Zoukout takes over Sentosa's Siloso Beach for dusk to dawn dance party
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Zoukout, Asia's largest beach dance music festival, is back for another round of epic dusk-to-dawn revelry.
The annual beach party, started in 2000, is now in its 16th year, and this year's edition - a two-night affair - started at 8pm on Friday (Dec 9) at Sentosa's Siloso Beach.
About 15,000 partygoers attended ZoukOut on Friday night (Dec 9), and 40,000 are expected to attend altogether over both nights (Dec 9 and 10). Last year's edition drew more than 45,000 people.
Revellers in slippers, singlets and shorts partied on the sand, with the more adventurous going bare-chested. Many donned flashing glasses, headbands, and glow-in-the-dark wristbands.
By 1.40am, some revellers were seen sitting on their friend's shoulders to get a better view of the stage.
Some party go-ers brought giant beach balls, and one even brought along a large inflatable kangaroo.
At 1.45am, a drone was seen flying high above the crowd, capturing photos of the revelry from the air.
The high point of the night came when Dutch DJ Hardwell, currently ranked #3 on DJ Mag Top 100, took to the stage at 2.30am on Saturday (Dec 10).
Fireworks went off from the stage, announcing his entrance, and many revellers whipped out their smartphones to capture the moment. And when the beats came on, the crowd grooved along enthusiastically.
Like previous editions, this year's line-up is a mix of top electronic dance music (EDM) acts, underground house and techno artistes, with headliners such as international top DJs Martin Garrix and Hardwell, currently ranked #1 and #3 respectively on DJ Mag's Top 100 DJs list.
There are also home-grown acts such as Aldrin and Intriguant.
Said Ms Chan Yiling, a student: "This is my first time at ZoukOut as I just turned 19 in June. I'm really looking forward to Hardwell's set later tonight because I love electronic dance music. I plan to stay at least until his set ends."
Mr Takuya Nagano, 24, a Japanese tourist, said: "I'm in Singapore for four days, and this is my second time at ZoukOut. I'm here with some friends also from Japan. I absolutely love the party atmosphere here and it is among the best in Asia."
This year's festival is especially special as it is the last one before the club moves to its new home at Clarke Quay next Saturday.
Earlier this year, ZoukOut expanded beyond Singapore with a two-day beach event in Boracay, Philippines.
It also co-hosted a stage for EDM at renowned Japanese music festival Summer Sonic in Tokyo in August.
The party continues on Saturday.
Mr Chia Yong Jian, 21, full-time national serviceman, said: "I go to Zouk almost every week, and this is my third time at ZoukOut. To be honest, this year's event is not as festive as previous years. One reason may be because we all know the club is moving to Clarke Quay.
"I don't know what will happen, but it is likely that it will become just another club there. But I hope Zouk retains its original spirit."
Said Ms Christina Wijaya, 26, an Indonesian tourist from Medan: "This is my first time at ZoukOut. My friends and I were just searching online for a nice place to go on holiday, and found out that ZoukOut is one of the coolest events in Asia. I'm having a great time so far."
