Thailand’s Wonderfruit is not like any other festival, with its focus on sustainability as well as fun
It’s a green dream that offers much more than other events – yoga and wellness events, adventures, gourmet food and (of course) music, including this year Rudimental, DJ Norman Jay and Simian Mobile Disco
Then there’s probably a few artworks (one or two of which you can usually jump on), bars with long queues, and toilets with even longer queues. As new festivals continue to spring up like optimistic mushrooms around the world, particularly in Asia, there’s an ever increasing danger of them becoming largely indistinguishable.
But this isn’t a risk that Wonderfruit takes. The eco-conscious cultural extravaganza, which takes place from February 16 to 19 at The Fields at Siam Country Club near Pattaya in Thailand, distinguishes itself with its sheer range of things to see and do, from music, art and architecture to wellness workshops and adventure activities.
The festival has an emphasis on sustainability, featuring zero plastic, a dizzying array of eco-themed talks and workshops, use of local sustainable materials, and active support of conservation projects elsewhere. The site even has its own lake and farm to provide filtered water and ingredients for its food outlets. The forthcoming event is only Wonderfruit’s third outing, but already it has established itself as the most conceptually driven, atmosphere-led, diverse and just generally interesting of Asia’s multiday cultural events.
“There are a lot of things that give us a distinctive feel,” says Jason Swamy, the event’s Hong Kong-based curator. “It has authenticity, it’s community driven, it has a purpose and it’s home-grown. A lot of festivals in Asia are the same, with the same cultural imperialism, bringing in all the usual bands. There’s a tremendous lack of creativity.”