Last weekend, the UK’s largest independent music and arts festival Secret Garden Party blasted Broke Magazine into outer space, where we witnessed a community of Gardeners come together and take this year’s sci-fi theme stupendously in their stride, amidst music, magic, and mayhem.
This glowing haven returned to light up the Cambridgeshire countryside for their second edition post-5-year-hiatus, after tricking us all into thinking 2017 was the last hurrah.
Thankfully, the Garden is back in full bloom and took us on an intergalactic adventure that we’ll never forget.
This finely tuned musical extravaganza featured a lineup of artists at their best, and stages dressed to impress. The Great Stage exudes classic British festival energy: an open outdoor space soaked in the sounds of live music, and rainfall dampening everything but the mood.
This muddy melting pot brought a whole new meaning to Underworld’s ‘Born Slippy’, as Gardeners slid around the dancefloor in the downpour to their transcendental tracks in Saturday’s closing set. Other headliners include indie rock legends The Libertines and New Zealand favourites Fat Freddy’s Drop.
The daylight hours were blessed with performances from the lovely Lava La Rue and hip-hop icons Grandmaster Flash and De La Soul, alongside soundclash selector David Rodigan.
International identity-inclusive event series and record/fashion label HE.SHE.THEY. brought an array of high-energy sets to their Circus Maximus base at the heart of the party. Pulling out all the stops from techno, house and disco groovers to DnB rollers, this lineup was giving a bit of something for EVERYONE (much like their entire ethos).
Kicking off on Friday night, the likes of Mella Dee and Chloe Robinson b2b DJ ADHD provided the Circus with a sizzling selection of slammers beneath the strobes. Saturday was a disco dreamland with Horsemeat Disco and CC:Disco! (let me say Disco one more time –), before rounding off on Sunday with some serious shellings from SHERELLE and I. JORDAN.
The picturesque setting of the Pagoda only enhanced the existing energy brought to the waterfront by a strong, female-heavy lineup including RAW SILK, Hannah Laing, Scarlett O’Malley, and LALA.
We also got down n’ dirty at The Drop; a proper swamp but worth it for Tibasko’s tasty earlybird Sunday set, and the party-starting Huns n’ Roses girlies on Saturday – not forgetting a notable get-down with Detroit house head Demi Riquisimo.
Hidden away in the trees, Batu, Pangea and Dr. Banana b2b Wigflex set The Lost Woods ablaze (not literally) and rising star Charlotte Plank took us on a journey to Where The Wild Things Are.
As we explored the mystical Garden landscape, we stumbled upon a number of hidey-holes: popping for a cheeky pint in The Prize Cock pub, or finding ourselves well and truly in the Doghouse at the Ministry of Hounds for a 5 am boogie.
Abundant artistic features set SGP apart from other parties of its kind, with the Cosmic Wisdom drone and firework display presented by Celestial (Eurovision and London NYE ’23) for the Saturday Spectacle. Co-Producer Amy Fellowes describes the intention behind this splendid display:
“We wanted to create more magic and inclusivity than ever before. Bring all the Gardeners together for Saturday night. Not just for the usual spectacle but to show there is so much more out there in life. And we should focus on embracing love, life and connection. It was a manifesto of hope and love.”
On that note, Broke can confirm that love, life, and connection have been fully embraced after spending a wonderous weekend at Secret Garden Party. We will surely return to this enchanting utopia for another dose of marvellous madness next year.
Photography by Matt Higgs and Andrew Whitton
Great honesty with words
Keep ot Kurrpt
See u next year