Dance music festival Tomorrowland to hold three-day event in Thailand

Tomorrowland, the hugely popular European electronic dance music or EDM festival, will stage its first-ever full-fledged Asia edition in Thailand this December.Thailand was chosen for its "growing influence on the global stage of music, innovation, and experience-driven tourism", Tomorrowland said on Tuesday.Founded 20 years ago by Belgian brothers Manu and Michiel Beers, Tomorrowland has become one of the world's most iconic celebrations of EDM. Its annual Belgian edition often features ambitious, creative stages and wild parties that draw music lovers from across the world.Organisers are expecting more than 50,000 attendees each day in the Thai beach town Pattaya from 11 to 13 December. Pre-registration for tickets begins on 8 January. A "full madness pass" covering all three days of the festival will cost 12,500 baht ($400; £300) while a single-day pass is going at 5,100 baht.More details on the festival's theme and line-up will follow soon, organisers said. Although the Tomorrowland group has held events in some Asian cities, this is the first time it will be holding an entire festival in the continent, and one that is similar to the scale of what it does in Belgium. Thailand finalised an agreement with Tomorrowland to host the event for five years and expects it to generate 21bn baht ($673m; £497m) over the period, Thai media reported."Expanding Tomorrowland to a new continent is a milestone we approach with great respect and excitement... This is the beginning of a long-term story," said Tomorrowland's chief executive officer Bruno Vanwelsenaers.In recent years, Thailand has become a strong contender in the live music scene. Last year, it played host to international music festivals like Electric Daisy Carnival and Creamfields. Bangkok was also a stop on K-pop band Blackpink's world tour last October. And the country's homegrown music and arts festival Wonderfruit is emerging as a hot destination on the festival circuit, drawing tens of thousands of people each year.