Fridae

Hailed by Time Magazine as "a 3-day festival of international proportions" and "a must on the world circuit" by DNA, Australia's leading gay magazine, the event this year is set to attract some 2,000 tourists from thirty countries, according to presale ticket figures.

Kicking off with the "Make Love Not War" Opening Party at the Suntec Singapore International Convention and Exhibition Centre on Saturday Aug 7, followed by Nation on Aug 8 and the Closing Party at the world-famous Zouk Club on Aug 9, the three parties will feature unprecedented visual treats as well as seven of the top local and foreign circuit DJs.

One of the top DJs in Tokyo club circuit, DJ Sawa, will make his Singapore debut at the "Make Love Not War" Opening Party on Aug 7. Known for his with deep and funky house style, he started his residency at Paradise Ball@Ageha this year, as well as playing at Redemption by HX Production in Hong Kong. Joining him is George Leong, who is fast becoming a familiar name on the local DJ scene after years of industry experience producing albums for Asian divas and superstars will sweep his avid fans away with his energetic pulses and a mix of melodic tech house and progressive beats.

Fans of Taiwanese David Sung who was last heard in Singapore at the Nation.03 recovery party can again indulge in his 70's disco, soul and tribal beats at Nation with Billy Carroll whose credits include and the world famous Studio 54 from those early years and more currently, SBNY (Splash Bar New York), as well as Miami's Crobar, Philadelphia's 2-4 Club and The Black and Blue Festival in Montreal. For the first time, Nation will also feature a VIP chill out tent with L�om�o, the former artistic director and DJ at the Nirvana Lounge in Paris and disciple of Buddha Bar's Claude Challe and now music director and DJ at the swanky INK Club Bar, at the decks.

Closing the curtains on this amazing party weekend are crowd-favourites Leonard T, who is behind one of the more successful "Sunday Boys' Nights" in recent memory, and Paul Goodyear, one of the leading DJ's on the Australian circuit whose 18-year DJ career highlights include numerous appearances in the main room at Sydney's Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, opening the Sydney 2002 Gay Games and alongside the likes of Peter Rauhofer, Boy George, and Madonna - favourite Tracy Young in Australia.

Partygoers can also expect sensory overload with the stunning light and laser shows which have been specially designed by Australians Craig Burridge and Paul Maslin. The pair have been responsible for some of the most memorable lighting designs at the Sydney Mardi Gras in past years, as well as the renown Frisky recovery parties in Sydney.

The 3-day event, which cost about S$500,000 to produce, is expected to generate close to S$10 million in tourist revenue, based on unreleased data collected by an independent market research company at Nation in 2003. The study also showed that gay visitors had a per capita spend more than four times the national average.

To ensure smooth operations, a 120-strong logistics and security team will be deployed at the main events, four separate bars will be set-up, and cash and major credit cards would also be accepted at the venues. The "Make Love Not War" Opening Party will feature a raised VIP viewing stage to take in the view while VIP guests at Nation can chill out at the new Moet & Chandon tent.

Sponsors of Nation.04 include Motorola who will launch its new E398 mobile phone and Ralph Lauren, its new fragrance: Romance Men Silver, as well as e33 Cider, Subaru, Visit Britain, Belvedere Vodka, Cathay Pacific, Conrad Centennial Singapore, Heineken Beer, Intercontinental Singapore and Mo�t & Chandon.

A very limited number of NATION.04 VIP WEEKEND PASSES (including a Commemorative CD set and Nation T-Shirt) and Closing Party tickets (till 6 Aug) are still available at S$150 and $25 respectively. Please visit click on the Nation site below for more details.

Kindly note that cameras and/or any other recording devices are prohibited at all Nation events to protect the privacy of all patrons. This policy will be strictly enforced, and we regret any inconvenience this may cause. We thank you in advance for your understanding and cooperation.