Vh1 Supersonic 2017 Review: A Super-Duper Experience Indeed!

by  Shantanu Jain Entertainment | February 14, 2017 | Feature

Vh1 Supersonic Budweiser Bisleri Fastrack Gionee

The fourth edition of Vh1 Supersonic held at Laxmi Lawns, Pune from February 10 to 12, 2017 was extremely crucial for media giant LIVE Viacom 18 for a variety of reasons. Firstly, there was no edition of the festival property in the year 2016 which was a cause of huge disappointment among its fans; adding to that, it’s no secret that the festival was struggling to attain financial viability; and on top of that the year 2017 also saw the festival being led by a new team in a new city with definitive changes in its overall lineup and festival vibe.

To be honest, I was skeptical at the thought of Vh1 Supersonic being able to turn things around in it’s very first edition in Pune, but surprisingly and thankfully for music festival fans across the globe, I was wrong as Vh1 Supersonic 2017 truly hit it out of the park this time, creating an enriching and enthralling experience for festival attendees. Let’s have a look at some of the highlights of the festival and decode why Vh1 Supersonic has become the hottest music festival property for not just audiences but brand sponsors as well.

All Boxes Ticked

Unlike its third edition in the year 2015, the festival curators of Vh1 Supersonic managed to tick all the right boxes of audience entertainment this time around. Undoubtedly a big credit of it goes to Saugato Bhowmik, Business Head of Integrated Network Solution & Consumer Products whose vast experience in the consumer products category helped him to understand the nuances of what festival audiences want and then focus on every miniscule aspect of the property to ensure that this edition of the property was an absolutely stunning affair.

Right from the festival entry to design of all stages, experiential zones, the super flea and grub market, everything was simply spectacular. No area of the festival was dull. There were phone charging booths, ample area for audiences to just sit and chill, meeting points, tarot card readers, and even small message zones at the festival. One just couldn’t or rather wouldn’t want to miss anything as there was so much happening throughout the festival premises.

A lot has been said about how thoughtfully curated the festival lineup was and we agree. All three festival headliners Eric Prydz, Macklemore and Zedd superseded audience expectations with their magnificent sets while other artists like Arjun Vagale, Ash Roy, BLOT!, DJ Sa, Fila, Quintino, Boris Brejchaand and others added to the party festivities.

The festival deserves brownie points for being disabled-friendly and for creating a special women’s only bar at the festival too. The security at the festival was top-notch, replete with medical facilities and hydration zones present almost everywhere.

Experiential Zones

Another high for the festival was its Experiential zones by brands like Budweiser, Fastrack, Parle, Bisleri, Gionee and others. The beer garden by Budweiser in particular was a big hit while Fastrack's selfie trampoline jump, Parle Lounge, and Bisleri Booths too drew in large crowds. The festival was trending continuously for over 72 hours on social media and this could work beautifully for Vh1 Supersonic in bringing in more brands for the next edition of the festival.

The Oxygen bar at the festival was also hugely appreciated and the grub market that had close to 15 eateries continued to elevate the festival experience with their delicious offerings. The flea market wasn’t huge but satisfactory and there were a couple of installations at the festival too that worked as great photo-op zones.

Overall Experience

All in all, the fourth edition of Vh1 Supersonic packed a massive surprise for its audiences as it delivered so much more than just a musical experience. We spoke to the audiences at the festival, most of who were elated with the festivities all around. Given that the festival was the most affordable music property of the year for fans only added to its popularity and attendance. The festival did witness a few lows as well that came in the form of complaints from the nearby residential societies which might have caused the organisers to sweat a bit, but these issues were resovled instantaneously and the frenzy at the festival never stopped.

With the presence of Macklemore on Day 2, Vh1 Supersonic established itself in the league of multi-genre music festivals rather than yet another EDM property. This fact should greatly help the festival owners create a new niche for themselves in the market. Clearly if the fourth edition of Vh1 Supersonic was any indication of things to come, we can be assured that the festival is on its way to becoming the biggest in the country in no time.