Sunburn: inside Asia's biggest dance-music festival

Sunburn is the name that put Indian dance music on the global map. Billed as one of Asia's largest electronic festivals, it has, for years, been the flagship event that introduced a generation to festival culture — and it remains a bucket-list weekend for the country's party crowd.

A large-scale, multi-stage electronic festival that has historically anchored the year-end season, drawing enormous crowds and a roster of the world's biggest DJs. Its heartland is Goa, whose beaches and holiday energy make the perfect backdrop, and its main stage is pure big-room spectacle — pyrotechnics, huge production, and drops you feel in your ribcage.

• ›Book accommodation and travel early — the year-end Goa surge sells out fast.
• ›Pace yourself across the days; it's a marathon.
• ›Explore beyond the main stage — the smaller stages often hold the deeper, more interesting sounds.
• ›Stay hydrated, wear comfortable shoes, and plan your transport in advance.

Whether you're a festival veteran or going for the first time, Sunburn is a defining Indian nightlife experience — go at least once.