No Taylor Swift? No Prob. Thailand To Host 'Summer Sonic' & 'Tomorrowland' Music Festivals
It's the first ASEAN country to host these music festivals.
Thailand will be the first ASEAN country to host two popular international music festivals — Japan's 'Summer Sonic' and Belgium's 'Tomorrowland'
On Friday, 22 March, Thai government spokesperson Chai Wacharonke said hosting these international music festivals will be a way to promote the creative industry and boost the country's tourism.
The Nation reported that 'Summer Sonic' will be held on 24 and 25 August this year at Impact Muang Thong Thani in Nonthaburi province, following the shows in Tokyo and Osaka.
This will be the second time the festival will be held outside of Japan, with one having been held in Shanghai, China back in 2017. More details will be revealed soon.
Image via Summer Sonic
Meanwhile, Belgium's popular EDM festival 'Tomorrowland' is planned to be held in Thailand in 2026
Wacharonke added that the festival may be the first of 10 consecutive editions.
Tomorrowland in Belgium is one of the world's largest and most famous electronic music dance festivals. Renowned for its elaborate stage designs, immersive atmosphere, and top-tier lineup of DJs and electronic music artistes from around the globe, the festival attracts attendees from all over the world.
In 2023 alone, the two-day weekend festival attracted around 400,000 attendees, while the 2022 three-day weekend edition saw close to 600,000 people in attendance.
Tomorrowland is a large-scale annual electronic dance music festival held in Belgium.
Image via Tomorrowland
The push for these festivals in Thailand is thanks to its Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, who has repeatedly stated that Thailand's economy is in a 'crisis' and requires 'quick wins'
He previously lamented over the loss of Taylor Swift's The Eras Tour concerts, which had been exclusively held in Singapore, the only Southeast Asian country to host her.
Her concert brought in around RM1.4 billion, boosting Singapore's gross domestic product by 2.9% within the first three months of the year.
The Thai prime minister called this move smart, adding that Thailand should emulate this strategy by bringing in tourists and boosting the economy.
Meanwhile, in Malaysia, many parties have urged the government to keep an open mind regarding concerts by international artistes to stimulate the economy:
Malaysians were the top tourists to visit Thailand last year:
Bruno Mars is heading to Bangkok at the end of this month:
If you plan to head to Thailand, consider adding these to your itinerary:
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