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It’s 3.07am. Your feet ache from dancing, your skin smells of sun cream and your clothes reek of sweat and spilt beer. You’ve lost most of the friends you came with, but that’s fine, because you’ve made plenty of new ones. You’ve also somehow bumped into your ex, your boss and that awkward Hinge date. A four-to-the-floor beat is ringing in your ears and that biodegradable glitter facepaint doesn’t look quite as good as you thought. Still, you feel amazing. What’s next? Sort out what afters to head to? Go home for a shower and snooze? Or simply lay in the mud and gaze at the stars?
Since the first Field Day took place in Victoria Park back in 2007, a hell of a lot has changed in the capital. But the staple east London all-dayer hasn’t lost its edge. In its 15 years, the festival has brought stars like Aphex Twin, Skepta, Jorja Smith and Bicep to tens of thousands of partiers.
‘My most memorable time was playing back-to-back with [the late, great] Andrew Weatherall in 2015,’ says Daniel Avery, who DJed at the first Field Day and has been back for many years since. ‘After I put an especially rabble-rousing record on, he turned the monitors down for a moment and said: “Now we’ve got ’em, boy.”’
It’s those moments of shared euphoria that make festivals what they are – that make the dirt, queues and next day’s hangover so bloody worth it. And if this year’s line-up is anything to go by, Field Day 2022 looks like it will be similarly ‘rabble-rousing’. From Kraftwerk’s legendary 3D show and The Chemical Brothers’ epic live performance to emerging underground DJs like Logic 1000 and Heléna Star, and plenty more acts across the whole day, this birthday party is going to be a cracker. Don’t forget your earplugs – we’ll see you front left.
Field Day 2022, Victoria Park, Aug 20. £70. Tickets here.