Singapore, 1 January
2013 – The last day
of 2012 might have begun with cloudy skies and pouring rain but that did not
stop the 19,000 party revelers from ushering in the New Year in style at the
Siloso Beach Party, the largest annual beach countdown party in Asia.
Braving the light drizzle which
threatened to dampen spirits, party-goers from around the world descended on
Siloso Beach in their bikinis and beach wear earlier this evening. With an air
of undeterred optimism, the annual event saw visitors from near and far,
including George Gernez, 31 years old, who made this event the highlight of
his trip.
Gernez, a German national who arrived with four other friends explains his rationale for making the trip
down. “We heard from friends who came last
year that this was the place to be on New Year’s Eve so we decided to spend our
New Year’s Eve at the beach. Besides the music, we like the laidback and relaxed
beach setting which is one of the perks of the Siloso Beach Party – being in an
open space. This is our first time here and we’ll likely be back again next year
as well.”
Back for the fifth year with bigger
and better attractions, the Siloso Beach Party boasted an impressive line-up of
28 local and international disc-jockeys who spun a mix of mashup, trance and
electro-house music across five different party zones.
The Main Arena, with two separate stages, proved to be a
popular hangout as famous female deejays such as, DJ Shy and DJ K-Sly, served up
some heart-thumping beats which kept the crowd on their toes.
Apart from the Main Arena, party goers
could also choose from choice locations such as COASTES, Wavehouse, Azzura, as
well as newly opened Mambo which offered attendees a multitude of different
beats and tunes which suited party-goers like Gay Wei Zhuang, 25, who enthused,
“It’s a really good set up! We like the fact that we can choose to party at
different areas which offers different kinds of music. But the Main Arena is our
favourite as it’s more open and spacious”.
The highlight of the party was the
ever-popular foam pool, which featured in the annual countdown event. This year
though, party organisers elected to up the ante by designating the area, a
perennial favourite, as a ‘wet party zone’ which meant that foam pool
enthusiasts could enjoy their very own line-up of DJs and acts. The move
thrilled returning Siloso Beach Party goers who gave his experience at the foam
pool ‘two thumbs up’.
“The foam pool adds a different
dimension to the New Year countdown as far as parties go – it’s something that’s
unique to the Siloso Beach Party. But having the DJs spinning right in front of
us (at this year’s event) was certainly something we didn’t expect! It was an
unforgettable experience which made all the difference. It was like a mini-party
just for us. We didn’t mind getting wet at all”, said Abdul Ashraf, 21 years
old, currently a student who attended the event with seven other
friends.
As the clock struck twelve, a blaze of
pyrotechnics captivated the audience as they signaled the start of 2013 with a
bang. Fireworks which were timed to the joyous tunes of the New Year, burst into
the sky in a myriad of colours and designs, grabbing the attention of many as
cameras flashed rapidly to capture the moment.
Friends and strangers alike
wished each other a Happy New Year with an exchange of drinks and handshakes,
accompanied by many well-wishes and smiles.
