Time to get back into the groove and enjoy a jam-packed weekend (July 25-26) full of great tunes on the pristine island beach of Ko Tao, Thailand.

As lockdown regulations have begun to loosen up in Thailand, we can slowly but surely expect some sense of normalcy to return during the road to recovering from COVID. A musical paradise is about to go down this weekend on Ko Tao, one of Thailand’s most beautiful islands, with Back 2 The Groove (B2TG) Festival.

A joint co-production between TAO, Exodus Events, Ko Tao Resort, Iconic Studio, and Kandoo, the open-air festival will take place this coming weekend on July 25-26 from noon to midnight amid the beautiful natural scenery of Ko Tao Resort’s Paradise Zone. That’s 12 hours per day of carefully curated tunes by 11 artists from Thailand’s underground music scene.

The event will be headlined by special guest Rasmee Isan Soul, a singer-songwriter from the North-Eastern part of Thailand whose music style blends traditional mor lam with western and African music.

Her second album, Arom, was released in December 2017 with the track ‘Little Girls’ having been nominated for Best Recording of the Year, along with Rasmee winning Best Female Artist of the Year, at the Thai national ‘Season Awards’.

Music at the festival will be played through the world-class Funktion One sound system so party people can expect to bump and groove to the music with the best sound possible on the beach. If you’re hungry during the festival, don’t worry, as there will be a wide variety of food on-site which include Thai, French and Western cuisines. Vegetarian and vegan-friendly menus will also available too!

Don’t forget to bring swimwear to cool down at the resort’s top-of-the-hill pool with sea views of both Chalok Ban Kao and Shark Bay! There are also activities which range from scuba diving and free-diving to snorkeling and private paddle boarding excursions which will give you all the exploration adventuring you need around the island. A Pรฉtanque game breakfast at The French Market will also be available for people to partake in.

LINE UP
Rasmee Isan Soul, Live (THA)
Superstar Panda (THA)
Jakkawan (THA)
Jazzie C (FRA)
NK Chan (JPN)
Koish (GER)
Junesis (THA)
Takamichi (JPN)
Alex Imix (RUS)
Boogie G (CHE)
Naphtaline (FRA)

Tickets are currently priced at approx. 423.96 THB (all fees included). You can purchase them here. Due to the current social distancing regulations, tickets are limited.

Those looking for accommodation need not worry as the festival have teamed up with the following resorts to provide special prices. Contact them directly to book.

ACCOMMODATION
* KO TAO RESORT (www.kotaoresort.com, tel. 077-456-133) with room rates starting at only 980THB/night, up to 3,200THB/night
* CHABALAY (www.chabalay.com, tel. 092-359-5695) in Aowleuk with room rate of 700THB/night for a seaview bungalow

Free shuttle services will be available from the main road which will take you all the way to the resort’s Paradise Zone. Look for the TAO FREE SHUTTLE signboard. A designated parking site for motorbikes will be provided nearby the festival entrance.

For more information, head on over to the Tao Festival or Kandoo Facebook pages. See you in paradise!