After what felt like a lifetime, last weekend thousands of ravers were finally able to return to one of the UK’s most unique and widely adored festivals; Junction 2. Four long years have passed since J2’s last stint, leaving fans, DJs and organisers alike absolutely itching to get back to Boston Manor Park, with a hefty lineup to boot.
Venue
Returning to Junction 2’s rightful home of Boston Manor Park, it was heartwarming to see the people reactions as they walked through the festival gates, into this iconic venue. This year’s site consisted of 5 stages spread across the park grounds.
J2’s permanent fixture, BRIDGE was once again the centrepiece of the festival stage offering a long and narrow sheltered area to party, beneath the M5. All other stages featured new designs for 2023, starting with the mainstage aka GRID. Occupying a large open area with plenty of room to dance. Adjacent to this was Blackout; an enclosed tent offering a dark contrast to the open-air arenas.
QUAD stage was another large outdoor area with multiple marquees covering the stage and a handful of raised platforms for the crowd to spread through. The final stage was WOODS (our personal favourite) which is found by trekking through winding forest paths which lead to a small bunker hiding amongst the trees.
Food
The festival offered a variety of food and drink vendors spread around the site. The main hub was located near the entrance under a section of the Junction 2 bridge. Here food stalls could be found offering a large variety of cuisines, meat, and meat-free options.
Popular vendors included a Katsu Kitchen which served tasty chicken and vegan curries and burgers, Greek dishes such as halloumi, pork, chicken, vegan, and even gluten-free kebabs could be purchased from Greek Gyros.Signature Korean bao buns were available with a variety of fillings whilst stacks of loaded fries and tacos could be enjoyed from Ticos Tacos. With a large festival this size it is great to see small independent businesses being utilised, as well as. catering to various dietary options
Drinks
Unlike their last stint, this year’s festival did not use a token system for drinks and instead used card/contactless only, with bars spread around the site. Queues were kept reasonable throughout and were mostly fully stocked with all available options.
The drinks menu consisted of your standard selections; soft drinks, beers, ciders, spirits, wine, hard seltzers, and cocktails, but the festival’s favourite was their signature long drink the Stoli J2 Cool which consists of Stoli Citros Vodka, Mexican lime soda, and lemon and lime.
Price list below :
Beer & cider – £6.75 / 330ML
0% beer – £6.00 / 330ML
Wine – £8.00 / 187ML
White Claw – £6.90 / 330ML
Spirits & mixer – £8.50 / 25ML & £11.50 / 50ML
Cocktails – £12.00 – £13.50
Soft drinks – £4.00
Water – £3.00
This year’s event also saw a cup recycling scheme, where a £2 deposit was made on any plastic cup, this was included in the drinks price. By returning the cup and ordering the same style of drink you received a fresh cup without the £2 charge on the order or you could also exchange the cup for a can with a £1 discount.
Staff
Everyone working at the festival was friendly and quick on their feet to get the job done to a high standard, even during the miserable weather. Security searches were thorough enough to ensure everyone was safe, whilst also not intimidating attendees. Stewards and production staff were helpful and chatty, offering assistance where needed. The facilities were also kept clean throughout the weekend across the whole site with regular cleanings – yet another slick operation we’ve come to know from all LWE run events.
Crowd
We think it’s fairly safe to say, the Junction 2 crowd brings out the best of London’s ravers (as well the rest of the UK and further afield). A huge variety of cultures, ages, and musical tastes all united throughout the weekend for this epic festival. As expected, Saturday was noticeably busier than Friday, but the crowds on both days shared the same upbeat and positive energy. Saturday was sadly was left at the mercy of the British summer, with rain for most of the day. However, this didn’t dampen the atmosphere in the slightest.
Production & Sound
With 3 new stage designs for the 2023 edition, we were excited to get in and amongst them. First up was GRID, an open air stage with Rubik’s cubes dotted amongst the dance floor and speakers that towered over the crowd. With three huge screens providing the visuals, alongside the full production works of lasers, strobes, smoke, spotlights, and more, this stage really came to life at night. The sound was fantastic throughout the crowd thanks to the expert placement of the speakers.
The QUAD stage had a real stripped back aesthetic, with tall structures throughout and lighting that harked back to the 80s days. The canvas tent roofs and raised platforms either side created a really cool dynamic with the crowd at different levels. The sound here was also spot on, and tuned perfectly for the disco and house DJs performing here.
The BLACKOUT stage, crafted in collaboration with visionary Japanese artist Manami Sakamoto was a sensory overload. From the bright daylight into complete darkness, the multi layered panels and light strips on stage was an immersive experience, and while quite hot in there, the sound was punchy whether you were at the front or back.
The magical forest stage, WOODS, also had an upgrade this year, looking like a pill box straight out of WW2. The concrete looking structure fit the location perfectly, and while smaller than the other stages, this created a much more intimate vibe. The Funktion 1 speakers were pumping if you were in the right spot, but round the edges and at the back it was more difficult to hear them.
Last but not least, the Bridge stage (and namesake of the festival!). What an awesome and unique place to dance the day away. With minimal screens (6 vertical panels on the stage), this placed a greater emphasis on the bridge itself, and with lighting all the way the length of the stage, it lit the location up perfectly. Sound was also great here, with speaker stacks dotted all the way to the back.
Bravo to everyone involved in the production and sound this year. We know how hard it can be to get an open air London festival to look and sound good, and we were thoroughly impressed!
DJ Sets
Mall Grab B2B Skin On Skin
Marking both of their debuts at the festival, two Aussie heavyweights of the scene performed a special B2B on the Friday. Despite being close friends both on and off the stage, Jordy & Manny have rarely played side by side. However when they do, those in attendance are in for a treat. You could see the pair enjoying the set themselves, just as much as the crowd. Their infectious energy behind the decks flowed through The Grid stage, creating an electrifying atmosphere and leaving the crowd bouncing along to the high-energy bangers in tandem.
Stand out tunes included Mall Grab’s latest piano anthem “Say Nothing” which saw a huge reaction from the crowd, along with a rare play the VIP mix of Skin on Skin’s “Multiply” which took people by surprise.
Astra Club (DJ Tennis & Carlita)
We’d wanted to see Astra Club for some time, but were not prepared for awaited us. The duo comprised of two respected artists in their own right; DJ Tennis & Carlita, was formed to bridge the gap between DJ sets and live shows, whilst challenging each other to push boundaries, reaching outside of traditional confines.
Their set beneath the bridge was testament to this, littered with a multitude of genres which spanned from old school rave classics to vocal bangers and underground beats which kept the crowd on their toes throughout, eagerly trying to guess what was coming next. Our personal highlights being two iconic tunes; Bicep’s edit of Dominica’s “Gotta Let You Go” and “Kernkraft 400” by Zombie Nation. The eruption from the crowd when these came on will stay with us forever!
Hessle Audio
Three of the most revered DJs of the last 15 years, BEN UFO, Pangea, and Pearson Sound are known for their unique, mind-bending sets spanning the breadth of the dance music spectrum. Not confined to a single genre, you never quite know what you’re going to hear, other than a set you will be telling all of your pals about. This year was no different.
Perfectly fitting the forest, the trio delivered banger after banger, destroying the dance floor from within the pill box stage. As always, you’re hard pressed to ID a Hessle Audio set, with many unreleased tunes being played, but what we can say is that the crowd were absolutely loving it.
Adam Beyer B2B Cirez D
One of the most anticipated sets of the weekend, Cirez D (AKA Eric Prydz) playing B2B with Drumcode head honcho Adam Beyer as AB🔲CD. Having only performed a few shows as this duo, we could feel the tension in the air, palpable excitement, as these two took to the stage.
Eric of course played a plethora of unreleased IDs, opening with what is allegedly a new alias from him – The Indicators, we’re excited to see and hear more on this. “Come Closer” and “Night Vision” were also played, garnering a huge reaction from the crowd. “Sweet Harmony (Layton Giordani & Bart Skils Remix)” and “You’re Not Alone (Zimmz Edit)” played by Adam Beyer were also crowd favourites, proper hands in the air moments. A particular stand out part of this set was the fact that it rained. With the light rain trickling down, it enhanced the production massively, turning the lasers and smoke into glistening, sparkling beams of light – an astonishing visual spectacle perfectly in tune with the music.
Summary
There simply is nothing quite like it in the UK. The aesthetic of this iconic site which blurs the lines between industrial wasteland and natural woodland once again played host to two incredible days of raving with amazing performances from the best names in the game. As always, the festival was run like a military operation, LWE who are now veterans of the scene have got the organisation of events down to a T, with expert execution every time. Whilst we personally weren’t fans of the coloured stained glass production on The Grid, all other elements maintained the enthralling and captivating standard we all know and love from J2. Bring on next year.
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