Indulge yourself in an array of food vendors, lining up and forming heavenly food alleys right before you enter the main stage! 

Welcome to the first-ever Monash Waterbomb Festival, brought to you by our beloved Activities Chairpersons and Monash Business Club (MBC)!

Even before the registration was open, people were queuing to secure their spot in the Wet Zone. Participants in the wet fiesta were limited due to safety reasons; remember, safety before anything else! Water guns, goggles, and towels were selling quicker than any mouthwatering snacks and sweets, a rare sight indeed.

Although there was a delay at the start, the crowd swarmed as the Master of Ceremonies (MCs) stepped onto the stage, ready to introduce the opening act. The stage welcomed Monash Music Club (MMC) onto their floor to warm up the masses. Starting off with a bang, the MMC performed “Sunshine Nerd” by Jay Chou. Led by their lead singer (who also happens to be called Jay), the MMC brought joy and mirth with their performance. Quickly followed by “Summer of ‘69” by Bryan Adams and “Here’s to Never Growing Up” by Avril Lavigne, MMC brought us to a quick throwback to our childhood. Wrapping up their performance, MMC presented an energetic performance of “Cake by the Ocean” that got the audience singing along while bobbing their heads. Their performances truly set the tone for the fun and excitement in store for the crowd. 

The temperature rose as MMC left the stage on fire, making the crowd demand more performances. In the midst of cheers and applause, our local champion beatboxer Joseph Sim took on to the stage and showcased his talents. With his expertise that brought him to the heights of beatboxing competitions, Joseph was just like a walking EDM machine. He performed a beatbox rendition of Taki-Taki and numerous other pop hits that kept the crowd’s spirits high, grooving along to his beat. After his finale, the crowd erupted into a deafening cheer, thirsting for more.

Worry not! Monash Street Dance Society (MSDS) was ready to bring the temperature to a new height! The set began with a captivating cover of LE SSERAFIM’s Coachella hit, Smart, which made people do a little dance as the beat echoed through. The second performance, featuring P1Harmony’s Killin It, was a powerful hip-hop-style choreography that successfully hyped the crowd even more. The heat peaked as the Water Team performed a heel rendition of Tyla’s song of the summer, a perfect way to end the set! The scream was louder than ever, marking the success of MSDS’ performances.

Next up on the stage is our local pop princess, Claudia Tan! She kept the crowds’ energy going high with her line-up of pop-hits like “Toast”, “Your Gentleman” and “Oh My God!” She charmed the crowds with her enchanting voice, reaching high notes effortlessly in a smooth falsetto; speaking directly to our hearts with perfect enunciation. The crowd constantly hollered her name in excitement – looks like Claudia just gained some new fans. In a flash, 30 minutes had gone by and we reached the end of Claudia’s segment. The crowd was sad and reluctant to let her go, their sadness only placated by the prospect of the waterplay starting soon.  

Finally, it was time for the highlight of Waterbomb. At the beckon of the MCs, the crowd in the wet zone rose to their feet and split into two groups. There was electricity in the air. With their water weapons at the ready, the crowd was brimming with anticipation to get others and themselves wet. After the MCs’ cue, it all descended into blissful chaos. There were water guns, sprays, and jets shooting liquids in all directions. To add to the fun, some committee members brought bucketfuls of water into the arena and splashed them onto unsuspecting victims. If you were in the wet zone, there was no chance of making it out dry. While the crowd was busy with waterplay and laughter, DJ Perry Kuan took to the stage as our final performer for the night. Coming in hot with his mashup series of modern hits and timeless classics, he was a catalyst for the crowd’s energy to reach unprecedented heights! Even the crowd from the dry zone was jumping the beats. DJ Perry Kuan pumped out a wide array of beats, ranging from 2000s English pop hits to K-pop and Japanese anime music; there was something for everyone to vibe with. 

Article by Teresa & Jason

Photos by Ezriq, Thong Chen, Wai Foong & Tarek