Music

Exhilarating music festivals in Asia you shouldn’t miss in 2023

Dusk till dawn

22.09.2023

By Marissa Chin

FEATURED IMAGES: @chaelincl / Instagram | ZoukOut / Facebook
Exhilarating music festivals in Asia you shouldn’t miss in 2023

The rush of adrenaline. The booming sounds. The crowd cheers. There’s nothing quite like the feeling of a live concert. We know there is a slew of huge acts already confirmed to show up on our shores and around Southeast Asia but we can never have enough! If you want to catch even more of your favourite artists live and rock out to music all day long, music festivals are the answer. 

Ahead, we’ve rounded up high-octane music festivals happening around Asia that should be on your 2023 bucket list. Fly out to any of these with your squad for an unforgettable rave!

(Note: This article was originally published on 17 February 2023 and will be updated with more concert updates when they become available.)

 

UPCOMING

Borneo Sonic Music Festival

When: 6 to 7 October 2023,

Where: Sarawak Stadium, Kuching

Price: From RM488

It’s Borneo’s biggest star-studded music event of the year. The first of its kind in the region, the Borneo Sonic Music Festival promises to be an electrifying event featuring huge K-pop acts and popular local artists. Catch Taeyang, CL, Hyoyeon, EXO’s Suho, Havana Brown, and more alongside good food and drinks at Sarawak Stadium. Read more about the Borneo Sonic Music Festival here.

Tickets are available here.

 

It’s The Ship: The Halloween Charter

 

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When: 1 to 3 November 2023

Where: Genting Dream, Singapore

Price: From $959 (Approximately RM3293.12)

The famous partying ship is back but this time, it’s getting deeper, grittier and darker. Returning to the seas in its very first Halloween-themed vessel, the three-day festival on the waters features a spine-tingling lineup of over 60 DJs across three stages. Dropping the beats under the moon include iconic DJ duo Infected Mushroom, Enochi, Dev, Marlo, Mike Zooka and many more.

Tickets are available here.

 

9 Wave Music Festival

 

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When: 11 November 2023, 6pm till late

Where: Surf Beach, Sunway Lagoon

Price: From RM328

Can’t get enough of K-pop? We got you! The 9 Wave Music Festival is the stuff of any K-pop fan’s dream as some of the genre’s most popular acts will grace the stage at Sunway Lagoon. This includes trending girl group Gi-dle who has had numerous viral hits such as Queencard and Tomboy, Henry Lau of Super Junior fame, Girl’s Generation’s Hyoyeon and producer-singer Shaun who broke out with Way Back Home. More acts will be revealed but judging from this lineup alone, you’ll want to snag your tickets before it’s too late!

Tickets are available here.

 

ZoukOut 2023

When: 2 to 3 December 2023

Where: Siloso Beach Sentosa, Singapore

Price: From $188 (Approximately RM645.57)

Asia’s iconic dusk-t0-dawn dance music festival returns bigger than ever before for its grand 20th anniversary. Lighting up Siloso Beach Sentosa, it will feature a scintillating lineup of world-renowned DJs including headliner Martin Garrix, Carta, Alesso, Fisher and Joji as a special guest! Apart from the head-thumping beats, there will also be a food village and performances from local and regional acts for a night you won’t forget.

Tickets are available here.

 

PASSED

Peakstorm Festival

When: 19 February 2023

Where: Sunway Lagoon, Surf Beach

Price: From RM399.64

Yes, you read that right—Joji is coming back to our shores! He will be the official headliner for Peakstorm Festival 2023, one of Malaysia’s most highly anticipated music festivals. Previously held at the Sepang International Circuit, Peakstorm will be taking over Sunway Lagoon this year. Accompanying Joji are local music stars Airliftz, Midnight Fusic, and more. It’s not too late to cop some tickets for this weekend so be sure to snag them before they’re all gone!

Tickets are available on Peaky.

 

Kolour Festival

 

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When: Every weekend in February 

Where: Phuket, Thailand

Price: From 1,400 THB (Approximately RM179.69)

Need to get away from the mundanity of your everyday beat? Escape to Thailand’s ultimate beachside musical festival! Happening every weekend in February, Kolour Festival offers nothing but beats, beach and bliss with its lineup of home-grown and international headliners for a house and techno party like no other. There are also dedicated pre-parties and after-parties which mean non-stop dancing all weekend long. The best part? You get to do that while enjoying the magnificent view of Kamala Beach!

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit their website here.

 

Clockenflap

 

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When: 3 to 5 March 2023

Where: Central Harbourfront, Hong Kong 

Considered one of the best music festivals in Hong Kong, Clockenflap is a highly-anticipated event that brings music, arts and the community together. The 2023 lineup boasts incredible acts such as Arctic Monkeys, Wu-Tang Clan, South-Korean hip-hop group Balming Tiger, and more amidst the famous Hong Kong city skyline. 

Unfortunately, tickets are currently sold out but you can visit their website here in case some do become available.

 

It’s The Ship

 

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When: 8 to 10 March 2023

Where: Genting Dream, Singapore

Price: From $1,278 (Approximately RM4,227.46)

As Asia’s largest festival at sea, It’s The Ship promises three days and two nights of non-stop partying onboard the majestic Genting Dream, a luxury cruise ship of Resorts World Cruises. Get wet and wild as you set sail to the open waters whilst jamming to electrifying beats from Kid Ink, Laidback Luke, Malaysian DJs Blink and JonnyVicious and more. And in case you’re thinking the perfect collaboration doesn’t exist, Aunty Sima from Netflix’s Indian Matchmaking will be there to help you navigate the troubled waters of love in a speed dating event! When you want to take a break from the partying, enjoy the ship’s amenities such as the arcade, cinema, waterslide park and more.

To purchase your tickets, visit the website here.

 

Rolling Loud Asia

When: 13 to 15 March 2023

Where: Legend Siam, Pattaya, Thailand

Price: From 13,000 THB (Approximately RM1,668.58)

Regarded as the world’s largest hip-hop music festival, the first-ever Rolling Loud in Asia has unsurprisingly pulled out all the stops. The impressive lineup features headliners such as Cardi B, Chris Brown and Travis Scott along with popular South-Korean hip-hop artists from the likes of Jessi, Tiger JK and PH-1. Over 60 local Thai artists will be performing as well, giving you a taste of the country’s growing music scene. If you’re looking for a thrilling festival that’s going to bring the roof down, you know where to go.

For more information, visit the website here.

 

Ultra Music Festival

 

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When: 16 April 2023

Where: Dajia Riverside Park, Taiwan

Price: From NT$4,600 (Approximately RM670.07)

Are you an EDM junkie? If your answer is a resounding “yes”, then this is a must-go! The Ultra Music Festival is arguably the world’s most well-known electronic dance music festival for its high-quality production values and crème de la crème DJs. While Ultra started in 1999 and has its roots in Miami, the outdoor electronic festival has grown exponentially over the decades, expanding to Europe and most recently to Asia. Catch headliners Afrojack, Martin Garrix, Nicky Romero and Armin Van Buuren live in Taiwan for an exhilarating and high-energy night. Ultra will also be heading to Abu Dhabi on 4 March with Calvin Harris and Illenium if one festival isn’t enough!

To purchase tickets, visit the website here.

 

George Town Festival

When: 15 to 30 July 2023

Where: Penang, Malaysia 

Established in 2008, the George Town Festival is an annual celebration in honour of the city’s inscription as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The event is 15 years strong and is one of the best music and art festivals in Southeast Asia. Not only does it offer exciting musical performances, but it also presents a diverse mix of arts and cultural programmes, dance, film and photography. Expect to be creatively stimulated throughout the five-day festival and let’s not forget the delicious food (including Michelin-approved ones) to enjoy in Penang while you’re there!

For more information, visit the website here

 

Good Vibes Festival

 

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When: 21 to 23 July 2023

Where: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Price: From RM788

The Good Vibes Festival is hands-down Malaysia’s biggest and most anticipated annual music festival. Established in 2013 by Future Sound Asia, the festival is a homegrown event that features the hottest local and international artists in the music scene. This year’s lineup will include headliners The Strokes, The 1975 and The Kid Laroi with other performances by Sabrina Carpenter, the DPR crew, Giveon, and more. Local fan-favourites will such as Lunadira, Talitha Tan and Airliftz will also be lighting up the stage!

For more information, visit the website here.

(READ: Everything you need to know about Good Vibes Festival 2023)

 

We The Fest

 

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When: 21 to 23 July 2023

Where: Jakarta, Indonesia

Price: From IDR 2,100K (Approximately RM615.59)

Another one to add to your music festival bucket list is We The Fest, Indonesia’s most anticipated summer festival for all things music, arts and food. It’s happening on the same weekend as Good Vibes Festival so music lovers, it’s going to be a tough decision picking which one to go for! The headlining acts are similar to Good Vibes, with the exception of Lewis Capaldi joining the list. Other performers that will share the stage include Dermot Kennedy, Gryffin, Dhruv, and more. The festival is also known for its ‘Beyond the Music’ area where party-goers can enjoy scrumptious food vendors, shopping, fun games and more when they want to take a break from the music.

For more information, visit the website here.  

 

Fuji Rock Festival

 

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When: 28 to 30 July 2023

Where: Naeba Ski Resort, Japan

Price: From ¥21,000 (Approximately RM690.80)

Featuring more than 200 local and international artists, the Fuji Rock Festival is undoubtedly the country’s largest outdoor and most popular music festival. Last year, a whopping crowd of 100,000 ravers came to rock out at the ski resort. If you’ve been wanting to catch artists such as Lizzo, The Foo Fighters, Lewis Capaldi and The Strokes live, this is where you need to be. Not to mention, you will be able to camp on the grounds of the resort and take in the crisp fresh air and postcard-like views. A win-win in our books!

To purchase tickets, head here.

 

For more reads on the music scene, head here.

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