It’s been a long wait. With the UAE now on the UK’s amber list Brits in Dubai are planning trips home to see family and friends. The amber status means Brits returning to Blighty still need a negative PCR test to fly and must isolate at home for 10 days. But England’s Day 5 ‘Test to Release’ scheme brings freedom earlier – and that frees up vital time to hit a UK festival. Yee-ha! Here’s some UK festival news for those able to scratch that itch in September.
Café Mambo Ibiza in the Park
First up, Pete Tong and Danny Howard are now heading to Café Mambo Ibiza in The Park, at Bedford Park, on Saturday 11 September. The BBC Radio 1 DJs join Sister Bliss, Hannah Wants and Riton on the line-up.
Pete Tong and Danny Howard are absolute dance music powerhouses. Tongy’s influence on the rise of dance music culture is immeasurable. Tong’s Friday night ‘Essential Selection’ show officially kickstarted the weekend for a generation of clubbers, and he’s a trusted dance music global ambassador to this day. Danny Howard’s rise is also unstoppable, from winning a BBC Radio 1 talent search to presenting the legendary ‘Dance Anthems’ show, all the way to leading the station’s electronic music line-up on Friday nights. Howard also helms his own label, Nothing Else Matters, and his DJ sets are in high demand across the globe.
Café Mambo Ibiza in The Park kicks off at 5pm and runs through until 11pm. Tickets start at £36 plus booking fee. Find all the ticket info here. Café Mambo Ibiza is, of course, one of the White Isle’s most famous brands. It successfully exports its Balearic magic around the world. Here’s hoping we see the brand back in Dubai sooner rather than later.
Made Festival
Originally scheduled to take place in July, this year’s MADE Festival is going ahead on Saturday 18 September. In a turbulent UK festival scene, MADE’s promoters fought hard to make the 2021 event a reality. What’s more, this is the festival’s first year at Sandwell Valley Country Park – 660 acres of stunning scenery on the outskirts of Birmingham.
“We have battled tirelessly to ensure the festival is able to go ahead,” said a MADE spokesman. “We want to put on an incredible event for festival-goers but our event is also vital to the wider industry and community. This is why we have fought so hard to put on this year’s festival.”
The UK festival celebrates its seventh edition with seven stages, covering hip-hop, drum & bass, house music, garage, bass, soul and jungle. The line-up is fierce with cutting-edge artists sharing the bill with scene legends. Think Shy FX, Lady Sanity, High Contrast, SaSaSas, Sonny Fodera, Jess Bays, Low Steppa, Fleur Shore, Flava D, Horse Meat Disco, Bryan Gee and Frenetic – and so many more. We say don’t miss the long-awaited headline set from The Streets and be front and centre for Greentea Peng. It’s an 11am to 10.30pm affair and tickets start at £66 including booking fee. Head to the festival’s website for all the ticket info.
elrow Festival Weekender
Labelled “the world’s craziest party”, elrow rolls into Sandwell Valley Country Park the following weekend for a colourful two-day festival. Across Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 September, the elrow team will deliver a heady cocktail of quality house music, surreal theatre, incredible production and dancefloor fun.
From humble beginnings as a small after-hours Sunday party for a group of friends in Spain, elrow is now a global party brand. More than 2.5 million people on five continents have experienced elrow’s clubbing carnivals. Now 15,000 party people will experience the music, madness and magic of an elrow UK festival weekender.
While news of the festival line-up is imminent, we can tell you it will feature a host of elrow resident DJs. And, boy, do they like to party! Weekend tickets are a snip at £55 plus booking fee. A day ticket for Saturday will set you back £35 plus booking fee. Sunday’s tickets are a tad cheaper at £27.50 plus booking fee. Discover all the ticket info you need to know right here.
Check online for each festival’s Covid-19 precautionary measures.
Also read: Where is the UAE’s Perfect Party Spot?
