TIMEOUT 72 is going to be unlike any music festival we’ve experienced in India yet!

TIMEOUT 72, a brand new multi-genre music festival, headlined by Wiz Khalifa, Jason Derulo, Martin Garrix, and featuring an equally star-studded lineup, is all set to unleash its debut edition in Vagator, Goa this December from 27-29th. Goa, known for its culturally rich heritage and wild party and music life, has been on a hiatus in recent years due to Government norms. With TIMEOUT 72, the party seems to be resurrecting in Goa, and before the festival unrolls this December, we get insights into the festival from the dedicated team of hustlers that make the festival happen.

Festival Experience

In the words of Argha Chatterjee:

Q- This is the first major festival taking place in Goa after a brief hiatus. What was the reason behind choosing Goa as the venue for the first edition of the festival?

A- “Well Goa was our preferred destination and it’s unfortunate that other festivals had to find a new home. Goa was, is and will always continue to be India’s foremost music destination, irrespective of whether a festival occurs in the state or not. There is a lot of creativity going into the surroundings beyond just the stage and the artist. That adds to the experience; to really have thought and vibe and amenities taken into consideration just enhances the experience and will make fans want to go consume more live music, which is good for all of us. Goa makes for the perfect venue.”

Q- How different is your festival from others?

A- “Fans might have four different options to see their favorite band in the festival setting. The festivals that are focusing on the fans’ experience, and why they should come to see their favorite band at their festival, are the ones that will survive. We’re looking at a generation now that really values experiences over material items. It’s a benefit to music fans.“

Q- What can fans expect at the festival?

A- “Each festival is different. When we were trying to develop TIMEOUT 72 we were thinking ‘what could be different about us!? We are trying to offer something that is genuinely engaging and entertaining for all ages. We have art installations, international emcees, flea markets, solar powered stalls, adventure zones, grafitti panels painted through the festival, chill-zones with world cuisine. The festival will cater to an assortment of sounds such as pop, rock, indie, live and dance and will feature 3 stages apart from multiple after parties making it an all-encompassing family friendly festival.”

TIMEOUT 72 is dubbed to be the next Coachella in India. Argha explains that with TIMEOUT 72, the team’s vision is to cater to something entirely different and enhance the fans’ and artists’ experience to the cellular level. From setting up a wonderful culinary experience to catering to the artists’ needs by amping their experience both backstage and during performances, TIMEOUT 72 aims at creating an experience unlike any other.

Artist Management

In the words of Aayush Bansal:

Having worked with artists such as Justin Bieber, Pitbull, Sean Kingston, Hardwell,  and Flo Rida, among others, Aayush lists out what it was like signing the greats for TIMEOUT 72.

Q- What was the concept behind the current artist curation?

A- “We wanted to create a new category and not compete with the other festivals currently happening in India. Also, we wanted a commercially-viable line up encompassing all genres.“

Q- What were some of the challenges faced whilst getting them contracted?

A- “It was extremely difficult in the beginning as we’re a new festival in the scene and bigger agencies are usually skeptical of a new property. Our booking process started around June and a lot of acts waited for other bigger artists to be confirmed before blocking their dates with us. However, it turned out well as some of the big agencies put their trust in us and we managed to close a stellar lineup, well in time.”

Q- What are the special arrangements being made for the artists to ensure they have a memorable time in India?

A- “We want to make sure that we get the basics sorted as we have 70+ acts which we have to handle, from their visas, to airport – hotel transfers, to backstage operations, to technical riders. We are going to ensure that everything for each artist is customized to a great extent keeping in mind their personal preferences.”

Publicity & Media

In the words of Jashoda Madhavji:

Q- What was the PR strategy employed?

A- “Festivals are more than just standalone events. It’s not just “all about the music” these days; they represent a lifestyle commodity that consumers buy in to and want to be a part of. Promoters hold incredible insights into consumer buying patterns, behaviour and key touch points, so we did tap into this knowledge before commenting the campaign. Knowing each of your artists is key to the campaign. To stand out from the rest, it’s important to dive deeper into every artists’ miscellaneous profile instead of just contacting the music editors with just the music discography.”

Production

In the words of Rodney Barnes:

TIMEOUT 72 promises a production setup and design scheme unlike any other in India. Right from the sound and light, to stage setup and everything in between. While setting the venue in time for the festival will take 20 days, prepping the gear and other setup had started 3 months in advance.

Q- Who is providing sound and light for the festival?

A- “Reynolds [ AUDIO ] Felix Remedious, a legendary name in this business, who has been there forever, based out of Bangalore with his fantastic crew. Stage Gear [ LIGHTING ] Shailesh Gopalan, another very reliable person, based out of Mumbai, with tons of experience and a great crew again. Becket Tundatil , our Lighting Designer who has been involved with the best that has happened in the country. Please make special note of the German involvement- world’s biggest manufacturer of scaffolding systems, Layher will be providing their services for Main Stage while the sound will be provided by d&b audiotechnik SL Series.“

Additionally, renowned festival brand, Don’t Let Daddy Know (DLDK) will also be rendering their services to the festival.

Design

In the words of Khantil Mehta:

Q- The theme around this festival edition is a really interesting one with all the right elements to go with it. Tell us the idea behind its conceptualization.

A- “Each stage took more than a whopping 3 months to design and will involve a workforce of close to 100 labourers to implement on-ground for show day. Time and space theory to be precise. We wanted the different facets of the festival to resonate with the name of the festival. Our stage names are always inspired by the space theory. The Main Stage will be called “Majoris” which means the mightiest and the biggest in the space theory. The Psy Stage will be called “Eximius” referring to the finest and the rarest in the space theory. The Live Stage will be termed “Proximus” signifying propinquity in the space theory.“

Q- How will the venue be designed and reflect the festival’s core sensibilities?

A- “We have the Food Zone that will be called Time Tasters which will be a haven where ‘Time Travellers’ can satisfy their taste buds while the Adventure Zone which will be called Time Trekkers will allow you to explore your inner ‘Time Trekkers’. The Chill Out Zone which will be called Time Trippers will be a place to hang out with your buddies and soak up in the sun.”

Every aspect at TIMEOUT 72 will have the inclusion of tribal ethnic prints. Some of the exciting art installations that fans can look forward to at the festival are hour-glass selfie booths, clock tree house, dream catcher pendulum swings , caterpillar buggy rides, roman numerical cosmic balls, and time machine walkthroughs.

Speaking about the festival experience that music festivals deliver in India, Khantil elaborates that India is among the pioneering destinations in terms of festivals. TIMEOUT 72 aims to up the ante with their debut edition.

Project Management

In the words of Parampreet Singh Dhanoa:

At TIMEOUT 72, utmost importance has been placed on ensuring a safe and convenient experience for everyone. By adding creating extra bars for faster dispensing of beverages, more chill-out spaces/seating spaces, extra toilets, ample parking space close to the venue, etc, TIMEOUT 72 aims to deliver the best experience.

Q- What are the security and safety measures undertaken at the festival?

A- “As it’s the first year of TIMEOUT 72, we are raising the bar in terms of Health and security measures. We have deployed multiple agencies for crowd management, venue management, emergency evacuation, fire safety and electrical safety. Also, we are working  very closely with government authorities to make sure that all measures with regards to health and safety are taken care of.”

Q- What are some of the firsts expected at the festival which haven’t been made available in other festivals so far?

A- “We are trying to make the entire festival CASH FREE zone which will be the first time any festival has done in Goa. This will drastically reduce the waiting time for fans in the queues and they will have more time to enjoy the experiences. We have India’s first biggest festival stage, measuring at 200 x 55 feet and will be a 3D stage. Expect a heavy dose of an audio-visual spectacle after every headliner set with an eclectic foray of special effects comprising C02 blasts, pyro, confetti, blinder lights, SFX and laser.“

Apart from the spectacular lineup, TIMEOUT 72 offers a whole lot more in its experience such as, world class larger than life stage design and technology, innovative performing artistes, creatures coming out of fairy tales, great food, amazing outdoor activities, etc.

Marketing

In the words of Rahul Merchant:

With TIMEOUT 72 launching as a brand new festival, the aim was to spread maximum awareness and target the right audiences. Enforcing an all-round strategy with the inclusion of retail tie-ups, bloggers initiatives, partnerships with Facebook, 600 outlet activations, college outreach program, etc, the marketing strategy has been in force 6 months in advance. To relive the TIMEOUT 72 journey, an aftermovie documentaton will also be made post the festival.

Follow TIMEOUT 72 on Facebook here, the event page here, and the website here, for more information.

Book your TIMEOUT 72 tickets on BookMyShow, Paytm, and Insider.

Stay tuned to the Sherp for more updates.