Sunda Festival 2025—How Two Friends Are Remixing SG’s Soundscape
Sunda Festival 2025
WHEN and WHERE:
Opening Night:
Thursday, April 17, 10.30 PM to 3 AM
MDLR, 62 Cecil St, #02-00
Main Festival Days:
Friday, April 18, 1 to 4 PM
Saturday, April 19, 10 AM to 4 AM
Sarimbun Scout Camp, 70 Jalan Bahtera
What is the Sunda Festival all about?
– Media from sunda.festival
I attended the first Sunda Festival, and what struck me most was how it wasn’t just about music but about building something bigger. I could feel the effort to connect scenes across Southeast Asia, like a meeting point for artists, dancers, and music lovers who usually don’t share the same stage.
Another thing that surprised me was how family-friendly it was—something you don’t usually associate with music festivals in this region. The event made it a point to welcome families, so I saw kids running around during the day without killing the vibe.
TL;DR: The Sunda Festival aims to be a vibrant regional hub for music, creativity, and community!
Addressing the Festival Challenges
– Media from sunda.festival
For 2025, the duo behind it—Jake Camacho of Ice Cream Sundays and Daniel O’Connor of Kampong Boogie—have fine-tuned the setup. They wanted no more scrambling on a Sunday, so they moved the dates to Friday and Saturday, instead!
I even attended the urban kickoff party on Thursday, April 17, to set the tone before heading into the wild.
At the first edition, there were about 70 kids, but at the Road to Sunda events, they had over a hundred. It made it feel like a more grounded, human version of what festivals ought to be in the Southeast Asian region.
Behind the scenes, though, challenges like attendees baulking at the 45-minute ride to the site (thanks, convenience culture!) and a maze of permits and red tape tested the organisers’ mettle.
There was also an initial 10.30 PM curfew (yikes!), but watertight safety plans that include ambulances, shuttle buses, and security appeased the authorities enough to allow them to hold the festival until the wee hours.
A Scintillating Line-Up of Acts and Activities
– Media from sunda.festival
As for the festival itself, the line-up was pretty staggering. It started strong with names like Antal, Soichi Terada, and Yu Su. Then Daniel and Jake dropped a second wave with Danilo Plessow (MCDE), Mr. Ho, La Mamie’s, and more (it just kept getting better!).
It was one of the best music festival lineups I’ve seen in SG. You could tell how much curating went into it.
Besides the music, there was plenty to keep us entertained throughout the day. I wandered into a vinyl market, caught an ambient set in the forest, and even tried a guided movement barefoot on the grass.
Food and drinks at the festival were solid, too. There were local bites, vegan options, proper coffee, and even natural wine for those of us who’ve aged out of beer pong. No one went hungry or thirsty (for all senses)!
Hope to see all of you at Sunda Festival next year!