Does Goa really need more live entertainment venues?

In December 2023 alone, two new entertainment spaces opened up in Goa: antiSOCIAL at Morjim (above) and Diaz in Anjuna.

As we say goodbye 2023 and welcome 2024, we are naturally looking back to the trends and major news events of 2023. Some of these trends made an instant splash, others are becoming apparent only in such year-ender 2023 lists. One such less obvious trend is the rash of live entertainment spaces that opened up in Goa - already the arena of Sunburn at Vagator since 2007.

Goa nightlife: what's changed, what's stayed the same

As the sun sets, the beach belt of Anjuna, Vagator and now, Morjim and Arambol come to life, reinforcing Goa’s image as a great place to let your hair down. Case in point: SinQ Nightclub in Sinquerim has been around since 2012, and continues to be a popular party venue, nightclub, contemporary Goan Tavern, poolside deck and lounge rolled in one.

So what’s new? Wasn’t Goa always about this?

Live entertainment, curated by the late Roberto Alvares at venues or street dances or super Wednesdays at Haystack and Fridays at Cavala, had a charm of their own. Then came Cohiba, which changed the game with great bands and an outstanding venue. Today, good food and a great bar programme are a given. But all venues need some differentiating factors.

A popular tourist spot and now a F&B hub too, Goa is a melting pot of cultures. Tourists and party-goers are no longer just entering a club or a bar, listening to the DJ play techno music, dancing the night away over a few drinks with friends.

Live cultural performances and events offer another avenue for entertainment, another thing to do, another place to hang out in Goa.

Of course, the entertainment scene in Goa is changing, partly to keep up with the entertainment scene in other Indian and international cities. And partly to expand areas and activities to reinvigorate Goa tourism - government data show foreign tourist visits are still only a fraction of what the state saw pre-Covid, though 30 percent more domestic travellers are expected to have visited Goa in 2023 compared with 81 lakh in 2019.

The old order changes

Goa has always been synonymous with great music. Amman Anand, director, Kickstart Entertainment, explains: “Goa was known for great talent and had small quaint spaces with live music, in our growing up years. Live entertainment, curated by Late Roberto Alvares at venues or street dances or super Wednesdays at Haystack and Fridays at Cavala, had a charm of their own. Then came Cohiba, which changed the game with great bands and an outstanding venue. Today, good food and a great bar-programme are a given, but all venues need some differentiating factors. The paradigm shift to the DJ and EDM or house music scene can co-exist. Now most venues have to do clever programming to attract crowds. Thus, each big venue is programming over 6-8 big Indian or International names over a weekend to engage these audiences.”

“Does Goa need this? It’s what the audiences want,” Anand adds.

Bigger spaces, bigger parties

In December 2023 alone, two new entertainment spaces opened up in Goa: antiSOCIAL at Morjim and Diaz in Anjuna.

Impresario Entertainment & Hospitality Pvt. Ltd opened antiSOCIAL in Goa at Morjim beach, with a three-day "opening weekend" featuring acts like Polocorp, Len Faki, Jeremy Olander and Mohinesh from December 1-3, 2023. Phase one witnessed the opening of a 180-degree beach-view club with a dance floor that can hold over 1,500 people and has a 20-foot projector for film screenings, as well as an outdoor café. The rest of the property - including a hotel and indoor cafe - is set to open in early 2024.

Riyaaz Amlani, managing director, Impresario Hospitality and Entertainment Pvt. Ltd, says, “Goa was the ideal spot for this expansive arena... The prime beach location offers the perfect setting for both a relaxing day and energetic parties.”

In mid-December, Diaz - a pool club - opened in Anjuna. A 30,000 square foot space, the club has state-of-the-art amenities - and a stellar programme - for live entertainment. That apart, there is a multi-cuisine kitchen.

Manni Chadha, founder, Diaz, says, “Goa, with its unique blend of leisure and celebration needed a space that echoed its coastal allure.”

Earlier this year, Elrow Ocean Front in Calangute opened its doors. It has a large beach front space, music offerings, food, cocktails and theme nights.

Diaz, Anjuna

Growing appetite

Goa sure knows how to party, and with late-night soirees aplenty, it's a supply and demand thing when it comes to on-trend venues. It's not just evening adventures that require fun venues though. Some of it starts in the afternoon and at other places, it goes on till the wee hours of the morning or even mid-day.

This summer, Jazz lovers gathered at the atmospheric and intimate Aguad Jetty stage at Aguada Port & Jail Complex, Sinquerim, for a live Jazz performance curated by the Goa Jazz Academy, to commemorate International Jazz Day. Accessed by a waterfront and pier with boat transfers connecting from Panjim, Aguad offers plenty to do around the year in the realm of music, art and the performing arts.

Goa’s appetite for event and party spaces, albeit collaborative, is only increasing. It’s no longer only about full-moon beach parties on Anjuna and budget-friendly DJs.