A few months back, the Global electronic music & arts festival, DGTL, announced that it will be hosting its first Asia show in India, before planning to set it up in any other Asian market. While it is indeed a breakthrough moment for the music scene in the country, it is also important to look into how India is being developed at the grass root level into a destination that caters to more than just pitstops to international music festivals and acts.
Larger corporations like entertainment companies to ticketing platforms have been investing across various parts of the eco-system to make India a key player in the global entertainment scene, while promoters have been instrumental in pushing electronic music to the forefront of the music scene in India, for over 6 years now. With the emergence of electronic music in India, various local festivals/promoters/collectives have been able to shape a music culture in the country. DGTL festival is an exemplar in this regard, and has made its way to India thereby continuing the stage for India to be a global player in the music sector both from a consumer & industry point of view.
India is ready for world-class experiences, as we have seen with the likes of many recent events taking place over the last few years. But what is unique to the DGTL festival is the fact that in this event, various home-grown talents get to share the stage with the world’s biggest names right here in India like Sven Väth, Pan-Pot, HVOB, Dax J and Youngr. Artists like Sandunes, Arjun Vagale (who have been instrumental in pushing india globally over the last few years) and others, can now finally get a global platform like DGTL closer home, at Namma, Bengaluru, along with the larger Local/Global artist fraternity.
DGTL festival India has announced its final line-up which is probably one of the strongest ever in the Indian house/techno space. What’s exciting however, is not the headliner-driven festivals we see, but rather the overall experience of what DGTL puts together using Music | Technology | Arts | Sustainability & more.
Bengaluru is where India innovates for the world, and now we know why it was chosen for festivals like DGTL to host its first Asia edition.
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We had the chance to speak with Gerke de Groot [Director, DGTL] to learn more about the inception of the festival and why India was chosen as the first country for its debut edition in Asia:
I. Could you please tell me more about the festival?
When and where did it originate and what was the idea behind it? Where else has the festival been held? DGTL is originally a Dutch electronic music festival, the first edition was in 2013. DGTL is characterized by its balanced musical programming. Both international headliners, local talents and interesting live-acts are featured on our events. Our festival has a high production value, with impressive stage designs, various innovative and sustainable solutions and art installations served as part of our visual decoration.
Besides Amsterdam, DGTL is active in São Paulo, Santiago, Barcelona, Madrid and Tel Aviv.
II. What makes DGTL different from other music festivals?
Besides the musical and artistic program, DGTL aims to be the most sustainable festival on the planet. We invest heavily in reducing our foot print. DGTL is a fully vegetarian festival and never uses single use plastics for example. We always use a smart energy plan to reduce our energy usage and impact, and create a resource plan to make sure that almost everything we use at the festival, can be recycled or re-used. We like to show our audience that you can organize a big music event where everybody has a good time, and limit the impact on the environment at the same time.
III. The festival makes its South Asian debut in Bengaluru. Why did the organisers choose Bengaluru as opposed to other cities?
When we choose a new city to go to, it is super important that we find a strong local team, that understands and values our concept and wants to bring it to life in their country. We also need to find a perfect location that fits all our needs, and of course there needs to be a very enthusiastic audience. We are super confident that Bengaluru has all the ingredients to be the perfect new home for DGTL!
IV. Why is it important to have a sustainable impact and how is DGTL planning to lead the conversation in the international festival circuit?
As a festival we like to set an example for everyday life. People come to our festival with an open mind, to see new artists, to meet new people. We think that we can show people that living more sustainable can be very easy and fun. On our festival we think we can inspire people to implement change
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Find out more about DGTL festival here.
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