1. It’s a chance to catch the hot indie acts of the moment
Purity Ring. Photo credit: Renata Rashka
Ever since the annual music festival made its debut in Singapore back in 2011, it has consistently delivered acclaimed, eclectic line-ups, comprising the big left-of-basic acts of the day, from Japandroids in 2013 to Courtney Barnett earlier this year. Well, 2016 is no different, with lots of exciting acts that your less indie-inclined friends will need schooling on. Get excited for Canadian electro-pop outfits Grimes and Purity Ring, dreamy Baltimore duo Beach House, child prodigy producer Flume (ok, he’s 23, but still), among 18 others.
2. It’s not just about the music
Grimes
You might not know this but there’s a lot more to spending a day at Laneway than just back-to-back concerts. In 2015, for example, in between shows, folks got tattoos at the Sailor Jerry’s booth, haircuts, took selfies at the Dr. Martens photo booths, played with a giant Jenga set—and of course, ate delicious food and drank everything from beer to tequila. Laneway has always been big on fashion, lifestyle and retail so expect fun partnerships.
3. There’s a killer Asian contingent
Cashew Chemists
Local representation will continue to be strong at Laneway 2016. Last year, there was .gif and Hanging up the Moon. This year, from Singapore, there’s Southern rock-inspired Cashew Chemists, electro quintet R!ot in Magenta and producer Intriguant. Asian indie fans should also be excited about Hong Kong’s surreal, darklyuplifting girl band GDJYB and Manila indie rock band CHEATS.
4. It’s another excuse for a staycation
GDJYBPair an all-day music festival and a fancy hotel stay, and you can pretend you’re on a proper vacation. Laneway is teaming up with a bunch of hotels around town for festival packages. Most exciting are the two-night stay at Carlton Hotel Singapore and the two-night stay at Big Hotel Singapore, both of which come with breakfast, free Wi-Fi and two festival tickets.
5. #FOMO
R!ot In Magenta
Back for its sixth year, it’s safe to say that Laneway is a major mainstay on the annual music festival calendar. In January, a whopping 13,000 people filled the grounds at The Meadow at Gardens by the Bay, and if you weren’t one of them, time to fix that this year. Need further incentive? Tickets sold out for the first time, and there’s a good chance that might happen again. To avoid feeling left out, don’t wait till January to buy yours.
Laneway 2016 takes place Jan 30, 2016 at The Meadow at Gardens by the Bay. Tickets are $180 and are on sale now through Sistic. For more information, head to to their official website.
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