Goa, Dec 27 (TOI): The ninth edition of Sunburn Goa - one of the world's premier electronic dance music (EDM) festivals - will kick off in Vagator on Sunday. This year will mark the first time the Goa government, through the Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC), officially associates itself with the festival. In another first, Sunburn Goa 2015 will be held for four days instead of the earlier three, with the EDM's organizers expressing happiness over the 'strategic partnership' with the GTDC.

"Sunburn's organizers managed to sell tickets in 50 countries across the world. As the event draws tourists from all over the world, it should also benefit the host destination. The government's association with Sunburn publicizes Goa as a tourist destination for free," GTDC's managing director Nikhil Desai, said on Saturday.
The EDM will now officially sport the official 'Goa Tourism' logo on all its advertisements besides promoting Goa across India and the world through various other events.

"When one considers the cost factor, reaching out to 50 countries for publicity is expensive. We can, therefore, tap into Sunburn for free publicity for Goa as it does a lot of off-stage events outside the country," Desai added, reiterating that the association is a win-win situation for the state.

In a bid to make the festival safer this year, managing director of Percept Limited Harindra Singh, said data of every individual attending Sunburn will be collected through electronic coding.

Sunburn Goa 2015 will deliver over 248 hours of non-stop music with more than 120 artistes performing across seven stages. Erected at a height of over 200 feet, the main stage, titled 'Empire of the sun', promises to offer the biggest-ever stage experience anywhere in world. The EDM will feature world-renowned DJs Dmitri Vegas and Like Mike, Kygo, David Guetta, Martin Garrix, Aly and Fila, and Bassjackers.