It's April, it's long weekend time and for thousands of us, that means only one thing. Time again to get down to Kenting and take over that beautiful beach again for a weekend of mayhem!
We've finally sat down with Graham Dart, Brickyard owner, BJJ enthusiast and the legend behind Taiwan's Spring Break on the Beach festival.
Thanks for talking to us Graham. You must be super busy.
1. How are the final preparations going?
Things are going really well. Over 300 people have posted bikini selfies on the FB event wall for free entry and we're also selling tons of tickets. I'm already 100% sure we'll have a great crowd out this year.
2. What crowd do you expect this year?
Should be around 5000 - 7,000 people depending on weather. Apple Daily decides to run stories that say "No One is Going to Kenting" or "Everyone is Going to Kenting". I think they just flip a coin every year.
3. There are some other huge festivals this weekend. What makes Spring Break better?
Who wants to party in a field or a parking lot? Not me!
Hotel Chateau is actually on the beach and has 5 swimming pools overlooking the beach.
4. What music do you have in store for 2018?
We’re doing a lot more Latin, Reggae and Hip Hop, especially during the early hours... But also hopefully after dark.
It's a beach party and many of the most enthusiastic Spring Breakers wanna hear more beach music!
5. Tell us about 2018’s headline act.
We're bringing in B Jones, who is a staple at legendary beach clubs in Ibiza such as Pacha and Mambo. If you don't know what Ibiza is, Google it!
6. What is Spring Break's origin story?
A few years back I started getting really frustrated with the lack of actual beach events at a beach town... Who wants to go to the beach and party in a field or parking lot?At that time the authorities had cracked down on the unlicensed beach events that were fun, but probably pretty irresponsible since there was zero security and no one cleaned up the trash.
7. Which global party scenes inspire Spring Break?
Beach parties in Europe and the Latin America/Caribbean are great. I've never actually been to a beach party in the US, even though I'm from there.
I assume they're a little too douchey for my taste.
8. Attendance has skyrocketed in recent years. Good or bad?
I'd like to keep it a bit smaller than it's become. The bigger something gets, the harder it is to control and keep fun and safe.
This year we have scaled back a bit. I think it's more fun to party with a couple of thousand awesome people than ten thousand mostly awesome people.
9. Who are your partners for 2018?
We're really happy to be working with Elektro and Triangle in Taipei and 18TC in Taichung. They're bringing some new energy and helping us promote up North, since our reach is mostly in the South.
10. What’s one highlight we shouldn’t miss?
The Bikini Dance Off has a cash prize of 10k each day. It will be LIT. My favorite part of the festival is watching a random dude put on a bikini to dance around on stage.
Then,watching all his friends and a bunch of strangers make fun of him, and finally watching him completely surrounded by women the rest of the night, while the haters ask themselves why they didn't man up. It's magical. Also, two years ago a guy actually won the 10k.
11. What's the best way to spend daytime at Spring Break?
Sporting events like soccer, frisbee, volleyball, American football, Brazilian jiu jitsu ... Or just hanging out on the beach or in the pool. Open bar is from 3pm to 6pm this year. So there’s no reason not to come out early.
12. List the 3 most essential items to bring with
Item #1: A waterproof bag that goes around your neck for a phone and wallet.Item #2: A tent if you wanna stay on the cheap. There's a campground walking distance from the venue. But they run out of tents to rent. If you have your own, it's only NT$200 a night.
Item #3: Sun screen if you're pasty like me.
13. Spring Break keeps pushing cultural boundaries. What’s the local response been like?
More and more locals are getting into beach culture, which is refreshing... cause we're on a f**king island. But I'm tired of getting complaints about the bikinis.
It's 2018 people. If a lady (or man) wants to wear a bikini (or flesh colored underwear) on the beach or inside a 7-11, they shouldn't be sued by the Kenting city government and have to hire a lawyer and appear in Pingtung county court to argue that this didn't violate ambiguous public decency laws... Hypothetically.
14. What's your favorite part of Spring Break?
Having thousands of people consume alcohol on a beach is inherently problematic.
My favorite part each year is just relaxing the day after when everyone has gone home and we've already cleaned up the beach and the worst thing that happened was that 35 people lost their iPhones.
Buy an HTC people.
Not too many people lose them and you should support Taiwanese companies!
Taiwan #1!
15. Describe Spring Break On The Beach in one sentence.
The best beach party at the best beach resort on the island.
Thanks Graham, that was brilliant. Catch you in Kenting!
Spring Break On The Beach Essential Info:
活動資訊 Event Info: https://www.facebook.com/events/1279560958815726
雙日聯票 2 Day Passes: https://onthebeach.kktix.cc/events/2018springbreak2day
單日票 1 Day Passes: https://onthebeach.kktix.cc/events/2018springbreak1day