Field Day and Lovebox have kicked off my summer festival season nicely this year but did I mention what’s still to come? The one and only BBC Radio 1’s “Hackney Weekend“, London Pleasure Garden’s “Bloc.2012 Weekend” and Worldwide Electronic Music Festival “Global Gathering“.
Hackney Weekend
Next weekend sees BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend biggest weekend ever! The event is held once a year, in a different location within the United Kingdom each time, it’s the biggest free ticketed music event in Europe and always includes a host of new artists. On 23rd May 2011, it was announced that for 2012 Radio 1 would be replacing the Big Weekend with a ‘Hackney Weekend‘ to form part of the London 2012 Festival, in the build up to the 2012 Olympics. The festival takes place on the Hackney Marshes on 23 and 24 June 2012.
My brother and I were lucky enough to bag a pair of free tickets to Saturday’s event, with the likes of Leona Lewis, Rizzle Kicks, Example, Ed Sheeran, Nicki Minaj, Kasabian and a massive headline act from Jay-Z you can imagine how excited we are. Let the count down begin! Click the link for all the latest info: www.bbc.co.uk/music/events/e9wmxj
Bloc.2012 Weekend
Acting as one of the few festivals that operate in the winter break, for the past five years Bloc Weekend has been a hedonistic mid-March staple for electronic music lovers. Set in the unique formica surroundings of Butlins holiday village in Minehead it provided a completely unique festival experience; so the news that Bloc would this year be upping sticks from its spiritual home to the freshly invigorated East London Pleasure Gardens for the 6th & 7th July, was naturally met with a new air of excitement and yet trepidation from seasoned Bloc heads, who are content to reminisce over the lost memories of the loosely-contained organized chaos that was found at Butlins.
Come pay day, I plan to purchase tickets to Friday’s event. Friday 6 July features the likes of Snoop Dogg / Richie Hawtin / Amon Tobin: ISAM / Steve Reich / Ricardo Villalobos / DOOM / Jamie Jones / Carl Craig – 69 / Nicolas Jaar / Joker / Hudson Mohawke DJ / etc. Tickets are still available to purchase here: www.blocweekend.com
Global Gathering
Reuniting with my uni mates from first and second year, we will be heading to Long Marston Airfield near Stratford-upon-Avon. Held on the last weekend of July each year, GlobalGathering in the UK has established itself as a major UK dance festival since it began in 2001. It provides entertainment from a range of electronic genres, and includes live acts, house, trance and dubstep. Having purchased VIP weekend festival passes, I can’t wait for VIP camping, access to the VIP woods and fields and some extra hot music. Weekend and / or day tickets are still available to purchase from here: www.globalgathering.com
Stay tuned to Daydreamer for blog posts on each event. Please note, I am on holiday for a week after Hackney Weekend so there is likely to be a delay between posts. Happy Festivaling!
Just another London foodie 