SulaFest – a heady mix of music, wine, fashion and much much more at the Sula Vineyards open air amphitheater – was a huge success and sold out once again!
This one played host to the festival line-up of the year– the freshest international names, with an even bigger Atmasphere stage.
The country’s most gorgeously situated; eagerly awaited Gourmet World Music Festival came back with the line-up of the year.
The fest saw close to 11,000 fest-goers who had a weekend to remember and this year was a grander production with even more amazing memories.
SulaFest partygoers enjoyed a megamix of great music, wine, drinks, food, fashion and shopping in the idyllic environs of the winery’s beautiful open-air, Greek-style amphitheater. VERO MODA launched its Spring Summer Collection 2015 at the fest. An additional treat was a super cool fashion show that came with plenty of surprises.
This year’s artist line-up befitted a true ‘World Music Festival’ with the freshest acts – as always a mix of nationwide and internationally celebrated artists.
Headliner YOUNG THE GIANT – who opened for Kings of Leon’s worldwide summer tour – transported the crowd to indie-rock heaven. On the main stage: YOUNG THE GIANT (USA -Indie Rock), GENTLEMAN’S DUB CLUB (UK -Dub, Reggae, Dance), WILL AND THE PEOPLE (UK-Indie, Ska, Alt-Rock), NUCLEYA (India -Dub Step, Electronic), YES SIR BOSS (UK -Desert Blues/Mariachi Rock), CUBAN BEATS ALL STARS (Cuba, France, Spain -Latin, Hip hop, R&B), SPEED CARAVAN (France, Algeria -Oriental Rock, Electro, World), LUCKY ALI (India -Free Form, World), SWARATHMA (India -Folk, Fusion), BOMBAY BASSMENT (India, Kenya -Hip Hop, Reggae, DnB), KEFAYA (UK, Italy –World), SANDUNES (India -Live-electronic, Multigenre), HAMZA FEAT. MANU IDHRA (India, Portugal -Live-electronic, World) and RODNEY BRANIGAN (UK -Progressive Folk Fusion, Acoustic Rock, Texas Blues).
Back and way bigger this year was also the Atmasphere stage where super cool DJs spun some incredible house and techno. Steve Rachmad (NL), Peter Schumann (DE), Sashanti & Mescalito (RU), Ankytrixx (IN), Raimund (DE), Baba Robijn (NL), Jewlung (RU) and Christ Burstein (ARG) were the DJs on this stage.
World-class audio L’Acoustics K1 PA system and 3D visuals greatly enhanced the crowd’s audio and visual experience at the fest.
SulaFest-goers this year were Manasi Scott, Shriya Saran, Narendra Kumar, Shazahn Padamsee, Ashish Raheja, Prahlad and Mitali Kakkar, Jenny Rei, Ashok Kurien, Anil Dharker, Arjun Khanna, Aparna Badlani, Yash Birla, Amitabh Nanda, Sameer “Daddy” Malhotra, Malini Aggarwal, Isha Koppikar, Kim Sharma, and Soleil by La Plage’s Florence, Morgan and Serge, to name a few.
Rajeev Samant, Founder and CEO, Sula Vineyards says, “Wow – it doesn’t get better than this! 11,000 ecstatic people having the time of their life. See you next year!”
Commenting on the success of the festival Vineet Gautam, Country Manager, VERO MODA says, “Every year SulaFest keeps getting bigger and we strive to offer a unique experience to our audience. With an actual on ground VERO MODA store and a stunning fashion show to showcase our Spring Summer Collection 2015, we had two spectacular days. True to the spirit of the brand and the festival, we had a splendid time and will come back to SulaFest next year with much more to offer.”
Alexander Sashanti Sukhochev, Curator of Atmasphere stage, SulaFest says, “What a rocking fest and how exciting it was to see so many beautiful atmas at the Atmasphere stage! Thrilled to have played an important role in creating what was truly The Festival Line-up of the Year! “
Cecilia Oldne, Global Brand Ambassador, Sula Vineyards says, “Cheers to the SulaFest team and our partners! Our 8th edition delivered on all fronts and we were sold out! Trust me – you don’t want to miss the next one!
Spicing up the weekend was the SulaFest Bazaar with a selection of fun items for sale. Foot massages, tarot reading, grape stomping, and a variety of other activities surely added to that fest-feel.
The popular Tasting Room and the new rustic Tasting Cellar was exciting as always, with special tours and tastings that were given to wine enthusiasts.
Apart from wines from the vineyards of Sula, fest-goers also enjoyed a wide selection of libations from around the world by Sula’s import arm Sula Selections. Hardys were on board as a wine partner and Asahi, Grant’s, Cointreau and Sierra Tequila all ensured no one went thirsty.
The likes of Café Zoe, Woodside Inn, Maroosh and Busago served up great food to go with the wine. At the recently launched Soleil by La Plage, Chef Morgan prepared a menu with organic produce from Sula’s very own farms, which offered a sit-down gourmet dining experience for the first time.
Tent City – where one could camp out amidst the cool vineyards, was double from the year before – and was also a huge hit!
And once again, SulaFest associated with BlueFROG, India’s leading live music pioneer – as music partner –to bring out the best festival line-up of the year.
As always, SulaFest went out to benefit locally-based and national NGOs and non-profits. Back again were NGOs – iMAD, Sharan, PETA and Prabodhini amongst others. This aligned with Sula’s long-standing commitment to give back to the communities and causes in need.
About Sula Vineyards:
Sula Vineyards is by far India’s first choice in wine. Sula’s award-winning wines are available nationwide at the finest hotels and restaurants, and are also exported throughout the world.
The company is also a leading wine and spirits importer, with Sula Selections, a portfolio of prestigious brands like Remy Cointreau, Hardys, Ruffino and Asahi.
Sula is also a pioneer in India’s wine tourism opening the country’s first winery Tasting Room in 2005 and first vineyard resort, Beyond by Sula, in 2007. With over 200,000 visitors last year, Sula is one of the most visited wineries in the world and the #1 spot where Indians first taste wine.
Firmly committed to remaining at the forefront of Indian wines, Sula continues to experiment with new varietals, engage in sustainable agriculture and support the local rural economy. Sula is well on its way to becoming one of the world’s most sustainable wine producers.