Wonderfruit Festival Reimagined For 2019 As A Sustainable Pop-Up City
Revolutionising the festival landscape with a celebration of art, music, food and ideas that positions it as one of the world’s most unique musical experiences, Thailand’s sustainable utopia Wonderfruit returns for its sixth edition on 12th-16th December 2019 at The Fields At Siam Country Club, Pattaya.
Nestled within lush greenery as far as the eye can see and situated just 2 hours from Bangkok, Wonderfruit champions a trailblazing ethos of inspiring lasting sustainable change through its yearly gathering in eastern Thailand, a famous meeting point for like-minded travellers in search of a rare and beautiful festival experience. With creative forces from across the globe and locally, plus welcoming diverse regional and international talent, many influences combine to create Wonderfruit’s living and breathing pop up city. The vibrant culmination is built on 6 key pillars at its core: Art & Architecture, Music, Family, Farm To Feasts, Talks & Workshops and Wellness, all of which are heavily steered by Wonderfruit’s aim to create meaningful environmental impact on an ever-growing scale.
With breathtaking experiences as wide-ranging as the world’s first 360-degree sound structure within the stunning Polygon or Solar Stage’s shaded cover to witness sunrise and sunset, Wonderfruit is a hedonistic playground for all its global citizens, with hidden thrills, visual delights and a challenging, 24- hour musical programme on offer throughout. Further deconstructing the Wonderfruit experience into a cluster of villages connected by social spaces, a main stage is replaced in favour of the bustling Living Village that boasts music, dining options and workshops in a new interactive area assembled from recycled plastic materials and designed to offer new ways to touch, taste, hear, see and feel the world around us. Cited as the location for “bold statements and unashamed self-expression”, the impressive all- bamboo structure of Forbidden Fruit welcomes all, while The Quarry plunges dancers into a jungle where beats meet nature. Explore The Fields to find the Molam Bus, a party of authentic Molam performances to celebrate the Isaan way that influences so much of Thai culture, or head to 24-hour hub Neramit for cocktails, brunch or dinner. Scratch Talks’ takeover of the Eco Pavilion will challenge and change how we view the world by assembling some of our greatest speakers and Wonderness offers city dwellers the opportunity to take part in wellness and workshops, with world- class cuisine served up along communal dining tables in the Theatre of Feasts.
Providing the soundtrack across Wonderfruit’s multitude of experiences are a groundbreaking clutch of artists from near and far that explore the broadest corners of genre. Four Tet reigns as one of modern dance music’s most influential figures and he’ll be demonstrating why with an eagerly-anticipated set on the Solar Stage, built by Burning Man artist Gregg Fleishman, while Rush Hour boss Antal promises house, disco and undiscovered gems for dancers everywhere. Beatboxing legend Beardyman unleashes his trademark blistering style and flow, Raphäel Top-Secret and John Gómez push the boundaries of club music and Sarathy Korwar showcases the frantic sounds of his unique spiritual jazz, with Tiny Giant, KMLN, Alfa Mist, The Sorry Entertainer and more also added to the bill. They join the previously announced Craig Richards, Willow, Powder, Floating Points (DJ Set), Daddy G (Massive Attack), Sonja Moonear, Nick The Record, Colleen ‘Cosmo’ Murphy, takeovers by Ed Banger and Erased Tapes and more across a dazzling lineup.
An essential component of Wonderfruit life, a stunning array of installations, performances, talks and wellbeing are on offer across the duration of the festival. ALT alternate by ZIEGHT explores the consumerist’s obsession with single-use products, inviting participants to take away or add to the installation to reveal fresh elements, whereas Bangkok-based conceptual artist Ruangsak Anuwatwimon examines our relationship with water through natural sciences, resulting in the powerful Island. There’s a very special performance of impressive puppets Pearl & Celeste by Nice Monster, while thought-provoking talks range from weed legalisation by Rattapon Sanrak, the circular fashion revolution with Lauren Boucher and the blind adventurer, Divyanshu Ganatra. A broad selection of wellbeing activities, including yoga, gong baths and transcendental dance, gives festival-goers the opportunity to sooth the mind and slow down the pace if the city becomes a little too hectic.
When you immerse yourself in Wonderfruit’s vivid world, you’re part of an innovative movement to inspire lasting change through human connection and worldwide celebration. It’s a rare opportunity to make enduring environmental impact alongside like-minded individuals, while witnessing the best of arts, music and culture with a conscience.
Wonderfruit takes place from 12 to 16 December in The Fields at Siam Country Club, Pattaya. Visit Wonderfruit’s website for more information on securing your tickets and accommodation. Phase 3 full pass tickets are 8,100 THB and available here: www.wonderfruit.co/tickets