All set for Sri Lanka’s biggest beach festival to set Hikkaduwa ablaze
International DJ acts from ‘Space IBIZA’, ‘Paradise IBIZA’ and ‘House Orchestra Paris’ on tour for first time in Asia
16th July 2009. Colombo, Sri Lanka. The much awaited ‘Hikkaduwa Beach Fest 09’, is set to take place from the 30th of July to the 2nd August. Held in the southern coastal strip of the country, last year’s Hikkaduwa Beach Fest attracted more than 10,000 people. Organized by the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau, the Hikkaduwa Beach Fest is Sri Lanka’s biggest beach festival, with top international artistes and DJs flown into Sri Lanka especially for the four day mega event.
“The main aim of the Hikkaduwa Beach Festival is to project the southern coastal strip as the entertainment strip of South Asia,” said Mr. Dileep Mudadeniya, Managing Director of Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau. “The event has greatly helped to enhance economic development of the region, and we have been able to build strong and productive partnerships with regional stakeholders and local communities.” He further added that “There is a lot of expectations for this year’s event as it has garnered much attention and interest following the tremendous success of last year’s event.”
The Beach Sports Festival, held in association with ‘Tharunyata Hetak’, will be a key highlight in this year’s festival, with volleyball, netball, football and rugby all set to be featured. The sports festival will be held from 30th July to 2nd August at the Coral Sands’ beach. The winning team of the rugby contest will receive Rs. 100,000/= cash prize, while the winning teams of volleyball and netball will receive Rs. 50,000/= each. An area will be demarcated on the beach for sports that will allow the visitors to relax and have fun with their friends with various activities to choose from. Teams can be registered for beach sports activities by downloading the application form available at http:// www. hikkafest.com/Beach sports Application_Form.doc
The Drum Festival will be an international standard event with some of the best local talents such as Elephant Foot, Ravibandu Vidyapathi, Vibrations and Triloka/Nardro and international performers from India, Cuba, Algeria and Brazil set to perform. International flutist R. Bikramjit Singh, a descendent of an illustrious royal family of India, will be performing this year. Other international artists include Moon Basis from Algeria and Amed Tato Merenco from Cuba. This year’s drum festival is expected to be one of the main attractions of the Hikkaduwa Beach Fest, drawing from the popularity of last year. The theme for the Drum Festival this year will be ‘Drum and Dance’. Some of the best dance troupes in the country will be performing to the sounds of fusion drums, the drum festival will be the lead up for the Beach Rave.
The Beach Rave will be held on 31st July with international DJs such as DJ Dean Jon, DJ Lee Freeland, DJ Rebekah, DJ Edele Andaya, DJ Lucy Arrowsmith and DJ Acee set to perform. These internationally renowned DJs specialize in beach parties, putting in terrific performances last year.
DJ Dean Jon, who is one of the main DJs for this year’s fest, is a popular figure in the UK club scene having played at many venues in the UK such as Pacha (UK & Ibiza), The Island, Matter, O2 Arena, Supperclub (Singapore), Studio Valbonne, Riva, Blue Eyes (Bali) & Eden (Ibiza) to name a few. Specializing in Progressive, Deep, Tech, Tribal, Soulful Vocal, Uplifting and Soul and Disco music genres, he was Involved with south east UK's biggest festival in summer 2008 hosting the dance arena.
Themed entertainment nights will be another highlight of the Hikkaduwa Beach Festival, with Space, Paradise, House Orchestra and RnB/Hip Hop/Retro being the main theme nights. This is the first time that Space IBIZA, Paradise IBIZA and House Orchestra Paris will be on tour in Asia. Space IBIZA was awarded Best Global Club at the International Dance Music Awards in 2005 and again in 2006.
Last year’s Hikkaduwa Beach Fest generated an estimated income of Rs. 120 million and created 2,000 jobs in the area during that period. This year’s festival is expected to match the success of last year with about 10,000 people expected throughout the four days. The event attracts a diverse demographic ranging from children to adults. The beach festival includes various activities, which cater from beach raves, drum festival, theme parties and day time carnivals for families, with special activities for kids.
Dialog Telekom is the event partner for this year’s Hikkaduwa Beach Fest, with Yes FM/Channel 1 MTV being the media partners and SriLankan Airlines the official airline. Hikkaduwa Beach Fest 09 is held in collaboration with Ruhunu Tourist Bureau, Hikkaduwa Hoteliers Association, Hikkaduwa Urban Council and Sri Lanka Convention Bureau.
For more information on the “Hikkaduwa Beach Fest 09” please visit http://www.hikkafest.com/
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For more information please contact
Lakshani Fernando 0777 337 251
Events
| Event | Venue | Date |
| Drum Festival | Imperial Hotel Stretch | 30th July |
| Rave | Imperial Hotel Stretch | 31st July |
| Themed parties · Space· Paradise· House orchestra· RnB, Hip Hop, Retro | Narigama Stretch | 1st to 2nd August |
| Beach Carnival | Coral Sands | 30th July to 2nd August |
| Beach Sports | Coral Sands | 30th July to 2nd August |