808 Festival 2016: 5 Reasons Why You Need To Make The Trip!
Returning for the 4th year, 808 Festival will once more open its doors to welcome revelers to a festival experience unlike any other. Last year we saw 808 Festival expand into 2 stages, with the addition of the Sunn Stage – this year however, instead of 2 stages the 808 crew opted for an even grander expansion by updating their event format to become a 2-day festival between 10-11 December, 2016! Initially to be hosted at the newly minted Oasis Arena at Show DC, the festival was moved to Nongnooch Garden and Resort in Pattaya City.
As the change in venue prompted a few people to wonder whether making the 2-hour drive to the seaside town was worth the trip, we are going to make it easy for you by telling you our top 5 reasons why you should already be packing your bags and gathering your friends right away – 808 Festival is about to blast you off into another level!
A Line-Up That Rivals Any Other Festival in the World – 10 International Artists!
Most festivals have a “headlining act” – or in other words an artist that would be the highlight of the night. The one thing you will notice about 808 Festival every year, but this year in particular, is that each and every one of the names that pop up in the line-up can be a “headlining act” in their own right. From Carnage, to Dillion Francis, to Hardwell, to W&W, to Zedd to name a few – it seems like the artists were handpicked from the Top 100 DJ list because these guys are simply the cream of the crop!
As household names in their own genre and true veterans in the festival game, it is without a doubt that over the 2-day event, you will surely get to dance your night away in epic fashion. Let us be real, it is not every day that Hardwell, the former number 1 DJ in the world, makes an appearance in our own back yard.
An Outdoor Festival at a Time When the Weather Is Awesome!
Our love for great music may just rival our love for air-conditioning as well – that is why many festivals in Thailand are held indoors. Often time, when a festival is held outdoors, sweating buckets can be a very common phenomenon. However, with December already here and the weather quickly cooling down, 808 Festival being held outdoors at Nongnooch Garden and Resort will bring the best of both worlds to the festival grounds – an open-air music event without the heatwaves that come with it.
Get ready to breath in the fresh seaside breeze as you dance away under the stars. The great outdoors just got a little greater with 808 Festival in town!
It Goes on for 2 Full Days!
You know how sometimes when you get home from a festival and you feel like your life had more meaning at the event? It is almost as if you did not want the beautiful music to end. Well, at 808 Festival this year it does not have to – at least after the first day. Being held as a 2-day festival for the very first time, all the party people have the chance to let loose for a full 2 days!
With Monday the 12th of December being a public holiday as well, there is no need to rush anywhere either. We all have plenty of time to sing, dance, laugh, and maybe even cry tears of happiness as you bond with old friends or make new ones along the way. Whatever it is, one thing is for sure, you have a lot of time to do it. Do it big, do it well!
Production Value That Will Keep Your Eyes Locked on the Stage!
Every year, the organizers of 808 Festival wow us with their line-up. But another thing that a lot of people later realize is that the production value at an 808 Festival show is always on point as well! With mammoth sized LED screens staring straight back at you, coupled with intense lighting, soul splitting lasers, and pyro machines spitting out flames constantly – the music will have a good companion all night long.
This year being the first year that the 808 Festival stage is being taken outside of a hall, we are expecting a spectacle for the eyes as the organizers are no longer constrained by a roof. Surely, there is a lot of awesomeness to be looking forward to!
A Crowd That Is Guaranteed to Immerse You into the World of Music!
There is a different vibe you feel when attending 808 Festival. The crowd is rowdy but calm, intense but collected. There is a little something for everyone and that is what makes the festival special. With so many styles of people coming to enjoy a variety of music, you truly have a community of people who are there for all the right reasons.
So never be afraid to turn to the guys and girls jigging around in their onesie beside of you because chances are they are looking forward to getting to know you too. Let positivity run free, you have found your epicenter for the Peace, Love, Unity, and Respect movement. PLUR all the way baby!
How to Buy Tickets
Tickets for 808 Festival are available online and can be purchased for THB 2,855 via the Festival’s website at www.808festival.com.
There is no more time to be sitting on the fence, you will not want to miss what is arguably the best line-up Thailand has seen this year. Of course, do not let us tell you how much you will miss out on if you do not go. See for yourself how things were in 2015 for reference.
Event Logistics
808 Festival will take place between 10-11 December, 2016 at Nongnooch Garden and Resort in Pattaya City. The resort is a little south from Jomtien Beach and is easily accessible by car if you choose to drive from Bangkok. It should take no more than 2hrs.
If you choose to take the shuttle, the organizers have set up a few free options for you as well:
From Bangkok:
1) TOPS Supermarket (RCA): shuttles leave continuously from 12pm on 10 December
2) Suvarnabhumi Airport: shuttles leave continuously from 12pm on 10 December
Shuttles leave Nongnooch Garden and Resort to return to Bangkok right after the event ends on 11 December, 2016 and drops everyone off in downtown Sukhumvit.
From Pattaya:
1) Bone (Phettrakul Road): shuttles leave continuously from 1pm on both 10 & 11 December
2) Space Meat (Jomtien 11): shuttles leave continuously from 1pm on both 10 & 11 December
For more shuttle information or reservations, please call +6681-020-0616.
What’s Next?
Obviously, there are more than 5 reasons why you should already be making travel plans to head to 808 Festival in Pattaya. The spectacle that is on show this year will most likely leave your legs feeling like you just ran a full marathon but leave your heart filled with pure joy.
It is good to let loose once in a while, and what better place to do it than at the festival that was named after heavy hitting drum machines. So round up the troops, it is time to march!
For the latest news & announcements, follow 808 Festival on Facebook and Instagram!
Words by Tang Kalayanamit
Images by Siam2nite & Rukes