Federico Vassallo

Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC)

• Origin: USA, 1997
• Music: Electronic Dance Music (EDM)
• Artists: Tiësto, Martin Garrix, Armin van Buuren
• Format: Two or three day festival
• Max audience: 400 000+ attendees
• Thailand debut: Phuket, 2025

Rolling Loud

• Origin: USA, 2015
• Music: Hip Hop
• Artists: Travis Scott, Post Malone, A$AP Rocky
• Format: Two or three day festival
• Max audience: 200 000+ attendees
• Thailand debut: Pattaya, 2023

Tomorrowland

• Origin: Belgium, 2005
• Music: Electronic Dance Music (EDM)
• Format: Two weekend festival
• Artists: Martin Garrix, David Guetta, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike
• Max audience: 400 000+ attendees
• Thailand debut: TBCC for 2026

Circoloco

• Origin: Ибица (Испания), 1999
• Music: House & Techno
• Artists: The Martinez Brothers, Seth Troxler, Peggy Gou
• Format: Weekly club party
• Max audience: 1 500 attendees
• Thailand debut: Phuket / Phang Nga, 2019

December of my graduation year was filled with excitement and anticipation for upcoming events. Among them, one stood out – the first-ever major international music festival in Cherng Talay, Phuket. It was set to bring global superstars to the islands and redefine the scale of fun with tens of thousands of attendees expected. None of it happened, though. After just one day, the event was quietly shut down. These are my memories of how Phuket’s first attempt at hosting a large-scale music festival in January 2013 failed.

Snap back – or rather fast forward – to reality. Here we are in January 2025, standing on the grounds of EDC Thailand. The music thunders for three days straight, tens of thousands dance non-stop, and Tiësto takes the stage for the grand finale. Post-pandemic Phuket has just hosted its first international festival, and it was a bang! How did we get here? Let me tell you – firsthand.

EDC Thailand: The X hour

Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC) is one of the world’s largest electronic music festivals, attracting fans from across the globe. It started in 1986 as an underground rave scene in California and has since grown into a worldwide phenomenon, with the Las Vegas flagship event drawing up to 500,000 attendees.

In recent years, the festival’s organizers have shifted their focus toward Asia. Why? First, by the 2010s, the region had fully embraced electronic dance music. Second, traveling here is easier and cheaper than to the USA. Third, Asia now produces its own global superstars, from Psy to Blackpink.

For half a decade, major festival brands eyed the Orient, but Phuket wasn’t on the radar. Industry experts believed that Thailand’s only viable festival destinations were Bangkok and Pattaya. That’s why the first EDC Thailand in 2018 was held in Pattaya – no one thought people would fly to Phuket for music instead of beaches.

But for EDC Thailand in 2025, they did. Over 30,000 guests enjoyed the festival each day, with most traveling to Phuket specifically for the event. EDC Thailand proved that Phuket is ready for large-scale events.

Circoloco: Bringing Ibiza to Phuket

Unlike massive festival brands, European club culture has never been hesitant about Phuket. The complimentary cliché of “The Ibiza of Asia” became a reality in 2019, when Vorasit Issara brought Circoloco from the Mediterranean Sea to his Baba Beach Club on Natai Beach.

Better known as Pla Wan, the Phuket-based businessman had been dreaming of this for years. In fact, he built the hotel and club specifically for this purpose.

At Circoloco 2025, he reiterated his priorities: personal passion and prestige. In the clubbing scene, people now casually compare Pla Wan to Kanye West – a bold, eccentric visionary reshaping the game.

Rolling Loud: Southside Phuket goes global

Speaking of Kanye, let’s not forget my own hip hop field and Rolling Loud, the world’s biggest hip-hop festival, which has already made its way to Thailand twice. Like EDC, it started as an underground party series in the USA before evolving into a global brand.

The festival made its Asia debut in 2023, choosing Thailand as its first Oriental stop. The timing was perfect, just a year after Lisa Manoban won her MTV award as a solo hip-hop artist, making her an even bigger icon in Thailand.

The first Rolling Loud Thailand in Pattaya featured Cardi B, Travis Scott, and Chris Brown as headliners. The 2024 lineup included A$AP Rocky, Lil Wayne, Yeat, and Southside – our hip-hop crew from Phuket.

It’s ironic that Rolling Loud hasn’t yet come to Phuket, but our Southern team hasalready made it to its stage. That all might double very soon as Rolling Loud is confirmed to return in 2025. And after the EDC success, Phuket is now a strong contender for hosting it.

Tomorrowland: The game-changer

But the biggest event of the season? Doubtless, it is going to be Tomorrowland Thailand 2026, the first-ever in Thailand and the entire ASEAN region.

As it celebrates its 25th anniversary, the legendary festival is finally stepping into Asia, set to redefine the game. Tomorrowland is known for having everything it takes to be No.1 – world-class artists, mind-blowing stage designs, tickets selling out just like hot pies within days.

For now, the projected location is the Khao Yai National Park, with a January date being considered. The theme can be something like “A Journey Through the Mystic Jungle”, with organizers planning to host the event in real rainforests. The festival will also feature Thai DJs and even traditional folk musicians, blending local culture with global EDM.

However, there’s another hope – maybe not this, but just ‘a’ Tomorrowland in the Andaman region. The lush jungles of Phang Nga rival those of Khao Yai, and Phuket International Airport ensures seamless global connectivity – we have what it takes.

Phuket’s music revolution

Let’s summarize. In 12 years, Phuket has gone from a failed festival attempt to hosting world-class events.

Today, the island has already proven itself with EDC Thailand and is now a serious contender for Rolling Loud and Tomorrowland. Most importantly, both international and Thai audiences are now willing to travel here not just for beaches, but for music.

The future of Phuket’s festival scene has never looked brighter.