In pictures: ZoukOut Singapore over the years, from its first edition back in 2000
The iconic music and dance festival is celebrating its 20th edition in 2023. Here's a look at how ZoukOut has evolved over the years, starting with its inception in 2000.
Attendees at the very first ZoukOut in 2000. (Photo: ZoukOut Singapore)
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Partygoers all over the region are eagerly counting down to ZoukOut Singapore's return on Saturday (Dec 2). The iconic music and dance festival is celebrating its 20th edition with the first-ever nonstop sunset-to-sunrise party this year.
Before the rise of multi-act music festivals in recent years, ZoukOut was the event clubbers, dance music enthusiasts and party people looked forward to the most. Through the years, the lineup was a veritable who’s who of dance music: Paul Van Dyk, Armin Van Buuren, David Guetta, Gilles Peterson, James Lavelle, Stereo MCs, DJ Tiesto and many more.
As such, there's no better way to commemorate this milestone anniversary than to look back at its history and evolution, beginning with the first-ever ZoukOut in 2000.
2000
It was December 2000. Phua Chu Kang was still on the air, GST prices were still low and McDonald's still had Hello Kitty plushies. Overall, a good period to be alive.
At Sentosa's Siloso Beach, preparations were underway for an event that would go on to change the music festival scene in Asia.
The very first ZoukOut event was held on Dec 2, 2000 at Siloso Beach with ticket prices starting at S$38.
Relatively speaking, the event was a modest one – with a crowd of 9,000 people and a duration of just one night.
A stark contrast to the multi-night extravaganzas ZoukOut is now known for.
Some of the celebrities who were present at the inaugural ZoukOut include veteran hosts Najip Ali and Jamie Yeo. Najip called the event a "real milestone" while Jamie "thought the night overall was excellent".
2003
After taking a pause in 2002 due to the Bali bombings, ZoukOut Singapore returned in 2003 with a brand new location and, for the first time ever, a two-night party.
ZoukOut in 2003 was held at Marina Bay for two nights and saw 26 acts performing.
In addition to the usual DJ sets, there were also many roving performances at the event including drummers and fire spinners.
2010
The 2010 edition of ZoukOut was a special one as it marked the 10th anniversary of the festival. To celebrate, organisers invited renowned DJs Tiesto and David Guetta to bring the atmosphere at Siloso Beach to new heights.
2018
ZoukOut 2018 was memorable for two major reasons. Firstly, for the first time since 2012, the festival was a one-day event. Secondly, it would end up being the last ZoukOut event till 2022. The 2019 edition was dropped amid falling attendance figures, and the hiatus for the next two years were due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Performers at ZoukOut 2018 included the likes of Galantis, Jeffrey Sutorius, Kshmr and Timmy Trumpet.
2022
After a four-year break, ZoukOut returned with a bang in 2022 as a two-day event.
Ticketholders were treated to performances from the likes of Armin Van Buuren, Zedd, Andrew Rayel, Cash Cash and Singapore’s Jeremy Boon and Hong.
2023
This year's ZoukOut is set to be another one for the history books as it's the first edition to feature a nonstop sunset-to-sunrise party. Celebrating the festival's 20th edition, ZoukOut 2023 will feature performances by Martin Garrix and Alesso. Tickets can be purchased via Ticketmaster.
