This month, Brixton Disco Festival took over four of South London’s venues for a glittery, sparkling spectacle dedicated to all things disco. Across Friday 8th and Saturday 9th October, thousands of revellers descended upon Brixton to dance the day and night away to some of the finest, feel-good music.
This was the 3rd edition of the illustrious festival celebrating 40 years of disco, and it did not disappoint. Saturday 9th October saw a carefully curated line up with Crazy P (live), Jocelyn Brown, Dimitri From Paris, John Morales, Mighty Mouse, Felix Burton (Basement Jaxx), The Reflex, and loads more gracing the decks across the 12 hours of partying from 3pm to 3am.
Location
Easily accessible in Brixton on the Victoria tube line, and with no more than a 5 min walk between venues once you’re there, travel was a breeze. The music ran all day at different locations, and once you’d collected your wrist band, you were free to travel between venues as your heart (or ears) desired. Set lists were provided before the event, and you were wise to plan your day ahead with so much musical opportunity.
Venues
At the Prince of Wales, you could party between the rooftop terrace and club. With drinks offers on like four beers (cans) for £10, it’s unsurprising that they sold out quickly. The sound system was loud and clear, sometimes too loud on the terrace to have a conversation, but great to dance to. Production was understated on the terrace, but fitted the aesthetic of the location while the club was darker and intimate, with a Funktion 1 system and spot lights, LED screens, and disco balls hanging from the ceiling. It gets hot and sweaty in there!
Electric Brixton is a huge venue, with an almost 2,000 capacity split across the dance floor and the balcony above (think stalls and circle at a west end theatre). While still full and busy, it was a welcome relief from the packed out club of POW. The views are great across the balcony, and if you want to get in the thick of it on the dance floor there was room to dance. The sound system was nice and punchy throughout the venue and the production was captivating, with huge confetti cannons, sparklers, LED screens, lasers and spot lights providing the visuals.
There was a wide range of food options at Brixton Village and Market Row too, with offers on for festival attendees. A special £5 cocktail – Le Freak – was available at Lost, and you could get a free beer with a burger at Black Bear or Honest.
Staff
Despite being set across multiple venues, the staff were friendly and helpful throughout the day, conveniently situated if you were looking for where the next venue was or how to get your wristband. Bar queues were relatively long at the busiest points, but staff were there with a smile on their face.
DJ Sets
House Gospel Choir at Prince of Wales
Having seen House Gospel Choir on the main stage at 51st State Festival, we weren’t too sure what to expect from a close-quarters club set. Being very close, and just a few feet above the crowd, the power and excitement from the performers could be felt throughout.
The vocal group’s set, comprising of live singers and their own DJ, hit peaks and troughs in terms of energy, opting for high-caliber numbers like Robin S’ infamous “Show Me Love” which had a huge crowd reaction, as well as Chris Brown’s “Beautiful People” seeing similar praise.
Mighty Mouse at Electric Brixton
UK DJ and producer Mighty Mouse has been making waves since the late noughties. Famous for his 2019 record “The Spirit”, one of the defining records on Defected’s Glitterbox imprint, it’s a former Radio 1 ‘Hottest Record In The World’. His infectious energy behind the decks worked perfectly for Brixton Disco Festival, seeing us into the evening with style.
Records like the 1979 classic “This Time Baby” by Jackie Moore had the crowd singing and dancing, easing the crowd into the slightly faster tempos. We also heard “Street Player” by Chicago, famous for being the original sampled for the 1995 hit “The Bomb! (These Sounds Fall into My Mind) by The Bucketheads.
Dimitri From Paris at Electric Brixton
The Parisian DJ brought his unique disco vibes to South London, providing the rhythm and groove to a packed out Electric Brixton. Taking over from Mighty Mouse, and taking us on a voyage into the late hours, Dimitri’s set was laced with a mixture of new and old disco blending the history and contemporary sounds seamlessly.
Early on, we heard “Heaven” by The Vision, with the crowd singing along to the chorus in unison. Another classic, the 1979 anthem “Relight My Fire” from Dan Hartman filled the room with hands in the air, as the crowd erupted into chorus.
Summary
After 12 hours of revelling in the feel good euphoria of disco, we’d had a fantastic day. Easy to navigate between venues, and with a wide range of food and drink options, it was hard not to have a good time. After 1am, it was a shame that you couldn’t move between venues but we understand there needs to be some kind of crowd control! Additionally, as is usually the case with disco, it attracts an older and more liberal/accepting crowd, meaning the atmosphere was wonderful and ripe all day – with glitter and smiles the order of the day.
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