Detonate Festival is returning to Colwick Park on Saturday 4th June for it’s 4th outdoor event, and safe to say expectations are high. With no sign of No Tomorrow returning, at least Nottingham has one dance festival to look forward to, and the lineup has done nothing but impress as a result. The one day event includes 3 stages, 2 arenas, live art and a street village of food stalls. With the likes of Craig David, Chase & Status and Wilkinson gracing the lineup, there is no doubt that Detonate festival will be one to remember. With an eclectic mix of drum & bass, grime, garage, house and jungle – expect pods of smoke, big drops and gun fingers. Not what you would typically see on a sunny day in Colwick Park…
The festival is extremely well thought out making full use of the beautiful scenery – did I mention there will be a stage floating on a lake? The Pontoon Stage will play host to some of the best house music provided by Redlight, Chris Lorenzo, DJ Zinc, Caramello & many more. This is alongside an arena tucked away in the woods creating a perfect environment for hosting renowned DJs. Other stages include the LakeSide Stage (lets hope no one falls in) and the Big Top Arena. Tents are notoriously known for intense atmospheres and so expect dark and gritty screwfaces (not for the weak-hearted).
In between acts, you can take a trip to the Village Area where there will be face painting, live art, screen printing and a vintage market. As a consequence of big nights like Caramello and Cirque du Soul, University of Nottingham students love being glittered up so this is the perfect opportunity to continue the trend. There is even a whole village dedicated to street food. The ‘around the world’ style stalls will range from Jamaican jerk specialists to pizza and a Great British BBQ, which is perfect to sit in the sunshine and indulge in. As well as this there will be an array of vegetarian and gluten free food available to make sure everyone can get involved.
“University of Nottingham students love being glittered up so this is the perfect opportunity to continue the trend”
So who to see while you’re there? If you’re a fan of jungle make sure you catch David Rodigan and Shy FX. The basslines of reggae rhythms and dub remixes will be sure to heat up the dance floor and get you in the summery mood. Wilkinson and DJ Hype will provide scratch routines and ragga sound clashes, whilst Chase & Status will return with a monumental DJ set. Grime lovers should be sure to head over to see Giggs, Stormzy and the king of BDL Big Narstie. The vast number of grime artists means you can expect a huge amount of shapes to be thrown and maybe a few moshpits. Finally if you’re a fan of all things garage then be sure to catch Preditah, TQD and of course Craig David. These artists never fail to deliver in terms of energy, song selection and technical skill and with the rise of garage music over the past few years, they shall provide some of the best sets of the day.
It is safe to say that Craig David has been on everyone’s radar this year, having an impressive comeback with hits ‘When the Bassline Drops’ and ‘Nothing Like This’. If you haven’t seen a TS5 set before, expect all the old school garage classics, and of course his popular mashup which kick-started his comeback: ‘Fill Me In’ mixed with Bieber’s mammoth hit ‘Where Are Ü Now’. It’s hard to do the lineup justice with just a few lines, but I think it’s clear to see that pioneer DJs of all the bass heavy genres will be in the heart of Nottingham this June.
Final release tickets are now available for £45; seeing as it is the end of exams, why not go VIP? (VIP tickets are £60). This will give you exclusive access to the VIP Island – an area surrounded by lakes with a cocktail bar and lots of deck chairs to relax on in between sets. You can grab a ticket here: http://detonate-festival-tickets.eventgenius.co.uk/events/Detonate-Festival-2016/index.html
