PANAJI
In complete defiance of Chief Minister Pramod Sawant's assurance that Sunburn would not be permitted on December 31, the event organizers are going ahead with its original scheduled festival dates.
Despite continuous opposition from coastal residents and its MLAs, subsequent governments have granted approvals for this Electronic Dance Musical show over the years.
This year, the Sunburn organizers have gone a step further by extending it until New Year's Eve, which the residents fear will add to their woes as deafening music played from dusk to dawn has always been problematic.
Starting at Rs 3,000 the ‘early bird tickets’ are currently being sold at Rs 8,000 and even higher for December 31 while the Sunburn 2023’s official website and platforms such as BookMyShow are still displaying a four-day event from December 28-31 at Vagator.
Siolim MLA Delilah Lobo had already raised concerns over the upcoming event stating that it could hinder the religious celebrations of the Christians who will step out for midnight Mass.
Sawant thereafter claimed Sunburn would not be held on December 31 “if locals don’t want it.”
The Goan spoke to a concerned member of the organizing team, who claimed there's no official communication over the revised dates. “We have not received any government communication not to hold the event on December 31,” he said, asking all those opposing the festival to check “whether the government has granted or denied permission” for hosting the event on December 28-31.
There’s however a twist to the tale as Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte has clearly said that the government has till date not granted any permission to Sunburn.
“The permission for Sunburn is still not given. As and when the government grants permission, if at all, then one thing is very clear Sunburn won’t be held on December 31. We are keeping in mind various local businesses such as hotels, restaurants, other events/festivals, etc don’t get disrupted,” the minister said speaking to The Goan.
Another official, who has been mediating between the government and the organizers, lamented that the festival is entangled in controversy over various reasons every year be it sound pollution, old dues, venue, permission, etc. “Government laws will have to be followed, and it will be done so,” he said.
The annual event that brings in a huge number of international artists also attracts lakhs of footfalls from across India and the world, however, not without any controversy.
