Festivals in Asia to look forward to in 2023

If last year was any indication of Asia's reawakening, then rest assured that 2023 is going tobe a tad wilder.

Festivals in Asia are on the rise with both homegrown and international event brands filling up the calendar, so to make sure you don't miss out, we've prepared a chronological list of our favourite events.

From the notoriously exciting cave rave of Vietnam to the lushing green jungles of Thailand, out to the beautiful waterfronts and even floating on the Malacca Strait between Malaysia and Singapore, the entries below will surely put you in party mode once the flyers catch your eye.

Mark those calendars and get ready to pack those bags; festival season 2023 is here.

This list will be regularly updated as dates, locations and line-ups are announced.

Spreading four Saturdays in February with extra events such as pre-parties and after-parties, get ready to save the dates and spend your upcoming weekends on the shore of Kamala Beach. For the first event, Paco Osuna and Mason Maynard took on headliner duties with Stella Bossi taking charge of the afterparty… and that was just round one.

Grab your tickets here.

Far Out Left is back for its 2023 edition, continuing to contribute to and spread awareness towards the underground music scene via a local and international line-up that focuses on experimenting and portraying new textures of sounds. Last gracing the festival circuit in 2019, Far Out Left is once again ready to present a sensational two-day festival.

Early bird passes have sold out, but Phase I passes are still available here.

Five words for Rustival: techno, soundsystem, boat ride, nature, camping. On an island isolated from civilisation (bye-bye cellphones, public transportation and the luxury of toilets), Rustival invites you to lose yourself in the music without any distractions. Filled with two days of non-stop music from local heroes including Busy Boi, Nanogram, Nick The Book, Zora Chan and more plus sound bath and community chanting sessions, the second edition of the event is bound to provide a "pleasant listening experience in the middle of nowhere".

For more info and to sign up, click here.

This year’s The Alex Blake Charlie Sessions will present its line-up of opening acts from February 21-24, followed by the main festival on February 25. In addition, for the very first time, the event will feature a pop-up book cafe, an art lane and film screenings about women made by women. Their 2023 line-up will surely excite many. Deb Never was just recently added and joins previously announced acts Soccer Mommy, Luna Li, Didi Han and more who will gather in Singapore.

Tickets are categorised into three sets; take your pick or simply pick ‘em all here.

Hong Kong’s biggest outdoor music and arts festival is making a comeback. From March 3 to March 5, Central Harbourfront will be filled with music and enjoyment as a plethora of acts takes over Clockenflap’s stages. We’ve previously reported on their first-phase line-up announcement, but rest assured there’s still more to come.

For Clockenflap 2021 unrefunded ticket holders, your passes are still valid for this year’s festivities. More information here.

Asia’s largest festival on the go and at sea returns after a three-year hiatus. The last trip took place in 2019 and featured What So Not, DJ HYO of Girls’ Generation, Lil Jon. This year, the three-day and two-night cruise comes with a waterslide park, a zip line that overlooks the sea and a line-up that stretches from hip-hop, house, electro and live performances to accompany you on your floating voyage.

Head over to IT'S THE SHIP’s website for more info.

The Homegrown Festival is not your typical music festival but an adventurous playground for various disciplines to gather and introduce the multiple layers of contemporary Indian culture. Its growing line-up is set to bring more names from the next generation of South Asian artists to the surface. With more than 40 acts constituting five stages and four after-parties, the all-embracing two-day event in Mumbai invites you in for immersive experiences in the realms of music, art, fashion, film, technology, gaming, education, culinary, innovation and more.

Phase I tickets to The Homegrown Festival can be bought here.

The sixth edition of Secret Weekend is coming in late March, presenting an array of activities to immerse in; from workshops to watersports and, of course, sonic pleasures at Hola Beach, Vietnam. The team has just released its full line-up, which comprises an assembly of the finest live acts, takeovers, performances and DJs spread across its stages; The Octopus, The Spaceship and “Secret Stage”. Headliners include Singapore’s Dean Chew and Poland’s Radikal Guru.

For full details on the line-up and what’s in store at Secret Weekend6, head here.

Created and promoted by Karma Klique, the third volume of Karma Krachao is coming back for another session this March. Presenting its high-end curation of techno and acid, this year’s line-up includes Kaipod, Powder, Yoshi Nori, Tristan Kino and Yoongying. Of course there’s also the afterparty, where Sweed and Sunju Hargun will accompany you in the heart of Bangkok’s Old Town with their sublime sets.

Secure your tickets for both events here.

Head over to the Himalayas for Grasslands Festival 2023, with both local and international acts spread out across two days and three stages — The Electronic Stage, Club House and Live Stage. The line-up includes top names from a diverse range of electronic music genres; Aayna, Aloka, Krunk Kulture's Rafiki aka Sohail Arora and DJ Nida just to name a few. Another act you shouldn’t miss on day two is French/Spanish artist Manu Chao who pioneered the Latin alternative movement in the 80s.

Get your tickets to Grasslands Festival in Nepal here.

Sawasdee krab to Thailand, summer and Thai Break 2023. Picking up right where it left off in 2019, Thai Break 2023 has announced its 14-day-and-night escape from the mundane to celebrate life, music and breathtaking scenery. Visiting both Bangkok and Koh Mak, get yourself on the cruise to see the amazing beaches and exciting sets from various DJs from Germany and Thailand such as Domenic D’Agnelli, Barbara Preisinger, Jirus, Thaistick and more.

Click here to be a Thaibreaker.

Returning to Hong Kong in 2023 with a brand new venue, the UK’s electronic dance music festival is set to take place on April 1 and 2. At its new Central Harbourfront location, you’re bound to revel in the atmosphere to the fullest as the spacious waterfront echoes out your favourite tunes by top-notch names in electronic music.

Line-up announcements incoming; stay ready for the latest updates here.

The 25-meter high natural limestone cave, Mỏ Luông, comes back alive for the annual gathering of Equation in April. BongBongQuayQuay, Di Linh, Powder, Wata Igarashi and Cora are set to play at the much-awaited festival, which also offers a wide selection of other activities such as sound healing and yoga. With the Savage Hanoi crew taking charge, you know you’re in for an unforgettable experience soundtracked by a fine line-up.

Get your tickets to the infamous cave rave here.

Hosted as a celebration of Thailaind’s traditional New Year, the S2O Festival is one of the most anticipated events of the year. This year, it promises to be bigger and better with headliners Tiësto, Nicky Romero, Vinai, Valentino Khan, Borgeous b2b Makj, Lucas & Steve and more ready to unleash their energetic sets to accompany your friendly water fights.

More on S2O Festival here.

Loud Heat, Positive Vibrations, All Love. If that's your thing, this is the festival for you. Koh Phangan calls you to enjoy two days and three stages of Asia's underground music scene forerunners; Zwi, Chalo, Sunju Hargun, Rom Rom and more. Located at Koh Ma Beach Resort, the event coincides with Songkran (the Thai New Year) and provides a space where attendees can reconnect with one another and the natural surroundings, "uniting lovers and warriors on these shores as one tribe" that celebrates life through music.

See you on the sand floor — more info here.

With Afrojack, Joris Voorn, Kölsch and more set to perform at the second edition of Ultra Taiwan, we suggest you secure your passes ASAP. FYI, the second wave of Early Bird tickets is already 75% sold-out. It’ll be a Sunday to remember at Taipei’s Dajia Riverside Park.

Keep yourself updated on Ultra Taiwan here.

The last time Organik showed up, the island’s unique festival opened a new home for all guests in Taiwan’s tropical forestry. This year marks its tenth edition and a brand new venue — “Secret Island”. 51 hours of non-stop music by the ocean, a stellar line-up that includes Sunju Hargun, Amor Satyr, Diskonnected, Sedef Adasi and more, an additional “Ambient Stage” that allows you to connect to nature; how can you say no?

Stay updated on what’s to come from Organik by following their Instagram.

Rainbow Disco Club (RDC) welcomes its global fanbase back to Japan in 2023. Coming back after three years, the festival presents a boundaryless dancefloor with performances from first-rate DJs and producers such as Jeff Mills, DJ Nobu and Eris Drew, Ben UFO, Yu Su and more, alongside spellbinding visuals and lighting. With a line-up like that, no wonder only Category 3 tickets are left!

Check out the details for RDC here.

Teaming up with Ulaanbaatar-based underground music label, The Majesty Mongolia, INTRO Music Festival will be held for its third time in 2023. All you need to know so far is that it will present 15 international DJs and has already acquired Boiler Room official rights. First held in Beijing in 2009, this year's INTRO Music Festival will take place at Mongol Shiltgeen. Its previous endeavours have traveled to Shanghai, Shiedao, Xiamen and Amsterdam for 13 consecutive years, hosting more than 200 artists and 80,000 electronic music fans.

More details here.

Burning Man a bit too far from reach? Spirit of Gobi should be right up your alley. The contemporary art and electronic music festival held in the majestic Gobi Desert aims to develop sustainable art tourism in the region while presenting an array of work by contemporary artists and musicians. Last year's headliners consisted of Konstantin and Leafar Legov of Berlin's Geigling label alongside Amsterdam's Manoman.

Keep tabs on announcements from Spirit of Gobi's 2023 edition here.

Dubbed Bangkok’s first International Independent Music Festival, Maho Rasop 2023 is confirmed to happen on December 2 and 3 at ESC Park Rangsit. Though no names have been announced, we’re sure it’ll be just as successful as last year’s event that showcased the eclectic sounds of DOTT b2 Elaheh, Chalo, Asa Moto and more among the abundance of bands on its line-up.

For detailed updates, visit Maho Rasop’s website here.

After a successful first event in Bali last year, you can bet Burning Beach will return for another in 2023. The 2022 edition boasted a top-tier line-up of international and local acts, which we were happy to contribute to via our very own Mixmag Asia stage. Decked out with a bunch of activations and collaborations, the festival is sure to be back in Bali this year to cater to its already growing fanbase with a fresh line-up of acts and activities, including a highly-anticipated after-hours agenda.

Bookmark Burning Beach's official website here to stay updated on more announcements.

A must-have on one’s list. Wonderfruit not only showcases Thailand’s celebration of the arts, music, food and wellness, it also incorporates live musical acts and a staggering selection of DJ/producers that allow you to transcend musical boundaries as you make your way through four magical days in The Fields. No date or line-up announcement yet, but that’s never been an issue before.

Keep tabs on Wonderfruit 2023 here and check out highlights from Wonderfruit 2022 in case you missed out.

As more and more noteworthy festivals in Asia announce their dates for 2023, we’ll be adding them to our list, so make sure to bookmark this page.

Katherine Doãn is an intern at Mixmag Asia. Follow her on LinkedIn.