Goafest 2024 to happen in Mumbai due to Lok Sabha polls; Ad fest to take place on 30-31 May

The 17th edition of Goafest which includes the ABBY awards is set to take place on 30th and 31st of May 2024. But not in the usual spot. India's premier ad festival is likely to move from Goa to Mumbai, due to the General Elections. Goafest 2024 has also been cut from a three-day event to a two-day festival, industry sources tell Storyboard18. 

Co-hosted by The Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) and The Advertising Club, Goafest 2024 in Mumbai will likely be a two-day extravaganza, showcasing the pinnacle of creativity, knowledge, and networking in the advertising, marketing, and media industry.
An official communication from the organisers is expected soon. 

Drawing over 2000 industry professionals annually, Goafest organisers were anticipating increased participation, including from advertisers, this year. With several top advertisers and agencies located in the financial capital, Goafest 2024 may well see more significant participation from both. The festival offers a platform for learning, recognition, and celebration. 

Adlanders’ interest in the fest had been on a steady decline over a few years. In the past the festival has been plagued by controversies around scam ads and judging processes, and boycotts by leading agencies including Ogilvy. For a while there was also heated debate about moving the Abby awards back to Mumbai. 

In a previous story, one former Ogilvy creative head had told Storyboard18: "Do people still attend Goafest?" They highlighted that worse was the fact that clients didn’t care for the fest. The focus had shifted to newer award shows and more robust legacy awards like Effies, as agencies began seeing more value in those metals on their mantles.

Nine years, a pandemic, several debates over the event’s quality, and raison d'etre later, a few of the top agencies that had given the awards a skip in the past returned for the 2023 edition. 

The Abby's also tied up with world-renowned award One Show, which, together with more agency participation, resulted in a fair rise in the number of delegates and entries. ABBY One Show Awards 2023 attracted a total of 2282 entries as compared to approximately 2000 entries in 2022. 181 companies entered the Creative ABBY 2023. 

At the 2023 edition, there was also a stronger presence from clients and brand leaders from organisations like ITC, Colgate, Google, Swiggy and HDFC Bank, among others.  The event's organisers had vowed to make the awards and festival more relevant to a new generation of agencies, talent and clients, which bore results at the 2023 edition of the festival. How the shift in venue will impact the festival this year remains to be seen. But for now, it seems, Goafest is set to become a Mumbai fest.