and Crossfaith headline Malaysia’s two-day hard-rock festival, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. More than 50,000 rock fans will descend on Kuala Lumpur to witness international talent rub shoulders with local acts including Spooky Wet Dreams, Nervedeless, Project Ear and Mothflesh.
March 14-15, Car Park B, Stadium Bukit Jalil, Jalan Barat, Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Tickets from 98 ringgit (US$24) at www.galactix.asia/rockaway-festival-2020
8. Knotfest Japan
Lace up your moshing boots and sew those band patches onto your jacket: the notorious Knotfest Japan returns for another year of mayhem and metal. Festival namesakes Slipknot will of course be headlining, alongside rock royalty Anthrax, Korn, Marilyn Manson, Coldrain, Trivium, Suicide Silence and Babymetal.
March 20-21, Makuhari Messe, Chiba, Chiba Prefecture, Japan. Only Friday tickets remaining, from 10,780 yen (US$99) at knotfestjapan.com

9. Sonar Hong Kong
The moment Stormzy was announced, it was clear that Sonar Hong Kong organisers had raised their game for 2020. Presented by the same team behind the Clockenflap festival, Sonar is an immersive electronic showcase set within a gleaming, futuristic science park overlooked by mountains. Alongside a day full of live performances, Sonar is known for its electronics workshops and thought-provoking experimental music.
March 28, Hong Kong Science Park, 2 Science Park West Avenue, Hong Kong. Tickets from HK$780 (US$100) at ticketflap.com
10. Hydeout Festival Singapore
Only in Asia do you get high-calibre music events hosted at the heart of a futuristic skyline. Set against the lush scenery of Gardens by the Bay, Hydeout Festival is held over two weekends in April. Shake your hips to the sound of DJ Snake, Gucci Mane, ASAP Rocky, Martin Garrix and Rita Ora at this year’s four-day event.
April 10-11, April 17-18, The Meadow, Gardens By The Bay, 31 Marina Park, Singapore. Tickets from S$162 (US$119) at hydeout.sg
11. We Are Connected Bali
Combine a dreamy beach holiday with a top-quality music event at We Are Connected Bali, an annual EDM bash set in surroundings to make you swoon. This year’s festival is led by Dmitri Vegas and Like Mike, Alan Walker, Alison Wonderland and Don Diablo, with more acts to be confirmed.
April 10-11, Pecatu Indah Resort Jl. Raya Uluwatu, Bali, Indonesia. Tickets from 900,000 rupiah (US$66) at weareconnected.id
12. Siam Songkran Music Festival
The word songkran is synonymous with a good time, so why not ring in the Thai New Year with some body-shaking beats? EDM powerhouses Afrojack, Andrew Rayel, Yellow Claw and Atmozfears will be hitting the decks, with more to be confirmed soon.
April 11-13, Urban Yard Bangkok, 149 Kamphaeng Phet 7 Rd, Huai Khwang, Bangkok, Thailand.
Tickets from 1,500 baht (US$49) at www.siamsongkran.com

13. S20 Songkran Festival
Proudly branded as “the world’s wettest party”, S20 Songkran festival takes place in Bangkok during Thailand’s most famous national holiday. Lovers of EDM will be treated to Don Dibalo, Dash Berlin, Dimitri Vangelis and Wyman, Jonas Blue and Mike Perry as water guns around the stadium give everyone a good soaking.
April 11-13, Show DC Arena, Bangkok, Thailand. Tickets from US$70 at festicket.com
14. Chroma Music Festival
As the Philippines continues to grow into a world-class destination for live music lovers, get on the bandwagon at Chroma Music Festival, a one-day dance party where ravers are given coloured powder to throw at each other to amp up the fun. Ace Ramos, Those Damn Nerds, Alwyn, Cathy Frey, Ally Takashi, Tom Taus and Callum David will all grace Chroma’s stages.
April 18, Globe Circuit Event Grounds, Makati, Metro Manila, Philippines. Tickets from 900 pesos (US$18) at smtickets.com
15. Daydream Festival Japan
Japan’s Daydream Festival celebrates its 10th year in 2020 with an all-EDM line-up featuring Dimitri Vegas and Like Mike, Afrojack and Alan Walker – with plenty more acts coming soon.
April 19, Nagashima Resort Parking Area Special Stage, 333 Urayasu, Nagashima-cho, Kuwana-shi, Mie Prefecture, Nagoya, Japan. Tickets from 12,000 yen (US$110) at daydreamfestival.jp

16. Great Wall Festival
Rave under the stars at a woodland ski resort right next to one of the seven wonders of the world at the Great Wall Festival, a 30-hour techno event bringing the genre’s hottest names to an iconic location. Ravers can balance out weekend indulgences by taking part in a dedicated five-kilometre run before the music starts pounding.
May 1-3, Mutianyu Great Wall, Huairou District, Beijing, China. Tickets from 100 yuan at greatwallfestival.com

17. Ultra Korea 2020
The EDM festival brand Ultra takes root in Korea for another summer at the Speedway. We’re still waiting on details regarding line-up but if previous years – think Knife Party, Skrillex, Underworld, David Guetta and Pendulum – are anything to go by, it should be a solid one.
June 20-21, Everland, Pogog-eup, Cheoin-gu, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. Tickets from US$160 from ultrakorea.com

18. We the Fest
One of Asia’s best organised music festivals, the annual We The Fest has a track record for serving up a great party to an international crowd. While fans await the first line-up announcements, presale tickets can be snapped up cheaply: previous artists have included Troye Sivan, Lorde, Cigarettes After Sex, Warpaint, Yaeji, James Bay and Alt-J.
August 14-16, Jiexpo Kemayoran, 10 Kota Tua, Pademangan, Jakarta, Indonesia. Tickets from 1.2m rupiah (US$88) from www.wethefest.com
19. Electric Daisy Carnival
Brought across the Pacific from Las Vegas to South Korea, Electric Daisy Carnival is one of the world’s foremost EDM festivals. Few details have yet been released about this summer’s event, but tickets are now on sale for those who like to plan early.
August 15-16, Seoulland, Gwangmyeong-ro, Makgye-dong, Gwacheon-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. Tickets from 110,000 won (US$93) at korea.electricdaisycarnival.com
20. Fuji Rock Festival
It’s Asia’s most famous festival and one on the bucket list for music fans the world over: Japan’s Fuji Rock is held each year at the beautiful Naeba Ski Resort. It’s too soon to call this year’s line-up, but previous years have welcomed the likes of Foo Fighters, Bob Dylan, Radiohead and Coldplay. “Fuji Rock is changing” reads the landing page on the festival’s website. We can’t wait to see what they have in store.
August 21-23, Naeba Ski Resort, Yuzawa-cho, Niigata prefecture, Japan. Tickets TBA from en.fujirockfestival.com

21. Summer Sonic
Foo Fighters, Ariana Grande, Nine Inch Nails, Weezer, The 1975, Fall Out Boy and Radiohead have all graced previous incarnations of Summer Sonic, the two-headed Japanese mega festival held with mirrored line-ups in both Osaka and Tokyo. Like many of the larger Japanese festivals, this one will dent your wallet, but it’ll be worth the outlay for a stacked three-day bill. Expect a sell-out for 2020.
August 21-23, Zozo Marine Stadium in Osaka and Makuhari Messe Centre in Tokyo, Japan. Tickets TBA at summersonic.com
22. Music Circus Music Festival
Another one for the EDM fans, Japan’s Music Circus mixes beats with beach as international producers perform alongside home-grown acts. Festivalgoers can look forward to sea, sand, dance, raves, fireworks and great food. The line-up has yet to be announced, although previous performers Yellow Claw, Galantis, Fedde Le Grand and DJ Spider should give an idea of what to expect.
September 5-6, Tarui Southern Beach, Osaka, Japan. Tickets TBA from music-circus.jp


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Discover Asia’s music festivals: 22 in spring and summer 2020 that you should not miss

Stormzy, Slipknot and Lorde are among the big names and up-and-coming acts performing at festivals in Asia this year We’ve got you covered on the top events in Asia over the next six months

Stormzy, Slipknot and Lorde are among the big names and up-and-coming acts performing at festivals in Asia this year

We’ve got you covered on the top events in Asia over the next six months