Cold weather, and snow may have hit Washington D.C. last week, but we did not notice. Techno and Pizza got a chance to make it out to SXM Festival for the second year in a row. Last year marked the first year of the event, a destination festival for techno and house music lovers, set in the beautiful Caribbean. Turquoise waters, soft tan sand, and sunny weather were the perfect platform for this picturesque festival in Saint Martin.
Was it a dream or a fantasy? Between watching the sunsets at Happy Bay, sunrise parties at Layla’s, dancing the night away at Refuge and Sky Beach, there is no other festival that can compare in terms of what SXM Festival has to offer. It is the best of all worlds, wrapped in bliss with an endless supply of coconut water, rum and the FINEST in techno and house music from around the world. If you had VIP access, there was a never-ending supply of freshly squeezed juices, plush couches with Moroccan style pillows and plenty of seating to relax, listen to the beats, and crowd-watch.
Since it was founded just a year ago by Julian Prince, SXM Festival has definitely evolved. The second edition of the mystifying event was an experience unlike anything else. SXM Festival was five days long and had two to six events going on for each day of it. It was systematized to have a day party everyday from 12pm to 12am at Happy Bay, while concurrently having two to three evening events from 5pm to 5am at Sky Beach, Refuge, and Tantra. Sunrise parties were also on the schedule at Layla’s Beach Bar and Happy Bay from 6am to 1pm as well as a sick VIP mansion party on Saturday.
The day parties were at Happy Bay, which was located on the French side in Orient Bay. The main stage was designed with an amazing aesthetic, iguana art installations, a crystal ball one could not stop staring at, and had an overwhelming beautiful production design. Around the corner was an open-air vendor mall featuring clothing, lightweight beach gear, kaftans, cover-ups and various accessories. We had an opportunity to meet Ali Sardar from Marvaan and we absolutely fell in love with his warm personality and the lightweight, sustainable, bamboo clothing, and ethically sourced jewelry in his shop. Right past the vendor shops was the second stage located right on the sandy beach with the sounds of the waves hitting. This is the same location we went to see Lee Burridge, and Bedouin on the last day for the scenic sunrise party.
Best music sets of the festival came from diverse artists that bring an assortment of musical talent to the table. Nu and Bedouin side by side on the boat party was epic, purely magical, even with very light rain showers, and a remarkable rainbow on the ocean. Vibes of paradise under yellow floral garlands and dancing to the melodic beats was ecstasy. Refuge would not have been the same without Nina Kraviz, Blond:ish, and The Doctors Music, wow! For us, the key highlight of our musical eargasm was seeing Nu twice. Getting a chance to see him at Happy Bay, and the boat party was rare and exclusive, and we cannot stop thinking about how incredible it was. Other sets we enjoyed were Francesca Lombardo b2b with Audiofly at Layla’s, Nico Stojan and Black Coffee at Happy Bay. Black Coffee impressed us on another level that just can’t be explained in writing.
Throughout the five days, shuttles were going back and forth between official venue sites throughout the island. Transportation was definitely an area that greatly improved since the first year. The VIP Villa party on Saturday was the cherry on top of the festival. Thugfucker, Blond:ish, and Behrouz played at a gorgeous mansion with an insane backdrop of lush green gardens and the sapphire ocean and the entire scenery was absolutely stunning. Being surrounded by gorgeous luscious gardens, the ocean, and sunset, it all seemed like a dream. Overall, at SXM Festival, there was a sense of uninhibited freedom, of independence and a thirst for excellent music and living life that simply cannot be communicated with words or in writing.
We will see you in Saint Martin next year. Until then, if you didn’t make it this year and are looking to see all your favorite artists in one place, get excited next year, because it will be even better then.
Techno & Pizza 