ASEAN Music Showcase Festival Rebrands And Returns As AXEAN For A 2-Day Crossover Event

AXEAN is back in Singapore with a new identity (Credit: Henzy David)

X marks the spot for the latest iteration of the ASEAN Music Showcase Festival. The regional event has been rebranded officially as AXEAN Festival, and it’s coming back to Singapore for two days (28 and 29 October) to showcase industry trailblazers in the pop and alternative circuits. Unlike last year’s Singapore debut, AXEAN will be shifting away from Haw Par Villa and will instead rouse the habitat of Goodman Arts Centre. Wanna hear what Laos has in store? Think you know what’s buzzing in Myanmar? What’s winning hearts in The Philippines? Keep your crosshairs locked on AXEAN.

This year, AXEAN Festival has decided to remove the entry fee to encourage greater participation and awareness among audiences. It’s once again comprising business networking events and a music showcase festival, and it’s just released the first wave of its regional lineup of over 40 acts from more than 10 countries. Top draws include Reality Club from Indonesia, Oh, Flamingo! and The Itchyworms from The Philippines, and Kiki from Thailand. Also representing other parts of Southeast Asia are musicians from Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Malaysia; and of course Singapore featuring the likes of indie-pop starlet Shye, hip-hop rhyme-slinger ABANGSAPAU, shoegaze unit motifs, as well as prominent singer-songwriters inch and Jean Seizure.

This is only the first wave of the AXEAN lineup (Credit: AXEAN Festival)

Festival co-founder, Piyapong ‘Py’ Muenprasertdee, has explained in a press release why the organisers wanted an identity shift for the festival, which first surfaced as a virtual showcase festival in 2020 during the pandemic. "Despite our different languages and customs, Southeast Asia is a region rich with historical heritage and shared cultures and identities. After three successful editions, we want to make a statement of our commitment to elevate Southeast Asian music onto the world stage by renaming our event 'AXEAN Festival', with an 'X' symbolising our core values of collaboration and crossing borders, whether physical, lingual or cultural, while also inviting artists and fans from all corners of the world to celebrate and share their music with us!"

AXEAN Festival 2023, 28-29 October 2023, Goodman Arts Centre, 90 Goodman Road, Singapore 439053. Follow the AXEAN Festival Instagram page for more updates and ticket information.