MAPUSA
The State government on Wednesday said that the Sunburn, the popular electronic dance music (EDM) festival, will not be held in Goa.
“We have not given permission for Sunburn this year. I have sent back the file denying permission to hold the festival,” said Chief Minister Pramod Sawant at a post-Cabinet press briefing in Panaji.
Sources in the government informed that fear of rise in Covid cases in countries abroad must have prompted the government to take the decision to cancel the EDM festival.
The decision, however, took many by surprise as Deputy Chief Minister and Tourism Minister Manohar alias Babu Ajgaonkar had said that the festival would be held as usual in December this year by following all Covid norms.
Sawant, in rejecting the permission for Sunburn, has seemingly overruled the opinion of Ajgaonkar.
Ajgaonkar who holds the tourism portfolio and has been a vocal supporter of the famed EDM, said, he was in favour of the festival being organisied.
Just last month, the organisers of the Sunburn had announced that the festival would be organised in December, with access being granted to only those people who have been fully vaccinated.
“Only attendees who have been fully/doubly vaccinated will be permitted to attend the festival. The festival will also be a limited capacity event and new entry and exit protocols will be put into place to ensure safe passage of attendees in and around the venue,” Precept Live, organisers of the event had stated in a statement.
The organisers had decided to hold the three-day festival from December 28 to 30 at Vagator.
Last year, the festival was conducted digitally without the presence of the people.
