MUMBAI: Percept D'Mark's Sunburn 2008 ended on a high note on the evening of 30 December in Goa, with Growling Mad Scientists (GMS), DJ Pearl and the Midival Punditz bringing the festival to a thundering close.

The energy in the air was palpable as happy revelers spilled out of the venue, chattering excitedly about their favourite acts and best festival moments. Whether it was Norman Doray's funky house or soulful grooves by UK dance music biggie Defected Records' head Simon Dunmore, Gareth Emery's techno-trance, Shovell's dramatic percussion or killer sets by Copyright and Shapeshifters, dark horse Vachan Chinappa's superb mixing or Shiva Soundsystem and Order of the Essence's pounding dubstep, plus top-notch visuals by Dan Booth and Martin Robbins, there was something for everyone.

With 60-odd flea-market vendors and food stalls, fire spinners, jugglers and dancers, colourful, fluttering festival flags and breathtaking sunsets, Sunburn 2008 surmounted all the initial official hesitation and recession led fears to end on a happy note.

There were an estimated 3,000-plus people in attendance at Sunburn, many of whom had come to Goa for the festival itself, and others who happened to be around and chanced upon the event.

Festival organisers Percept D'Mark said they worked closely with local authorities to make sure all permissions were in place before Sunburn went ahead – in fact, final permissions came through so close to the festival start date that many people from metros including Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and Chennai, as well as from abroad, cancelled their trips to Goa because the festival organisers were unable to clarify that the event was on until all permissions were in place.