Ready to take a trip? Inviting us into a wonderland of psychedelic stages, trippy visuals, and an entire village specifically for 2023, elrow Town returned to London with a bang bringing with it over 200 performers, dozens of dance DJs, and an atmosphere only the Barcelona-based events could ever construct. If you weren’t part of the mass of electronic-music fans who gathered in Parsoles Park last Saturday for the kaleidoscopic extravaganza but still want a taste of the action, let us set the scene before we begin… Think costumed characters, multicoloured stages and what could only be described as an acid trip (without the melting faces in the mirror).
With a lineup of ethereal beats from dance music’s best DJs, Sam Divine, Gorgon City, Ben Hemsley, Hannah Laing & Patrick Topping & other established names enticed us into the parallel universes that lay wait within each tent. Upon entry music enveloped our ears as seemingly invisible hands pulled us into a sea of rainbow-adorned ravers and heavenly electronic sounds.
In one, we danced amongst the towering columns and rich reds of elrow’s Roman-inspired stage. As the sounds transitioned from twinkly to powerful, we spotted two of the festivals signature performers floating through the crowd, carrying toga-clad wearable puppets. Over in the pink tent, a world of psychedelic visuals awaited, stretching as far as the eye could see. Intricate patterns decorated the ceiling, and a giant smiley featuring a pitchfork between its teeth overhung the decks, where a lineup of deeper, heavier sounds decended onto dancers, tipping the scales between twinkly house beats before descending into bassy, hardcore techno.
For those in search of groovier beats, elrow’s inflatable church offered a small and intimate nook nestled amongst the electic energy of the mainstages for disco-lovers whose ears had led them there. Taking a break from the indoor dance huddles, we ventured outside into rain in search of outdoor stages, stumbling upon situated in elrow’s mock town. As we danced, the festival kept moving around us, with colourful sets and extravagant costumes catching our eye.
Welcomed over to the OCB stall by two brightly dressed characters in neon wigs, we we’re showered with free goodies and blow up joints before falling upon earth-coloured beanbags that lay beneath a tree, providing a spot for festival goers to relax in the rain with a zoot.
Back under the cover of the main stage, floor-to-ceiling columns splattered with consciousness-expanding colours stretched as far as the eye could see, complementing the vortex of light situated behind the decks and elrow’s classic chicken mascot vibing on the stage.
Closing elrow Town 2023 with the bang of a confetti-cannon, a sea of inflatables were sent soaring into the air by seshers as the final song descended, signalling the end of another successful year.