The nightlife industry in Goa has developed
over time and has undergone a lot of changes. The first striking change is
perhaps the high number of parties that are held in the state as compared to a
couple of years ago. The change is also visible in terms of the way parties are
conceptualised, promoted, hosted and managed, thanks to the advent of
technology and social media. While all the above things may seem like positive
changes, a few questions arise. Has the change also led to monotony? Has
partying at nightclubs become a mundane affair for the locals? Is clubbing in
Goa moving away from being a source of entertainment for the locals?
Mackenzie Eudes Pereira, co-proprietor of Bullfrog
Entertainment – one of the most successful entertainment brands in Goa and
abroad, boasts of hosting parties that mainly consist of local crowd,
especially his friends and their friends. Mackie, as he is fondly known, says,
“We do not target the tourists but my parties do get about 20% tourists because
of the popularity of the brand outside of Goa. I believe Goan youngsters party
every week; they are literally loaded with energy which is a very good thing. The
times have changed. Earlier, it used to be a once- or twice-a-month affair. But
now it’s a different story.” Elaborating further on the current nightlife scene
in Goa, Mackie adds, “I feel it is still refreshing to go partying. But then
again, it also depends on where you choose to go.” Commenting on whether
clubbing in Goa is mainly targeted towards people from other cities, Mackie
says, “I don’t think the clubs target tourists in particular on a regular basis;
they do so during extended weekends. But otherwise, with the tourism on a down low,
I think club owners have realised that the Goan crowd is ‘gold’ for them.”
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Sahil Adwalpalkar, Proprietor of one of the
most frequented nightclubs in Goa, SinQ Beach Club, says, “In the current trend,
Goan youngsters party at least 3 times a week – Friday and Saturday being the
main days. At SinQ, we have a lot of locals frequenting the place and the ratio
of locals to outsiders is about 50:50.” Adwalpalkar however dismisses the
notion of clubbing in Goa having become mundane. He adds, “I think clubbing has
its charm; it is also for people to organise it innovatively. At SinQ, every
year we have a lot of theme parties, different acts – both national and
international. This keeps the buzz and excitement amidst both locals as well as
tourists going.”
Pranay Purohit, a young lad from Panjim, is
a local celebrity in the party circuit in Goa and has garnered popularity
amidst the youngsters thanks to his quirky posts and innumerable selfies on
social media. Purohit, apart from being a regular at most of the parties,
desires to set up an entertainment company and get into the party scene in Goa
and other cities in India. Purohit, while commenting on the issue, does express
a desire to witness a change in the current scene: “Goa being a party
destination for the whole nation, does pull a lot of domestic and international
crowd. In my opinion, the ratio at any party is a given 60:40 – 60% being
tourists. Honestly, the clubs don’t need the locals and can sustain on tourists;
maybe just for the off season they’re a little dependant on locals. While the tourists
visit Goa once or twice a year and love the scene, a lot of locals are tired of
the same scene everywhere, every time. Clubbing is a source of entertainment
for sure but it’s a big money game and that’s the priority. Locals prefer other
sources of entertainment now, such as chilling with friends, movies, dinners
and house parties, and party only once in a while. I feel that a change needs
to be brought on. Change comes from necessity and like I mentioned, not enough
people see the necessity in it as they have a larger tourist section to cater
to. This being said, I do not mean that locals face discrimination; they are
given the same respect if not more by all these clubs. However, there needs to
be a change and I hope somebody will bring it about.”
