We spoke with D.Oyunnomin, the Chief Operating Officer at the Playtime Music Festival. During the interview, we discussed the festival’s core concept, its growth, as well as the performers and audience.

Since its inception in 2002, Mongolia's Playtime Festival has seen consistent growth, with attendance numbers clearly illustrating its success. The attendance figures highlight Playtime’s rise to the level of major international music festivals. Apart from the growing number of attendees, what other factors have contributed to Playtime’s emergence as an internationally recognized event?

This year marks the 23rd edition of the Playtime Festival. In general, there are two main indicators of a music festival's success: first, the festival’s line-up, which sets the tone and identity of the event, including the genres featured and the artists invited. Second, the number of attendees, which reflects the overall quality and appeal of the festival.

Playtime stands out in Asia because it offers a powerful combination of live music and electronic music within its program. Since 2013, Playtime has moved beyond just being a festival for rock enthusiasts. It's not limited to only rock music anymore, but it now fully embraces electronic music and showcases a diverse range of genres, including world music and hip-hop. For instance, we added dedicated street and hip-hop stages, broadening the festival’s musical diversity. This year’s lineup is a testament to Playtime’s rising profile as well. We have trending bands from South Korea like “Balming Tiger” and “Jambinai” performing, as well as internationally recognized names in electronic music. Artists of this caliber easily attract audiences of 30,000, 40,000, even 60,000 people worldwide.

Playtime’s ability to secure top-tier live and electronic music acts shows the festival’s growing quality. In terms of the audience, last year, our Playtime visitors reached 71,000. We’re hopeful we might even reach 100,000 attendees for this year. Our long-term vision is ambitious, by 2027, we aim for Playtime to be ranked among the top five music festivals in Asia. In terms of lineup and audience size, we are already close to breaking into the top 10 and possibly even ahead of some festivals currently considered in that tier.

Other reasons that make the Playtime Festival special?

One of the things that makes Playtime truly special is its timing and its uniqueness in Asia. Every July, when Europe is packed with music festivals and most parts of Asia are either too hot or in the middle of the rainy season, Playtime in Mongolia stands out. Unlike in places like Jakarta, Bali, or Thailand, where bands often perform as part of a larger Asian tour, artists come specifically to Mongolia just for Playtime and leave afterward. This focus gives Playtime a distinct identity compared to other festivals in the region.

Another major feature of Playtime is its close link with Mongolia’s biggest national holiday, Naadam. Playtime takes place right before Naadam every year, almost like it’s a tradition now. Many people attend Playtime and then head straight to the countryside to celebrate Naadam. This timing creates a perfect combination for visitors: they can experience Mongolia’s open steppes, see the Gobi desert, celebrate Naadam, and enjoy an international-quality music festival all in one trip.

Playtime has also been a driver for music tourism. Last year, about 2,000 tourists came to Mongolia only for Playtime. This creates significant added value for Mongolia’s economy, especially for Ulaanbaatar, not just in the music industry but also across the broader cultural and creative sectors.

Recently, a Japanese organization conducted a study, which found that after the Lunar New Year, Playtime is the largest festival in Mongolia in terms of attendance. This underlines how influential Playtime has become, it's now recognized as one of Mongolia’s major cultural events that brings together the largest number of people outside of traditional celebrations.

How do you handle the logistics for international bands or guests and the selection of bands you bring in? How receptive are foreign performers to invitations to play in Mongolia?

When we announce the Playtime lineup, people often only see a few artist names, but behind every name, there could be six months of work. Early on, many international artists would hesitate because they didn't know what Playtime was, or they weren't familiar with Mongolia at all.

But things have changed. Over time, as we've successfully brought major names like Ben Klock and Marcel Dettmann, international artists have started to recognize Playtime as a serious festival with a strong concept especially in the electronic music scene. Once they learn more about Mongolia, the wide open steppes, the idea of a four-day camping festival under the vast sky, and our strong lineup, they become fascinated. It’s an experience they can’t get anywhere else. The selection and booking process is intense and starts immediately after each festival ends. We spend an entire year planning and reaching out to potential bands for the next Playtime. Some artists choose other big European festivals instead, but many are now showing real interest in coming to Mongolia.

Logistics-wise, it’s a massive operation. Artist hospitality demands can be very specific, things like having a plain white cup with no logo, black towels for personal use, or certain drinks like soy milk and specific brands of snacks etc. We try to meet all these requirements, even if we have to import some items from abroad because they aren't available in Mongolia.

Music technology is another big challenge. Some artists use very specialized equipment that we don't have locally. For example, two years ago, the South Korean band needed a specific DJ setup that didn’t exist in Mongolia. So we had to rent the equipment from South Korea, have it delivered to Mongolia, and then send it back afterward. Similarly, for the band Cigarettes After Sex, their performance required an extremely dark stage atmosphere. We adjusted our entire stage setup to meet their artistic vision, even importing a disco ball from the U.S. just for their show.

From simple things like towels to complex technical setups, the level of preparation is enormous. Sometimes it's expensive and a lot of work for something that might only be used once. But it’s necessary to meet the high standards of the bands we invite and to maintain the international quality that Playtime is known for.

Playtime Festival promotes the message of Loving Mother Earth and is committed to supporting SDGs. How are these ideas actually put into practice?

The Playtime Festival is held in the open fields of the Nalaikh District, surrounded by nature this year. The setting itself, an outdoor camping festival close to the steppe and the earth, naturally brings people closer to both nature and to a deeper, almost spiritual connection through music and art.

Playtime is no longer just about music. The festival now includes Art Playtime, which focuses on visual and performing arts, a series of non-music programs like workshops and exhibitions, Yoga Days, and activities involving many different artistic and interest groups. The spirit of Playtime is that the festival is built collectively by its audience, organizers, artists, and volunteers, with a shared love for the earth. It is not just a slogan, it is woven into how the festival is designed and experienced.

In terms of action, the Playtime center was fully relocated to the open field last year. Since then, 56 trees from 20 different species have been planted, with plans to add more each spring and fall. The goal is to develop the site into an eco-park that supports music tourism without any major construction that could harm the landscape. To support this vision, two special teams focused on sustainable green development have been established.

During the festival, Playtime has introduced recyclable and reusable cups, encouraging people to use one cup for the entire event, simply washing and reusing it. Waste is carefully sorted and sent to the correct recycling points, and efforts have been made to reduce water consumption. In addition, Playtime has begun collaborating with an international company with 20 years of experience in renewable energy, to gradually introduce solar power at the festival site.

Efforts to minimize paper waste have also been strong. Instead of printing maps and programs, Playtime now shares information digitally through an app called Toki. Although some changes, like the introduction of reusable cups, were initially met with resistance from festival-goers, attitudes shifted last year, and many participants embraced these small but meaningful environmental actions. This year, in line with its commitment to sustainability and inclusivity, Playtime is also working with the European Union to create a special zero-barrier zone, making the festival more accessible for people in wheelchairs.

Compared to when Playtime was first launched, the situation has changed drastically. You could say that young people have now embraced the environmental messages we've been promoting and are actively engaging in eco-friendly behavior. Young people have not only learned about sustainable practices but have genuinely internalized them. Festival-goers have become highly conscious about green consumption, and many now want to sort their waste properly. Our role is to create the conditions to support these behaviors, and in that sense, the change isn’t limited just to the Playtime Festival, it’s a shift in lifestyle.

At the same time, each year we bring in international experts who advise us on how to further strengthen Playtime’s environmental and sustainability initiatives. We plan to continue and expand this work moving forward. Meanwhile, international artists are also taking a stand. For example, some bands like Massive Attack have publicly announced that they will no longer perform at festivals powered by diesel generators or those with high carbon footprints. They are pushing for performances powered by solar energy or other renewable sources. This trend shows that artists themselves are becoming strong advocates for sustainability.

Festivals are increasingly aligning with renewable energy goals because they have the power to influence large audiences. Today, themes like renewable energy and green living are becoming core values for the younger generation. When they talk about their favorite music or favorite festivals, sustainability naturally becomes part of the conversation. That’s why it’s so important that Playtime continues to lead by example in promoting green development.

What are the requirements and key criteria for artists participating in the Playtime Festival? How does this contribute to setting appropriate standards in the Mongolian music industry?

Many people who dream of becoming singers or DJs first come to Playtime Festival with hopes of starting their careers. Over time, Playtime, through its producers, has helped many artists improve and professionalize their work. Previously, Playtime used to organize a showcase event where young artists were selected through a competitive process, judges would sit and evaluate performances before inviting artists to perform at the festival. However, this year, the showcase was not organized.

The decision to cancel the showcase came from a desire to encourage artists to focus on developing their work independently, rather than preparing just for the showcase. It was observed that some bands, despite participating, were not performing at the desired level, and instead of helping them improve through one-off events, the organizers decided it was better to give artists more time to refine their craft and invite them later based on their progress.

Additionally, there had been concerns about the overcrowding of stages, with too many artists performing at the same time. This made it difficult for audiences to fully appreciate major bands, especially when global artists were performing. In response, this year, the number of stages has been significantly reduced. Both the number of foreign and domestic artists has been scaled back to focus more on quality rather than quantity.

Can you share some of the biggest challenges you face when organizing such a large event in Mongolia?

The weather is a major challenge, whether it’s rain or wind. For instance, in 2023, the final day had to be canceled due to flooding. Last year, learning from the past experience, we relocated to a new area to avoid the floods, and now we’re situated far from the river, away from potential natural disasters, but in the windy part of Nalaikh. The climate in Mongolia is very unpredictable. There’s no avoiding water and wind, so the question always remains: what if it's too windy? What if it rains? What if there's another flood? This is the most significant obstacle we face, though it’s a common issue everywhere. It is true that we face conditions beyond our control, but we always strive to improve each year. Our goal is to raise our quality standards every year.

Your team has been traveling a lot to study international festivals. When you compare these global experiences to what Playtime is doing in Mongolia, how do they measure up?

Yes, our team travels frequently to attend major music festivals. When you look at it from that perspective, Playtime is not lacking in any way. In fact, I see that we spoil our audiences, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing as we prepare a lot to ensure the audience is comfortable

It's true that our audience can get frustrated like when they’re queuing up for hours and get upset if things don’t go as planned. A few years ago, during the flood year, people were stuck in queues for seven or eight hours, and that caused a lot of complaints. But, for Coachella for instance this year, people were stuck for 12 hours and that’s a part of festivals.  It is true that we receive some complaints and we do our best to address complaints. For instance, in response to the frequent complaint that there’s nowhere to sit or rest during Playtime, we do make an effort to set up areas where people can relax, but there are still some limitations.