As the year comes to a close, people may have left it to consider their options for the upcoming holidays… Sure, Christmas is a time for eating too much and exchanging gifts, but what about New Year’s Eve?

A village just three hours from Phnom Penh is promoting itself as this year’s hottest December 31 ticket.

The village bit

This year’s inaugural Nesat Market NYE Launch Party will feature a lineup of the Kingdom’s best-loved musical acts, as well as a market which the organisers say is guaranteed to have something for everyone.

Nesat village, a small coastal hamlet surrounded by lush forest in Koh Kong province’s Srae Ambel district, is busy making plans for what the organisers hope will become an annual tradition for locals, expats and tourists alike.

The neighbourhood was founded just a few short years ago, with expats and locals searching for a relaxed seaside setting which captured the slow-paced, organic vibe of the once-thriving Otres Beach community in nearby Sihanoukville. 

“The locals call it ‘PhumBarang!’. This loosely translates to ‘village of foreigners.’ There’s around 80 foreigners of us here already, working hands-on with local Khmer people to build this new bohemian experiment,” explained Daniel Gilliard, part of the organising committee.

They’ll be supported by ‘death pop’ power trio Geography of the Moon. Steve Porte

With golden beaches, lush jungle growth and even a nearby waterfall, it just might be the perfect place to welcome in another year in the Kingdom.

A custom-built stage and soundsystem has been erected to host the centre-piece of the celebrations, while market stalls were offered free-of-charge to any craftspeople and vendors who would like to take advantage of the gathering to showcase their wares.

While the village has a healthy collection of guesthouses and bungalows, camping will also be available, with sanitation blocks and lockers provided. 

December is of course, the coolest month of the year here in the Kingdom, with Psar Toul Tom Poueng almost sold out of beanies and puffa jackets, so it may be the perfect time to try life under canvas.

In a deliberate bid to maintain the DIY vibe of previous similar festivals, no major sponsors are attached to the project, meaning a wide range of food and beverage will be available, all at prices that won’t break the bank.

Phone reception is reportedly excellent, so ABA will be king, with no need to worry about bringing cash.

Live acts will get underway before midday, with gentler sounds curated as the perfect background to finding a shady corner under the cashew trees and easing into the festival.

The quiet-ish bit

A preliminary timetable promises a mix of live trip-hop, jazz and piano ballads, before things begin to get loud.

Scottish-Italian balladeer Don Rubbio, appearing as Tired Panda, promises a experimental trip-hop set, with samples and triggers galore, and even rumours that a sitar may make an appearance… He’ll be followed by one of the Kingdom’s most soulful acts ­– The Broken Cymbal.

Featuring jazz and soul standards, and some immediately recognisable modern tunes, the classic two-piece will set the tone for the afternoon.

Featuring acoustic maestro Anthony on guitar, accompanied by Cati – who has been described a soul diva with a voice from God – the crowd will be set up beautifully for the rest of the night. Of course, with the power of her lungs, it is possible that some people will be asking themselves why they travelled three hours to see the band, when you could probably make her out clearly back in Phnom Penh.

New Year’s Eve in Nesat is also the penultimate chance to see, make that experience, Men of faith. Supplied

They’ll be followed by a solo set by indie-grunge-ambient three piece Skeptical Chemistry. Described as an intimate gig by front man Vince Solomon, it should be fascinating to see how the band’s sometimes chaotic and raucous compositions translate back to a stripped down sound and atmosphere.

French chanteuse Virginia Bones will deliver a set of her self-proclaimed “sadbangers” which by all accounts began forming when her parents rescued an old black piano from a burnt down bar in her hometown. She brings a dark touch to the traditional loungebar groove with touches of the killer piano driven ballads of Tori Amos and …Warren Zevon? The comparison was deliberately lazy. Lazy Bones. Virginia Bones. Treat yourself. Listen to her.

The loud bit

As the sun thinks about tucking itself up for the night, the ‘bigger’ acts will take to the stage. Naturally, I’m referring to the number of members. Mostly.

First up is one of the few remaining chances to witness the misunderstood glory that is Men of Faith. 

Danceable garage-punk with lyrics that will stick with you, this will be just their third, and penultimate, show. The front woman – whose name I can’t remember – is heading off to fill the beer-soaked basements of Papua New Guinea with her own twisted version of classic riot grrrl energy.

The lineup has to be the best one of 2024 and 2025. Supplied

I can’t be the only one who hopes they record some of their lightning in a bottle so I can set an instant classic like “Come Back with a Warrant” as my ringtone. If anyone needs another reason to make it down to Nesat, the chance to see 25% of the Men of Faith shows ever played is a pretty good one. 

Faith will pass the torch to Battambang’s finest. 

Forget the bamboo train. The Khmer Blind Band remind everyone where we are.

Even the most cynical music hipsters cannot help but fall for the fuzzed out yet trad and even bossa nova influenced classic rock and roll of the Kingdom’s legendary “Golden Era” of the late 60s and early 70s, and the blind band capture the feel of the era perfectly.

You’ll hear songs you didn’t realise were Sinn Sisamouth originals, and I challenge anyone not to start twisting, even a little bit.

Led by Chea Horn, who formed the precise rock and roll machine entirely from people with disabilities, they are one of the best times that can be had, and anyone lucky enough to catch them will remember the experience for a long time. Even better, they are available for bookings – if you need a party started for young and old, these are the guys (and girls).

Kampot-based cross-channel Madchester psychedelic electro-rock two-piece Frankie Teardrop Dead have a sound that, like their geographic indicators, defy expectations. Sometimes dreamy and shoegazy, and sometimes peak warehouse party fillers, Carling and Ben run the gamut. I get the feeling they like to feed off the crowd and the setting and improvise, so who knows what a scenic vista like Nesat Market will bring out in them? One thing is for sure, its gonna be a good time.

Guaranteed to draw a crowd are Doors of Perception, a new-to-the-scene classic rock covers band, rumoured to be fronted by two of the festival’s very own organisers. If the name is any kind of clue, attendees should expect a selection of psychedelic 60s tunes, belted out by a voice that blends the power of Tom Jones with the loud-quiet-loud formula perfected by the Lizard King himself. 

Those who make it to dawn will want to refresh themselves with a dip at the nearby lagoon. Supplied

They’ll be backed up by returning darlings of the scene Geography of the Moon, whose latest album, Aberdeen Hiroshima, has been building on their momentum globally, with Belgian national radio throwing them on high rotation and even Scottish legend-of-the-silver-screen Robert Carlyle championing their work. 

Virginia’s distinctive vocals were described as “airy, playful, precise and detached” by French podcast channel Village Le Pop, and I can’t beat that description.

Largely influenced by bands from the 80s and the 90s, somewhere between psych rock, post punk, pop, new wave and indie rock, GOTM create their own brand of mashed up styles: Death Pop – “Sometimes” with a little ABBA style vocals-in-profile thrown in for good measure.

If Begbie from Trainspotting is to believed, and you want the chance to experience them in the perfect environment, Nesat might be just the ticket.

Headlining this year’s party are must-see indie giants Soselo Summer, hopefully with another of their popular t-shirt offerings. 

The jury is still out on whether their raw urban sound will translate to the provincial jungle, but they haven’t played a bad show yet, so it would be a mistake to underestimate what they might do with the power of a vast starlit sky above them.

Assuming the crowd is still standing, popular DJs Manlikebrooks, Big Daddy Klang and Ricky Bobby will keep the vibe rolling until the small hours… There are also rumours of a complimentary bus to the nearby lagoon for anyone who makes it to sunrise and needs to wake themselves up in the morning.

The logistics bit

Anyone looking for a unique trip out of town needs to investigate Nesat ASAP, and with limited tickets remaining for what maybe the finest entertainment lineup of 2024 and 2025, time is of the essence. 

With the organisers promising more and more events in the future, this could be your chance to get in and say you were there first.

Travel and accommodation details can be found on the Nesat Market Facebook page, along with ticket details. At just 50,000 riel ($12.50), you can’t afford to miss this one.