Artists from across the electronic and instrumental music spectrum met on the weekend of 12-14th of May to bring exclusive tunes to South London, for the latest edition of Peckham Rye Music festival.
If there is anything that proves that Peckham is quickly becoming an art hub, “the next Shoreditch of London”, it is its wide range of events taking places in quirky locations such as abandoned factories, fields and parking lots. Peckham Rye fest is one of them. The event kicked off on Friday afternoon with New Town Kings, a reggae and ska band opening the outdoor stage, located in Copeland Park, an old industrial area of Peckham.
The venue, spread across 4 stages, both inside and outside was the only place to be this weekend. The warehouse buildings shivered in bass tunes and people danced until the dawn every day, endorsing that Londoners are way too excited for the summer ahead. Festival goers could enjoy cold ciders and craft beers while dancing to the rhythm of reggae and dub played until the sunset on the main stage, located right next to all the foodie stalls and bars. KOKOROKO, Laura Misch and Alfa Mist were among those artists who got the crowd hyped and prepared for the long night ahead.
For the bon viveurs there were frozen Mojitos, wine and of course, a Jägermeister bar for all of those who couldn’t resist chasing down some ice cold jägerbombs. But who would on such a sunny weekend?
When speaking about the sun…Rooftop D, a stage located on a roof of an old factory was the place to be, and there was a queue of people waiting to get up in the need of getting some techno down their veins. The weather was astonishing and sun rays added up to the energy and chill vibe, spreading quickly across the whole festival.
Names such as Profusion, Apes, Axel Boman, Andy Lemay and Children of Zeus were hitting the rooftop stage without giving the visitors a break, with people dancing off to the sunset and taking a peek of the SE15 from above.
And if you felt like losing your legs after all that dancing, you could relax in the rooftop bar or hit one of the street food vans for some extra fuel. Spaghetti, Indian cuisine and other types of tasty snacks were served during the whole day and night. And one thing is for sure, the burgers were to die for!
For some real festival lovers and for those who forgot their glam at home, there was a glitter pop up stall, where skilled artists did their magic to your face and body, giving you the extraordinary sparkly look. However, most of the Londoners came fully prepared, with colourful hairbands, festival clothes and necklaces and body paint to show off their free spirit.
Sarah Proffitt from South London took her best friend, Sarah Cole to the festival on Saturday afternoon, to have some girl fun and enjoy the sunny weather. “It was really random, we weren’t even supposed to come here but we couldn’t waste such a nice day by spending it inside,” said Sarah.
And she’s right, the opening weekend was a perfect opportunity for everyone to forget about work and responsibilities, and to come out to play in the sun.
“We’re quite party animals, so we’re gonna aim for at least 2 AM tonight” added Sarah before disappearing into the crowd of jumping youngsters.
The festival’s opening weekend, hosting more than 50 artists and DJs from the London’s electronic music scene was definitely one of a kind. The relaxed atmosphere, great people, drinks, food and the weather made it a memorable experience for everyone who came along and brought the quirky venue back to life.
For those of you who missed it, don’t lose your festival feeling just yet, Peckham Rye Music festival continues with its fringe events until the next weekend and a closing party on Sunday, 21st of May, when the DJs on rooftop D will end the week full of music and entertainment.
