Back for another incredible rendition of the “World’s Wettest Party!” This time in Taipei, Taiwan. A multi-genre event, this S2O Festival featured more than a single stage, showcasing not only EDM artists but also K-pop, Hip-Hop, Rock, and more.
At the core of each S2O Festival is the concept of “Body Needs Water’, initially beginning in Bangkok, Thailand, to celebrate the Thai New Year, Songkran. The water represents renewal and letting go of negativity, as seen within the dance community. It’s a place to let go of worries and express ourselves without judgment.
Everything from the insane production we discovered in Thailand to giant cannons spraying out into the crowd to dancers on stage spraying attendees with giant water guns—there’s no question why S2O Taiwan ranks high among the most unique festivals EDM Maniac has attended.
Here’s what else we have to say about our weekend at S2O Festival in Taipei, Taiwan:
Vibes: B+
From the moment we entered the festival, the energy was wild. At the festival entrance, we were met by dancers spraying water guns and foam cannons at us. The entrance to the festival was also the first stage, featuring EDM and Rock artists.
Making our way through the festival grounds to the main stage, we were met with excited attendees filling up their water guns at the refill station, those waiting in line to grab food, and those exploring the many exciting brand activations.
The brand activations added a fun, interactive element to the festival, keeping attendees entertained as they wandered from stage to stage. There was an F1 Red Bull challenge, testing how long it would take to change a tire on an F1 car. A Muay Thai Boxing ring was located in the ‘Mini Thailand’ area, with nodes to the Thai culture that S2O is based around.
We found the vibes at the Money Bunny stage, where K-Pop and Hip-Hop artists were to be more chill crowd energy. With its amphitheater-style setup, many people sat down, enjoying the music and views of the river next to the venue.
Upon entering the main stage, though, the crowd energy was insane! It was so fun to see how the crowd got amped by all the artists that came on throughout the day. Once the sun went down and the lasers came out, combined with all the water coming from the stage, it became one of the most energetic crowds we’ve seen.
We found all our interactions positive, and most people spoke English, even though it was not the primary language heard around the festival. Further into the night, we noticed some people may have passed their consumption limits. Everyone was kind, and the general hospitality surpassed what we typically experience at festivals.
Production: B
Unlike S2O Thailand, this was a multi-stage / multi-genre event, so there was more to explore. The main stage, designed to represent the water factory, gives the water cannons the crazy effect of water coming straight out of giant water pipes. Although the stage was slightly smaller than the one we experienced in Thailand, we were no less impressed with the production quality.
The combination of the pyrotechnics, lasers, and artists’ visuals made for a crazy sensory experience unmatched by many festivals we have attended. Then, the fireworks took that to the next level, although on day one, some issues caused fewer fireworks to go off. Day two made up for it; the problem was resolved, and there were extra fireworks during all the evening DJ sets.
Outside of the stages, the food and sponsor activations were well-chosen. There was diverse food, including dumplings, burgers, and more. We also loved how interactive all the sponsor booths were, such as the one where attendees could take a hammer to giant blocks of ice to retrieve a prize frozen inside the ice block.
We enjoyed wandering over to the WaterBoom stage at the festival’s entrance. It was on the smaller side, but the production, with the raised deck DJ set up, water guns, and foam party, was fun to interact with.
Music: B
Across two days, S2O Taiwan featured well-known dance music artists such as Yellow Claw, Vini Vici, Alan Walker, Sub Zero Project, Ray Volpe, and more. Every DJ’s set was unique to witness, and it was next to the incredible production and heightened crowd energy.
Going earlier on both days, we got to experience DJs from across Asia, such as Kenny Musik and DJ Sally, among others. We saw Kenny Musik perform during our time at S2O Thailand and loved getting to experience his music live again.
Headlining dubstep artist Ray Volpe brought the bass to Taiwan and had everyone at the rail headbanging like crazy! The crowd was so hyped for his set that we even witnessed people jumping around and headbanging in VIP areas. Although his set was in the daytime, it was interesting to have ‘Laserbeam’ without any lasers, so it became Waterbeam this time.
Other artists on day two, such as Sub Zero Project, blew us away with their performance and showcased lots of new music during their set. Alan Walker’s finale had us in our feels one moment and raging the next. Again, witnessing these artists combined with S2O’s unique presentation takes sets to a new level. The artists themselves are excited, especially if they are playing S2O for the first time. Most have never experienced anything like water production or that level of energy from crowds.
Venue: B
Set in the heart of Taiwan, Taipei, the venue was along a river and provided excellent views during the day. Inside the venue, we felt everything was easily accessible from all the stages. The venue had three stages: the Waterboom, Money Bunny, and the main S2O stage.
Seeing such diverse food options inside the festival was excellent, although the lines were usually long. We also noticed the food vendor setup wasn’t ideal for the flow of festival traffic, as those waiting in line for food blocked the path people were walking through the festival.
The bathrooms throughout the festival, GA and VIP, were all porta-potties. We never had any issues with VIP lines, but we noticed GA was usually busy. We weren’t expecting the lack of toilet seats inside the porta-potties. It was more of a squat-and-do-your-business situation. This is standard practice in some countries worldwide, which wasn’t a problem; it just took us by surprise for a second—another reason to do research beforehand (like reading Festival Report Cards) for all the details.
Most festivals outside of America are cashless, so attendees need to load money onto their wristbands to purchase food and drink. Most of the time, though, when purchasing merch, there’s an option to use the wristband or pay by card.
Being a water-themed festival, most venues are expected to get pretty wet. The “dry zones” were mostly VIP areas at the Money Bunny stage. Although it wasn’t promised, you could even stay dry in these areas because there were many attendees with water guns, and you could quickly be their next target.
Going into the floor at the main stage, there was no guaranteed “dry zone,” especially as the night went on and the water cannons got more intense. By day two, the floor was flooded in a few areas, and once it got dark, things got squishy towards the back middle, and visibility on where to step became questionable.
We felt the venue worked for the festival’s size, yet improvements could be made to help the flow of things. If the location of food vendors and “Little Thailand” had been swapped, the traffic flow would have felt less chaotic throughout the night.
Overall: B
Overall, it was such a fun experience. I was once again blown away by the production and level of hospitality at S2O. It was also amazing to see the unique aspects of different S2O festivals compared to one another.
The selection of artists was a good mix of genres from various parts of the world, and we loved seeing a new level of excitement from fans. Witnessing the dance music community of other countries is a unique way of experiencing different cultures.
Even though it is hosted in another country, the S2O festival maintains the values of its beginnings, with pieces of Thai culture at each of its festivals. The concept of “washing away” things that may hold you back and express yourself freely left us with a unique happiness to this festival.
Dance music is rising in this part of the world, and travel across Asia is affordable. This festival is worth adding to your bucket list, and we hope to see you at one of the many S2O Festivals worldwide.
Are you interested in other S2O Festivals? Check out our S2O Bangkok, Thailand review.
