From intimate gatherings to large-scale cultural movements, Singapore's nightlife and festival landscape is continuously evolving. At the forefront of this transformation are Daniel O'Connor and Jake Camacho, co-founders of Ice Cream Sundays, and Nomad Solar Sound.

Daniel is also one of Offtrack's co-founders. Their passion for music, community-building, and independent creative expression has led to the birth of some of the most distinctive events in the region. Together they bring back Sunda Festival 2025 edition to Singapore.

As the festival prepares for its second edition, we sat down with Jake and Daniel to talk about their journey, the philosophy behind their ventures, the challenges of organising large-scale events in Singapore, and their vision for the future.

From childhood friends to business partners

Jake and Daniel's partnership started long before their professional collaboration. "We've known each other since we were 13," Daniel recalls. "We went to the same school, so that's a good 20 years of friendship." Their shared love for music deepened when they played in a band together as teenagers, but their journey into the electronic music scene was an unexpected turn.

"Back then we weren't really into dance music growing up," Jake admits. "We were more band kids, playing ska and alternative rock.

But when we moved back to the region in 2015, we had this shared vision of wanting to bring more colour to the dance music scene here." That vision led to the creation of Ice Cream Sundays, an event series that quickly gained a following for its laid-back atmosphere, eclectic music programming, and strong sense of community.

What are the fundamentals connecting all these different musical ventures?

Despite their diverse projects, a few key principles run through all their work.

"For me, the common thread is a love for independent, soulful, and groove-based music," Jake explains. "We like to do things that have a DIY spirit, a raw edge, and a strong sense of community and inclusiveness." Daniel agrees, adding that beyond the musical aspect, their goal is simple: "We want to bring people joy, and we choose to do that through music-centric experiences. Seeing smiles on faces, that's what we do it for."

The evolution of Sunda Festival

After a successful debut, Sunda Festival is returning with significant changes and improvements. "The main vision has stayed the same," Jake says. "We set out to create a bridge between different creative communities in Southeast Asia, a place where people from various scenes can meet and build relationships."

However, one major shift was moving the festival to a long weekend. "One of the biggest challenges in the first edition was getting people to commit to a Sunday event," Daniel explains. "This year, we've adjusted the timing so attendees can enjoy two full days, running from Friday to Saturday until 4am, with no Sunday programming. Instead, we've added an Opening Night on Thursday at MDLR to kick off the festival in an urban setting."

Additionally, Sunda has expanded its programming. "We've broadened the scope of the lineup by mixing in established international acts, while continuing to spotlight our favourite regional and local talent." Jake adds.

What makes Sunda Festival unique?

Sunda Festival positions itself differently within the Southeast Asian festival landscape. "We see ourselves as a meeting point for the region's creative communities," Jake explains. "We felt that Singapore lacked a festival that truly celebrated regional talent while fostering collaboration across countries."

Daniel highlights another key distinction: its family-friendly atmosphere. "Having travelled to many festivals, I still think inclusiveness for families is something that's underdeveloped in this region.

At Sunda, we had about 70 kids in our first edition, and our Road to Sunda format saw over 100. This adds a different energy, it's still a party, but it feels more civilised and accessible."

The challenges of organising a festival in Singapore

Running a festival is never without its challenges, and working as a small team on a massive project like Sunda can be a pressure cooker. "You experience a lot of emotional highs and lows," Jake admits. "But for the most part, we enjoy a very good dynamic within the team."

Daniel adds that disagreements are inevitable in any small business but emphasises the importance of trust. "We have a lot of faith in our relationships across the team, whether it's between Jake, Bong, Mel, or the creative team. I was once told not to work with friends, but I ignored that advice. I only do business with friends." he cheerfully concludes.

Running a festival in Singapore comes with its own set of unique challenges. One of the biggest hurdles? "Convenience culture," Jake says. "People hesitate to take a 45-minute bus ride to the festival venue, even though they'd take a similar journey to Changi Airport, and then hop on a 3hr flight to another festival."

Another challenge is navigating regulations. Daniel, who oversees licensing and production, has found that Singaporean authorities are more open to discussion than many assume. "Initially, we were told 10:30 p.m. was the latest we could run an outdoor event. But we had conversations, showing them we had safety measures in place, including ambulances, security, and transport solutions. Those discussions allowed us to push our curfew later."

However, Singapore's stringent building codes pose creative limitations. "We work with CULM-INNATE Studio in Vietnam for bamboo structures, but here, everything has to be approved by an engineer. They're used to working with concrete and steel, not bamboo, making it a fun challenge to work around."

Ice Cream Sundays: Lessons learned and how Sunda Festival benefits from past experiences

Before launching Sunda, Jake and Daniel had already built a strong foundation with Ice Cream Sundays. "We started as a casual house party," Jake says. "Over time, our vision evolved. Musically, we started with disco, funk, and house, but we've broadened that scope significantly."

"I think if I walked into a 2016 Ice Cream Sundays today, it would feel like a completely different universe," Jake reflects. "Musically, my palate has broadened a lot over time.

When we started out, our original vision was kind of disco, funk, and house, and in a lot of respects, that is still part of the core DNA of Ice Cream Sundays. But it has expanded a lot, and many of the bookings we've done from overseas reflect different offshoots of that sound, even some that are quite different.

Musically, it's evolved a lot. I have to also give credit to my other fellow resident DJs, Muto and Bongomann, for introducing a lot of that as well into the musical DNA of Ice Cream Sundays."

Daniel emphasises the importance of understanding team dynamics. "Scaling up means recognising gaps and bringing in the right people. Sunda is a massive step up from Ice Cream Sundays, and we need specialists in production, operations, and creative execution to pull it off."

Sustainability in festivals: Reality or buzzword?

A growing priority in their work is sustainability. Nomad Solar Sound, their solar-powered speaker system, is part of this effort. "It's a business opportunity, but also a passion project," Jake says. "We believe sustainability should be integral to festival production."

Daniel acknowledges that the industry still has a long way to go. "We prefer the term 'conscious consumption' rather than 'sustainable festival' because, realistically, events still rely on things like diesel generators. But we're seeing progress, there are new solar-powered battery packs that can run food stalls, and in the next few years, fully off-grid events might become possible."

The future of Sunda Festival

Looking ahead, both founders have ambitious goals for Sunda. "I'd love to see it become a destination festival where people fly in from around the region," Jake says. "That would mark a big step forward."

Daniel is also interested in experimenting with different formats. "We ran a successful city edition (Road to Sunda) in October, and we've spoken to festival promoters who run extended formats with workshops, talks, and pop-up events leading up to the main festival. Sunda doesn't have to be just one thing-it can evolve."

Friendship, resilience, and a hidden easter surprise

When asked to describe each other, the duo reflected on their working relationship and personal qualities.

Jake described Daniel as someone with an amazing work ethic, multi-talented, and empathetic, highlighting his ability to juggle multiple aspects of their projects while maintaining a strong sense of teamwork and integrity.

Daniel, in turn, characterised Jake as intelligent, talented, passionate, resilient, and funny. He noted that Jake's role in overseeing marketing and communications requires adaptability, especially under the pressure of ticket sales, making his resilience an invaluable trait.

As for hidden festival details? Daniel shares an interesting fact: "Sunda was originally planned for 2020 at Haw Par Villa, but Covid stopped us. Florian (aka Shi Fu Miz Festival co-founder), our partner, later found Sarimbun Scout Camp on Google Maps, even though he lives in Hong Kong! This changed everything."

Jake adds a playful Easter egg: "This year, as part of a collaborative activity by Keen and Play!, we're literally hiding Easter eggs around the festival, it actually falls on Easter weekend!"

Final thoughts

When asked what message they want attendees to take away from Sunda Festival, their answers sum up their ethos:

Jake: "Your next favourite artist might be someone who lives in your town."

Daniel: "Our tagline: It's nice out here. As Jake said, it embodies the notion of celebration of regional talent. But it also represents the fact that it's worth travelling the extra mile for a one-of-a-kind experience within Singapore."

As they continue to push boundaries, Sunda Festival is not just about music:

it's about building a conscious, inclusive, and community-driven cultural movement that Singapore can call its own.

Sunda Festival 2025 takes place over this Easter's long weekend, kicking off with an urban Opening Night on Thursday, April 17, and wrapping up on Saturday night, April 19. With a focus on regional talent, immersive artistic production, and a welcoming, inclusive atmosphere for all ages, it's set to be a truly unique celebration. 

This article was first published in City Nomads.