WE ARE FSTVL PREVIEW

It’s 11.30pm Sunday morning in East London. I’m surrounded by sweaty ravers who’ve been up for over 30 hours, pupils rattling in their sockets. Far in the distance stands a fresh-faced character spinning the disks to the delight of a sizzling crowd who all express their appreciation with a cloud of perspiration rising above their heads.  The sun has just disappeared over the main stage, punters scream for more in a myriad of different languages and still the party shows no sign of drawing to a close. The energy of the crowd makes simply being in the moment its own reward.

Worthy winner of ‘Best New Festival,’  WE ARE FSTVL 2013 was an incredible success - and the reasons are obvious.  Inclusiveness, impeccable programming, sun, a wonderful venue and an emphasis on having a damn good session of merrymaking with a catalogue of cutting-edge electronic musicians. WE ARE FSTVL 2013 set a standard that can only be matched by the Catalan grandaddy of all electronic music - Sonar Festival in Barcelona. 

And it is that time of year again, ladies and gentlemen. The days are getting longer, the flowers are blossoming and the sun is shining. The festival season upon us and it all kicks off in under 5 weeks with WE ARE FSTVL 2014. Tickets in hand, excitement does not quite do it justice, for this year is destined to be bigger and better than any musical showcase I have experienced before.

The festival this year take place on the Bank Holiday on Saturday 24th and Sunday 25th May at the Airfield of Dreams, Damyn’s Hall in Upminster, Essex. In attendance will be anybody and everybody with a love of electronica - including the biggest names in dance music alongside some of the world’s leading club brands -  all hosted across 16 stages and 2 brand new main stage concepts to be released over the coming weeks. The setting is extraordinary, the lineup supreme - WE ARE FSTVL is rapidly becoming of compulsory attendance for electronic music fans from all across Europe.

Fatboy Slim, Richie Hawtin and Sven Vath headline the festival this year, but it is the depth of artistic talent that simply astounds those lucky few in attendance. Disclosure,  Jamie Jones and special guest Eddie Halliwell will all be wooing the crowds with their latest beats and baselines on the Saturday night, quickly followed by Ricardo Villalobos, Luciano, Steve Lawler and Duke Dumont on the Sunday. And there are many, many more.

I simply cannot wait. With a rare mix of intimacy and world-class electric artists, WE ARE FSTVL 2014 may well be be spoken about as the stand-out electronic musical event of the UK summer. Fingers crossed the weather will be kind for the entire weekend of it!

Wiliam Ralston