Exploring insights from the masterminds behind Malta's Sunny Side Festival
The debut edition of SUNNY SIDE Festival is all set to take over the picturesque island of Malta, from May 17th to May 19th, 2024. This extraordinary musical event will showcase the top-tier artists of contemporary electronic music, while immersing the attendees in the stunning natural beauty of the island.Besides the impressive lineup, the SUNNY SIDE FESTIVAL will welcome some of the most prominent promoters, labels and communities as stage partners at the festival. The program will unfold across three stages, Treehaus and Tropicana at Malta's premier open-air venue, Uno Malta, at the lively Tortuga beach as well as at the afternoon boat party. We had a chat with the founders of the festival UJ/DV duo to find out more about it.
How did your individual musical backgrounds shape the unique blend of sounds that Sunny Side Festival offers?
I (Danny) am a House music purist, whilst Luke hails from the Techno scene. Together we found a middle ground between these two pillars of music, which gave us the flexibility to sway and experiment between different styles and subgenres. This translates through the mix of stage partners and artists that the festival is offering to our community.
With such a diverse range of musical styles showcased at Sunny Side Festival, how do you approach curating the lineup to ensure a cohesive yet eclectic experience for attendees?
We invited promoters, labels and institutions which are aligned with our festival’s vision and spectrum of music. Although they are ranging from minimal to house to techno, they all blend very well, which will bring a nice flow between stages. We are happy to provide a space where their artists and our mutual ideas can come together.
As veteran DJs and producers with over 15 years of experience, how do you continue to evolve and stay ahead in the ever-changing landscape of electronic music?
We have been going at it for many years now, exploring different clubbing formats in our local scene but for the love of our passion and culture we had to evolve further. We wanted to open Malta’s doors to the international community. We have so many good things going on on this little island, which should be showcased to all underground music lovers worldwide. Apart from the stunning scenes and great lifestyle, Malta has a lot of potential musically, from state of the art clubs to great local Maltese artists who have been dedicated to their craft for so many years. All of this led up to the Festival, which is the best possible way to exhibit Maltese traits and talents. We are proud of what we collectively achieved in our community and we cannot wait to share it with you all.
You are well known locally for the morning parties you organize. Which concepts and values do you implement in the Sunny Side Festival?
The festival and the Sunday morning parties are two different concepts, with the only common factor being in the name “ Sunny Side”. “Sunny Side Up” is a Sunday morning breakfast party which has been running since 2018, where party revelers would show up fresh, have a healthy breakfast and dance the day away with yours truly and other great international artists and promotions that we periodically invite down to play for us. This gave us our local base with some connections internationally, creating a solid foundation for the festival. The festival is a whole different entity, consisting of night, day, club, beach and boat parties. The music curation of the festival is greatly influenced by the Sunday morning parties but goes beyond what gets played at these events. We wanted to create a playground where different communities within our local and international scene could come together on this beautiful island and have fun. There is good music in every genre of music, we welcome it all within the boundaries of good quality dance music.
What do you think will contribute to the success and longevity of Sunny Side Festival in Malta's vibrant music scene?
Our passion, commitment, a good ear to what is new and true to our musical roots and technological innovation are all factors that contribute to the success and longevity of the Sunny Side festival. We are aiming to provide a great experience to all the attendees, during their stay at the Festival. We are deeply committed to bring the best vibes and great entertainment to our party goers, to keep them comfortable, safe and to make sure they have loads of fun. We are also hoping they will be passing on the love we have for our music to their communities.
Looking ahead, what can attendees expect from future editions of Sunny Side Festival? Are there any new concepts or surprises in store?
We will keep on working to elevate further the festival experience of our guests. We plan even more beautiful settings and venues, bigger and more diverse lineups with strong collaborators. As for new concepts or surprises, you just have to keep watching our socials, to be updated on what’s cooking in the Sunny Side kitchen ;)
More information available on the following links:
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