Panaji: The Sunburn electronic dance music (EDM) festival will be held in Goa, only if the Covid-19 situation in the state is manageable and the cases do escalate, Harindra Singh managing director of Percept Live, the event's organising agency, said on Friday.

Addressing a press conference in Goa on Friday, Singh also said that the audience capacity of the proposed event in Goa, would be as less as 10,000 this year and added that several Covid-19 precautionary measures at the festival.

"We were never planning to do the event, unless the Covid situation is manageable and the authorities believe that it is in control," Singh said, even as Congress workers staged a demonstration outside the press conference venue, opposing the organisation of the festival amid the pandemic, which has claimed 630 lives in Goa.

Harindra Singh also said, that compared to the nearly one lakh footfalls which the EDM festival has received in the past, only the festival would be open to only 10,000 guests.

"Last year we had five (performance) stages, this year there will be only three stages. We want to make sure there's no crowding," Singh said, also promising better entry and exit management protocol to avoid a rush.

"I'm gonna make sure everyone wears a mask. I am more concerned about Covid than anyone else. So if anyone believes that we want to be stupid and make money at the cost of your health. No, we don't want to," Singh said, while responding to accusations made by the opposition that the festival would result in the spread of the pandemic.

All opposition parties, including the Congress, Goa Forward, Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party, Aam Aadmi Party, etc, as well as some ruling BJP MLAs have opposed the organisation of the festival in the midst of the pandemic in the state.

The organisers of the Sunburn EDM festival, Percept Live, have announced the 14th edition of the event in Goa from December 27 to 29.