Across two stages and three days, punters who attend the remote Air Festival in Indonesia appear destined to experience an event unlike any other. Now in its fourth year, the event merges underground dance music culture with ceremony and sacredness, promising a three day experience ” in which friendships are forged, hearts are opened and life is affirmed.”
Air Festival is located on Gili, one of three tiny islands floating in the archipelago between Lombok and Bali. There are no cars there, just horse-drawn carriages and bicycles. You can walk around the entire island in an afternoon and at night the stars are so bright they reflect off the sea and white sand.
Founded by a group of friends in 2015, Air Festival started out as an intimate event. The original team comprised of Walker Barnard, Sylvie Forêt, Tiago Oudman, Kelly Ariella and Alexander Bonkas — all of them rooted in underground dance music, who started the party just to see what would happen. Four years later, it’s become one of the best kept secrets in the region.
Acknowledging the unique landscape the event inhabits, the organisers also offer support to the local community in ways of waste removal and reduction, plus renovations at their local school. The event will also be completely plastic free.
On the music front, you’ll find every shade of house – from deep to afro – plus techno and soul and plenty in between, with Sushitech’s Dutch star Makam, New York’s Fred P from Soul People Music, Rampa‘s warm, progressive and melodic house, loopy tech house man Boris Werner, Ata, Sweden’s Art Alfie, Tuskagee and Crosstown Rebels artist Bas Ibellini will bring plenty of fresh tech house, while artists like Mimi Love, KMLN, Peak & Swift, Jonathan Kusuma, Esther Silex, Dave Dinger, Walker Barnard, Tiago Oudman, Sylvie Forêt, Dr. Kessler, Ricardo Who, Archie, Trigan Young, Dr. Yez, Kai and Kusasi all help round out the lineup.
And then there’s the cultural element of the festival, which was introduced in 2017 via the Awan Stage – the festival’s “living heart where the sacred fire burns, the cacao flows, and super-inspiring live musicians and slow DJs share their songs and organic earth vibes.” The Air Stage and the Awan will collectively allow festival goers to move seamlessly between peak time party to relaxed and grounded gathering and back again.
Early bird tickets are on sale now. Air Festival runs from 30th March to 1st April, 2018.
For more details head to airfestival.net.
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