W HOTELS AND CERCLE TO HOST LIVESTREAMED CONCERT BY MONOLINK AT A CASTAWAY ISLAND AT W MALDIVES: GAATHAFUSHI 

W Maldives to be First Hotel Featured as the Setting of an Iconic Cercle Production, Following the Likes of the Eiffel Tower, Great Pyramids of Giza & Bolivia’s Salar de Uyuni

 If you throw a concert in the middle of the Indian Ocean and there’s no one around to hear it, does it still make a sound? You bet it does. W Hotels Worldwide, part of Marriott International, today announces a collaboration with Cercle, the ground-breaking French media company known for filming and broadcasting music performances in the world’s most awe-inspiring places, to host an unforgettable live concert at Gaathafushi—the private castaway island at W Maldives. Streaming live on July 26, 2021*, the hour-and-fifteen-minute set will feature a performance by Berlin-based electronic musician Monolink with the island’s white sandy beach and turquoise lagoon serving as the stage. 

“From our Sound Suite recording studios to our intimate Living Room stages and DJ booths, there is always live music happening at a W hotel somewhere around the world,” said Carly Van Sickle, Senior Director, Global Brand Marketing, W Hotels Worldwide. “For our next act, we’re excited to be collaborating with the visionaries at Cercle to celebrate the beauty and wonder of one of our most beautiful Escapes—W Maldives—through the power of music.”

Cercle has produced and livestreamed some of the most jaw-dropping musical performances ever filmed. From a hot air balloon above Cappadocia, Turkey and the Great Pyramids of Giza in Egypt to Glacier 3000 in the Swiss Alps and Mont Saint-Michel island in France, Cercle productions have amassed millions of views online. At sundown on July 26th, Gaathafushi Island at W Maldives will join this list of iconic locations, becoming the first hotel to serve as the site of a Cercle show. 

“Cercle is all about great aesthetics, culture, nature and music, values which are shared by W, making this collaboration a groundbreaking no-brainer. When two entities have the same goal and vision, everything flows and expectations are exceeded,” said Pol Souchier, Head of Communication at Cercle.  “That's why we wanted to collaborate with W Maldives and the resort’s magnificent Gaathafushi Island. It's a location we've been eager to feature on Cercle, and with Monolink, an artist long-awaited on the channel, we're thrilled to celebrate the power of music with our loyal fan base alongside W."

Electronic singer-songwriter Monolink is known for combining melodic techno with dreamy guitar-led folk. His performance will be livestreamed via Facebook, Twitch, and Oculus Venues at 5pm UTC+5*. Cercle will then work their magic to release the official performance video on their YouTube channel in August, which will be broadcast at select W Hotels around the world. Monolink is also releasing a new single today—“Turning Away”—which will be featured on a Cercle-curated playlist on the W brand’s Spotify channel. 

This performance in paradise is meant to honor Gaathafushi, the remote island a stone’s throw away from W Maldives. Guests of the Escape can take a two-minute speedboat ride to the secluded beach and enjoy over 76,000 sq ft of tropical playground by swimming in the surrounding lagoon, indulging in a candlelit meal on the beach prepared by a private chef, or simply relaxing and stargazing under a thatched-roof hut. W Maldives also offers an Island Takeover package where guests can book the entire W Maldives property, including Gaathafushi, for the ultimate castaway island experience. The resort is also home to one of the best reefs in the destination with vibrant colors of the coral forest and captivating, diverse marine life right at guests’ doorsteps.

The music won’t stop once Monolink ends his set. Music is the heartbeat of every W hotel and guests of W Maldives can enjoy curated music across the property during pool parties and daily sunset spins by the only Music Curator in the Maldives, Jennifer Dons. 

To see Monolink’s performance at W Maldives, watch live on Cercle’s Facebook @cerclemusic or Twitch @cerclemusic and relive the performance on Cercle’s YouTube channel. Stay up to date with the latest and find exclusive, behind-the-scenes content on Instagram at @whotels, @wmaldives and @cerclemusic. For more information, visit wmaldives.com, w-hotels.marriott.com and cercle.io.

*Date and time are subject to change due to inclement weather.