JUST ANNOUNCED: Lovebox has Disclosure, Tyler, Khalid and so many more!

Now approaching its nineteenth (!) year, Lovebox has firmly established itself as one of London’s most consistently brilliant festivals. That’s due in no small part to some slam-dunk programming, and the first wave of acts confirmed for 2020 is no exception. R&B prodigy Khalid will be headlining the Friday, UK house duo Disclosure will be headlining the Saturday, and Tyler, The Creator will be headlining the Sunday. Tyler is a particular coup because, five years ago, the provocative rapper was denied entry to the UK when he arrived at Heathrow ahead of his planned Reading and Leeds festival sets. In a seemingly arbitrary and unprecedented decision, Theresa May, then home secretary, used anti-terrorism legislation to refuse him a visa. She explained in a statement that his music, which contains anti-gay slurs used by many other artists who’ve been allowed into the UK, ‘encourages violence and intolerance of homosexuality’ and ‘fosters hatred with views that seek to provoke others to terrorist acts’. Because of this, he hasn’t played a UK festival since 2013… until now. 

They’ll all be heading to west London’s Gunnersbury Park, which has been Lovebox’s home since 2018, when the long-running fest made the move from east London’s Victoria Park.  As this tempting trio of headliners suggests, after five years as a two-day festival, Lovebox is expanding to become a three-dayer again. The third day essentially replaces Citadel, which took place in Gunnersbury Park on the Sunday following Lovebox’s Friday and Saturday. 

British pop-R&B queen Mabel and London indietronica whizzes Hot Chip will also take to the stage on the Friday, while red-hot DJ Peggy Gou and Cali rapper-crooner Anderson .Paak will all perform on the Saturday. Sunday will feature sets from two of UK music’s most compelling innovators: FKA Twigs and Charli XCX. Loads more acts will be announced in due course, but Lovebox 2020 is already shaping up to be an absolute belter. 

Lovebox is at Gunnersbury Park on Jun 12-14 2020. See more about what's big in London next year here.