The French-Dutch island of Saint Martin is about to be taken over by SXM Festival, one of the best new techno and house festivals of recent years.
ADVERTISEMENTWhat if we told you there’s a music festival taking place in March not far from the border between France and the Netherlands where you’re practically guaranteed sunny days and beautiful beaches?
For all those who quickly checked Google Maps, Belgium does still exist. But while France and the Netherlands may be separated by the political heart of Europe, the two countries share a border in the Caribbean.
We are, of course, talking about Saint Martin, the small island made up of Sint Maarten, a constituency of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and the Collectivité de Saint-Martin, which is part of the French Republic.
The island plays host to SXM Festival, an annual music festival in its seventh edition since starting in 2016. SXM runs from 11-18 March.
Who’s playing?
Since its inception, SXM has made a name for itself as one of the premiere festivals in the club music scene, attracting big talent from Europe and North America to its idyllic island setting for one of the first big parties of the year.
This year’s line-up is stacked with talent to bring in punters. First to be announced were major DJ stars Anja Schneider, Eli & Fur, Ilario Alicante, and Loco Dice.
The impressive range of European talent, from relative newbie Schneider and London duo Eli & Fur (real names Eliza Noble and Jennifer Skillman) to Italian clubber Alicante and German industry legend Loco Die, there’s a commitment to a breadth of styles and influences on the stages.
Those four acts are just the tip of the iceberg, with Adam Ten, AJ Christou, Chus, Dana Ruh (doing a live show), Doc Martin, Fleur Shore, Harry Romero, Kevin Saunderson, Robag Wruhme, Roy Rosenfeld, Shimza and Tiefschwarz all announced later too.
SXM has announced a line-up with nearly 100 scheduled acts across the week. Particularly exciting additions include British underground trio Mason Collective, Danish-Filipino house master Manda Moor and French legend OXIA.
Land, sea and air
What makes SXM truly special is its location. The majority of the festival takes place on the French side of the island at Happy Bay. The stretch of beach is aptly named and plays host to the two main stages for the festival, the impressive Arc Stage, tucked away in the jungle beside the beach, and the “immersive and intimate” Ocean Stage.
Festivities are spread across the entirety of the island though. For anyone daunted by this, it’s only about a half-hour drive from one end of Saint Martin to another, making it well worth the journey for anyone going to one of SXM’s parties.
A highlight of those parties will be two sunrise parties held at the Boho Beach club on the Sandy Ground stretch of the island. Dance on the sands as London deep house label Anjunadeep hosts a party on 14 March, or tune in to a finale event by Zero NYC, the famed New York party promoter.
It’s not just by the beach though, get on the water with a Boat Party in Simpson Bay Lagoon, the largest lagoon in the Caribbean. Concerned about seasickness? Why not opt for a high altitude lookout over the entire island. The Rainforest Adventures venue brings with it a mountaintop panorama of the beautiful area.
Island ecosystems
Like many festivals, SXM is on a sustainability drive. In 2017, it banned plastic straws and has continued to remove plastic from the festival. This year’s edition will have no single-use plastic at all with all food and beverage packaging being 100% recyclable.
That’s just the beginning of SXM’s efforts to work alongside the small island’s natural needs. The festival is paperless, cashless, and has tree-planting and children’s education initiatives.
It’s no surprise SXM has taken this tact. In 2017, the island was devastated by Hurricane Irma. The damage to the island’s infrastructure was estimated at around $3 billion (€2.8 billion) and 11 people were killed. As much as 95% of structures on the French side of the island were destroyed.
The festival worked alongside the government to help rebuild. It launched a GoFundMe campaign that brought in $30,000 (€28,000) and after the relaunch of the festival the next year, SXM has tied itself to the island’s community to put back.
Tickets are on sale now, ranging from 7-day premium experiences to 3-day weekend passes.
