More Music Festivals Coming to Thailand

Thailand is rapidly becoming a hub for music festivals in the region, with Tomorrowland and Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC) announcing that they have signed five-year contracts to produce full-scale editions of their global EDM franchises. EDC debuted in Phuket in January 2025 and will also hold another version on December 18–20 2026.

No doubt spurred by the success of Wonderfruit, which began in 2014 and has become one of the few places to see and hear roots music, festival organisers have leveraged Thailand’s soft power and tourism infrastructure. EDC was sold out in January 2026.

The government’s promotion of soft power identified molam music as a cultural asset and has led to two festivals in Thailand’s Isan or northeastern region: Maha Morlum and Sound of Roi Et, both held in mid-February 2026.

Both festivals were free, which has encouraged locals to go; Wonderfruit and EDC/Tomorrowland are prohibitively expensive for many working-class Thai music fans – a typical pleng luk thung (Thai country music) or molam show usually costs around 100–200 baht (£2.20–4.40).

Maha Morlum has franchised its festival concept to Nong Khai (April 5) and Nakhon Phanom provinces (May 10) while Sound of Roi Et has focused on follow-up workshops and networking. Sound of Roi Et hosted a group of Japanese molam music fans who visited the festival to see Paradise Bangkok International Molam Band and the All-Thidsa Molam Band.

The two molam festivals were held at the same time, which was unfortunate but if the organisers can hold them consecutively, international visitors could go to both, while enjoying a very different atmosphere in Isan than the usual festivals in places like Phuket, Pattaya and Koh Samui. Organisers of both molam festivals have said they hope to hold their events again in 2027 with the aim of making them annual events.

John Clewley