Sunburn Summer Fest in Shillong cancelled amid weather woes

The much-anticipated Sunburn Summer Fest, scheduled to take place in Shillong on May 10, has been cancelled due to persistent rainfall and unfavourable weather conditions, sources told India Today NE.

Originally set to be held at Lariti, the festival was called off just four days before internationally renowned electronic dance music artists were slated to perform.

In an official statement on Instagram, Sunburn wrote: “We regret to inform you that due to continuous rainfall and inclement weather in Shillong, the Summer Fest scheduled for May 10 in Shillong and May 11 in Bengaluru has been cancelled.”

The statement emphasised that “the safety and well-being of our attendees is of utmost priority, and current weather conditions make it unsafe to proceed with the events as planned.”

Organisers also noted that they are working with the artists to reschedule the events and promised to share more details soon.

“We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience caused. All tickets purchased for both cities will be refunded via BookMyShow within 7–10 working days,” they added.

The cancellation comes as a disappointment to electronic music fans who were eagerly awaiting performances from an impressive lineup featuring psytrance pioneers Vini Vici, electronic music heavyweight Dimitri Vegas, progressive house innovators DubVision, and UK sensations Third Party.

Local artists, including Siana Catherine, Gary Daniel, Reuel Roy, Quills, and DJ Aedrian were also scheduled to perform at the event, which promised to blend global and homegrown sounds in what would have been Sunburn's newest festival series.

The inaugural Summer Fest was being produced by Spacebound in partnership with Meghalaya Tourism, with elaborate plans for tropical-themed décor, LED displays, and interactive art installations at the festival grounds.

The festival, with tickets starting at Rs 1,200, had secured partnerships with Tuborg and Hyundai as sponsors, while Meghalaya Tourism, Envision, Spacebound, and Boombox were participating as festival partners.

Sunburn, ranked 11th on DJ Mag's "Top 100 Festivals in 2024" list, has previously brought world-renowned DJs to India and expanded its reach internationally with events in Sri Lanka, Nepal, Dubai, Oman, and Australia.

Karan Singh, CEO of Sunburn, had earlier described the event as "the beginning of a fresh chapter for Sunburn" and "an immersive celebration where fans can experience summer through music, art and culture in the mystical, mist-shrouded peaks of Shillong."

The cancellation marks a setback for efforts to establish Shillong, long celebrated as India's rock capital, as a premier destination for electronic dance music events.