the goan I network
PANAJI
Popular electronic-dance-music (EDM) festival Sunburn is all set to return to Goa, albeit in a different avatar as ‘Sunburn Klassique’. The last time Sunburn happened in Goa was in December 2015.
The two-day EDM, which will take place from February 23 to 24 at Vagator, is the result of collaboration between Percept Live and Goa-based nightlife and promotions company called Klassique.
Harindra Singh, chairman and managing director, Percept Ltd, said, “To do the event in Goa, we have given the franchise to Shailesh Shetty (who represents Klassique) and he will be responsible for all logistics for the event. However, we are deciding the content for the event.”
This is the first time that Sunburn EDM will happen in Goa after a hiatus of over three years. Members of the tourism industry were anxious that Sunburn may never happen again in the State. And given that the ongoing season has brought in fewer tourists than earlier, it should be music to the ears of tourism stakeholders that Sunburn Klassique is happening in Goa.
Tourism Minister, Manohar ‘Babu’ Ajgaonkar said, “Everybody wants EDMs back in Goa. We have taken a decision to give in-principle approval to Sunburn Klassique to host the festival. However, the final approval will be given only when the promoter fulfils the criteria laid down by the government.”
Although Sunburn was a yearly feature in Goa’s list of events till 2015, a controversy had erupted wherein the State Government had alleged that the organizers of Sunburn owed it money on account of unpaid taxes and police charges. However, the organizers had claimed that it was the State Government, which owed them money. This matter is yet to reach a closure.
In July 2018, Ajgaonkar had submitted a written reply in the Assembly saying that, “As far as dues of Police Department receivable from the proponents of Sunburn Festival is concerned, the total dues receivable is Rs 1.93
