Snow Machine Music Festival: Asia’s First Snow-Based Music Festival

Thinking of a snowy getaway? The 2020 Snow Machine Music Festival that is debuting in Japan’s frosty alpine region Hakuba is offering a snow flurry of exciting Australian electronic acts and Japanese Artists with the second phase of artists just recently announced. 

Snow Machine Music Festival Hakuba – Japan. Photo credit: Motherlode

This is a first for Japan to present a boutique package of their unique winter ski-culture in one big extravagant music festival. It is a four day alpine experience where festival goers will get to ski on Hakuba’s precious slopes but also ski upon the home to the 1998 Winter Olympics, making it one of the world’s most famous destinations to ski.

Hakuba is Japan’s largest ski resort and around three and a half hours via train from Tokyo. From the 1st to the 4th of March 2020, the festival organisers of Snow Machine are offering a truly stacked lineup to the idyllic mountaintop site of the 1998 Winter Olympics.

The slopes of Hakuba Japan ski resort. Photo credit: Escape

The Festivities 

Snow Machine serves as a sister festival to Wine Machine a music festival based in Australia that has achieved a groundbreaking reputation internationally in showcasing  Australia’s most picturesque wine regions and the spectacular electronic based musicians erupted from Australian soil. Snow Machine will instead offer something uniquely Japanese.

Festival goers will have access to 10 different resorts in the Hakuba Valley. The festival pass includes access to Iwatake, Happo-One and Hakuba 47 over 4 days.Within these areas there will be events and music. Patrons will also experience the many unique bars and restaurants that will be set up in the resorts. For non ski goers, Hakuba offers other fantastic holiday experiences such visiting temples and shrines, Onsen (Japanese cultural bathing – good for aiding post snowboarding/skiing recovery!), Taiko Drum Lessons, and Japanese Cooking Classes.

 

The Line-Up

Snow Machine lineup. Photo credit: Japan Today

Snow Machine will feature huge Australian names including the likes of electronic duo Peking Duk, Hermitude, Owl Eyes, Yolanda Be Cool, hip hop artist Illy, indie-rock quartet The Jungle Giants, Young Franco, 80s electro-pop outfit Client Liasion, Art Vs Science, Hot Dub Time Machine. In the mix as well are some major popular Japanese artists such as house music legend Soichi Terada (who composed the music for the popular video game Ape Escape), CHIDA (One of Tokyo’s pioneering underground house music producers of the 90s),  Kenji Takimi, DJ Kentaro, and Shinichi Osawa.

Aussie Electronic duo Peking Duk photo credit: Predestrian
Japanese House Music Legend Soichi Terada was just recently added to the final line up of Snow Machine photo credit: Mix Mag

 

 

 

Overseeing the entire event will be the festival’s official ski instructor/techno matriarch, former Triple J Radio host Linda Marigliano. It is Asia’s first ever snow-based festival and aims to establish an exciting new chapter in the continent’s rich music entertainment history.

Snow Machine is an all-in-one ticket offering a variety of accommodation options, a full four day festival ticket as well as snow passes and hire. The tickets are selling fast like hotcakes. To book a ticket is easy. First access the festival website here where you can select the holiday package you’re after. After paying the deposit fee you’ll be in contact with one of the festival’s team members to customise your trip and book flights and travel expenses.

 

SNOW MACHINE – Full Line Up

Yolanda Be Cool
Pearl The Girl
Tori Levett
Mimi
Happiness Is Wealth
Chida
FEMM
Gonno
Kikiorix
Kuniyuki Takahashi
Mayurashka
Shinichiro Yokota
Soichi Terada
and
Linda Marigliano

joining

Peking Duk (DJ Set)
What So Not
Hermitude
Illy
Kenji Takimi
The Jungle Giants
Client Liaison
Hot Dub Time Machine
Crooked Colours
Running Touch
Bag Raiders (DJ Set)
Shinichi Osawa
ShockOne
Young Franco
DJ Kentaro
Confidence Man
Owl Eyes
Godlands
Art vs Science
Tom Tilley & Hugo Gruzman present: First Base

Where? Hakuba Valley, Japan

When? Sunday 1st March – Wednesday 4th March 2020

For more info on the Snow Machine Festival and news, tourism help, click the link here

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