Goa set the first footprint

Sunburn began in Goa in 2007, building a multi-stage electronic festival at a time when that scale was still new in India. The early editions turned the event into a destination weekend and gave international dance bookings a regular festival platform in the country.

The name later expanded beyond one annual site. Arena shows, city events and international editions made Sunburn a wider live-music circuit, while the main festival moved between Goa, Pune and Mumbai. That movement is part of the brand's history rather than a footnote.

Mumbai changes the shape

The current main edition is based at Mahalaxmi Racecourse in Mumbai. The official festival announcement describes a tighter two-day format, using a central urban venue instead of trying to reproduce the older destination model unchanged.

Sunburn's useful through-line is access to large electronic production in India. The cities and formats have shifted, but the event still works at the point where a festival-scale stage, several strands of dance music and a national audience meet.