Japan’s Summer Sonic to launch in Bangkok

Summer Sonic, one of Japan’s biggest international festivals, is expanding to Bangkok this year.

The Creativeman-promoted festival will land in Thailand’s capital between 24 and 25 August, taking place at the Impact Arena in Muang Thong Thani.

“As another challenge in 2024, Summer Sonic will finally expand overseas,” wrote Creativeman CEO Naoki Shimizu on the festival’s website.

“Nowadays, overseas festivals are spreading to various regions and achieving success, and Korean artists are active all over the world, so we are starting Summer Sonic Bangkok as a way for Japan to connect with the world through music. We will aim for a more attractive and powerful lineup by booking great artists in both countries.”

The first wave of acts for Summer Sonic Bangkok will be announced around late January/early February, according to organisers.

The last edition of Summer Sonic that took place outside of Japan was Summer Sonic Shanghai in 2017. It featured a line-up headlined by Luna Sea, followed by The Kooks, Placebo, Nothing But Thieves, Sum 41, Travis, The Fratellis, and more.

“We are starting Summer Sonic Bangkok as a way for Japan to connect with the world through music”

In 2023, Summer Sonic festival took place in Tokyo’s Zozomarine Stadium and Makuhari Messe and Osaka’s Maishima Sonic Park between 19 and 20 August, and was headlined by Blur and Kendrick Lamar.

NewJeans, ENHYPHEN, Sunset Rollercoaster, Evanescence, Two Door Cinema Club, Wet Leg, The Kid LAROI and Maisie Peters were also on the bill.

Summer Sonic celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2019, attracting a record 300,000 people across the two sites. The pandemic ensured the festival did not take place again until 2022, when international acts accounted for just 40% of its offering due to stringent pandemic travel restrictions, and the capacities of the twin sites were reduced.

The Japanese government announced a relaxation of its longstanding ban on cheering at concerts and sporting events at the start of 2023, along with a reclassification of Covid-19’s disease status.

However, Shimizu recently told IQ that the flagship event would continue its focus on Japanese acts amid a rise in domestic festival-goers.

Summer Sonic will return to its longstanding locations in Tokyo and Osaka between 17 and 18 August 2024.

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