EDM Powerhouse Sunburn expands internationally, takes its flagship festival experience from India to the world, with Abu Dhabi debut in 2026

After nearly two decades of reshaping India’s live music landscape, Sunburn Festival is taking its next leap forward with its first full-scale international edition in Abu Dhabi in 2026, marking a historic milestone in the festival’s legacy and establishing Sunburn as India’s biggest cultural export to the world of live entertainment. For the first time ever, Asia’s Premiere Electronic Dance Music (EDM) festival will plant its flag on foreign soil, expanding its global footprint and cementing Sunburn’s position as a global electronic music empire.

Sunburn Abu Dhabi represents more than international expansion; it is India’s electronic music DNA crossing geographies. The Abu Dhabi edition marks the commencement of BookMyShow, India’s leading entertainment destination’s collaboration with Ethara, one of the Middle East’s premier live experience creators, to bring Sunburn Festival 2026 to the UAE, and deliver a world-class EDM experience in the region. The Abu Dhabi edition will run in parallel with Sunburn Festival’s long-standing India edition (Sunburn Festival 2026). Sunburn Festival will simultaneously dominate two nations, two time zones, one unstoppable weekend in December 2026. While India celebrates at home, Abu Dhabi will witness the rise of the Middle East’s most ambitious electronic music showcase. This simultaneous celebration across two nations creates something unprecedented in festival history: a legendary lineup that traverses across both editions, synchronised bass drops across cultures and a unified euphoria beyond borders.

What began as a revolutionary vision on Goa’s beaches in 2007 has grown into India’s most iconic live entertainment brand, expanding across the nation with Sunburn Arena, Sunburn Academy and Sunburn Campus editions. Today, Sunburn Festival stands at #8 on DJ Mag’s prestigious ‘Top 100 Festivals of 2025’ global list, shoulder-to-shoulder with Tomorrowland and Ultra, a testament to its ability to stay relevant, push boundaries and deepen its connection with generations of dance music fans. The Abu Dhabi expansion in 2026 marks Sunburn’s first international flagship edition and signals the festival’s ambition to become a defining global voice in dance music culture.

Speaking on the development, Karan Singh, CEO, Sunburn, said, “Eighteen years ago, we birthed a movement that would one day outgrow any single country’s borders with our flagship festival. Sunburn Festival officially announces its territorial expansion strategy, taking the festival that redefined an entire generation’s relationship with electronic music and establishing it as the definitive EDM experience across multiple countries. This isn’t just about taking Sunburn international; it’s about giving the world access to the energy, scale and community that define Sunburn. Nearly two decades on, we’re proud to take Asia’s electronic music empire beyond borders, bringing our flagship festival to Abu Dhabi.”