After a thumpin’ 18 years, homegrown annual dance music festival ZoukOut will be no more—at least for now.
In an official release sent Aug 28, CEO of Zouk Group Andrew Li stated: “ZoukOut will be taking a break this year as we continue to seek opportunities to bring the festival back to our shores. As the festival climate evolves, we have to also progress alongside it.”
The news comes amid falling attendee numbers last year and rumours of cancellation already going around. In 2018, the festival got downsized into a one-day revelry from a two-day one before. ZoukOut’s phase one lineup is also usually announced by June in time for the year-end blowout, yet no news of the 2019 event ever came.
As the silence continued, new festival Legacy dropped, that’s set to take place at the same date and location ZoukOut is usually held at.
The music festival scene has been difficult. Ultra Singapore 2019 held in June pulled a last-minute venue change to an indoor one, much to the dismay of many fans, and Laneway Singapore that usually happens in January has been postponed indefinitely.
But the Zouk Group isn’t saying goodbye to ZoukOut for good. While there won’t be a 2019 edition, plans for future ones are not off the table. “We want to reassure our supporters however, that ZoukOut remains close to our hearts, and we will strive to keep our legacy going,” added Li.
In the meantime, Zouk Group has been busy expanding in other areas. They opened Zouk Genting in Malaysia earlier this year, and in Singapore by year-end, will be the ones behind American burger chain Five Guys, whose first outlet here will be at Plaza Singapura.
