EDM festival in Goa this Dec receives no applications

Not a single application has been received for hosting an electronic dance music (EDM) festival in Goa this year-end, state Tourism Minister Manohar Ajgaonkar said on Friday.

Goa's culture is rooted in music and dance and the government would entertain proposals to host EDM festivals in the state, he said.

"We want music, dance in Goa. That is our culture. But there should not be any drugs. We are against drugs at such events," Ajgaonkar said.

EDM festivals have been, for the last several years, a regular feature on the tour itinerary for the festive December-end period, when hundreds of thousands of tourists land in Goa, a state known for beach and nightlife.

The coastal state is one of the top beach tourism and party destinations in the country and has been the automatic choice for EDM festival organisers for more than a decade.

However, over the last couple of years, high state government fees and the failure by EDM festival organisers to pay the dues have forced the promoters to give Goa the go-by.