There’s no better way to round off a jam-packed, festival-hopping bank hol affair than by heading to one more festival for good measure – and what dreamier closer could we ask for than Cross The Tracks?
Providing the ultimate Sunday soother without shying away from high energy vibes too (shoutout Ezra Collective for creating the largest dancefloor in the UK), we’ve nothing but praise for this soulful retreat in Brockwell Park.
Surrounded by sunflowers and brass, we were welcomed by Jordan Rakei’s golden hour set combining percussion, strings and delicately powerful vocals, mirroring the hazy glow of the afternoon sunshine.
7 stages glisten in the rays, with a full spectrum of musical delight from live instruments and raw vocals (Cymande, RUBII, Jaz Karis and JGrrey) to the weighty dubs of Channel One and Gilles Peterson’s eclectic electro.
Taking the standard loop to re-establish our bearings, we pit-stopped for a Hogless Roast bap (10/10) and refuelled by The Caboose to the Jazzbois and DARGZ.
Something repeatedly notable about this festival is the down-to-earth crowd it attracts, with a sea of smiling and friendly faces uniting over a wholesome shared interest: our love for indulging in the sweet sounds of familiar favourites and new discoveries – for which X The Tracks creates the perfect space, filled to the brim with grassroots and global artists.
We believe a festival can have the most impressive lineup dripping with quality music, but if the rest of the amenities and aren’t there to generate the atmosphere and then it’s wasted. It’s safe to say that Cross The Tracks has no shortage of fulfilment – with a diverse and delicious abundance of food catering to all tastes, a spacious set-up incorporating green areas to unwind in nature, and classic fairground rides for those that can hack it!
The site has all the facilities for fun, whilst safely and comfortably accommodating fezzi-goers of all ages and abilities, nurturing the environment beyond the music that brought us all here.
Back to Ezra Collective, because we need to talk about the euphoric energy experienced in that moment by seemingly 90% of Cross The Tracks attendees. The sun had been hiding for most of the weekend, but there’s no doubt if the EZ are playing, she’ll be shining.
Taking us on a jazz-bedazzled journey through live renditions of originals and classic covers, the BRIT Award-winning quintet cooked up and blended all the genres with soul, hip-hop, even garage and more – reminding us that God gave us feet for dancing, and that’s exactly what we’ll f’in do!!
Hunger strikes again as we dust off from a serious leg shaking session, so we head to Livity as the dusk descends for some plant-based jerk chicken, oyster mushrooms and nourishing Ital curry. The moon rises at Terminal, and Free Nationals serenade us into the nighttime with their Rhythm and Blues.
We left Brockwell Park floating on air and feeling 10 stone lighter (despite all the scran) after a heavenly day full of hope and positivity.
Cross The Tracks, please never change.