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Bloc has a new home for 2012.
It’s the London Pleasure Gardens, in the Royal Victoria Docks. Set by the water’s edge, overlooked by the monolithic post-industrial derelict buildings of Britain’s former glory, the Pleasure Gardens will provide Bloc with a home like no other.
The project is the brainchild of the crew behind the late-night area of Glastonbury known as Shangri-La. Their vision was to create a multi-faceted space in the heart of Olympic London to facilitate the arts and culture happenings that have made London what it is.
We’ve been seriously investigating this area of London as a home for Bloc since back in 2010. We got proper heart palpitations, sweaty palms and unseemly giddiness when we realised that it was this groundbreaking crew who were about to take control of 60,000 square metres of waterside docklands – and we badly wanted Bloc to be the flagship music festival.
Bloc will take advantage of the limitless versatility of the venue. There will be totally new, purpose-built, hi-spec venues – some on land and some floating on water. The biggest and most diverse lineup Bloc has ever known will also be presented across the permanent venues that will be erected on the site – a 30m geodesic dome and the majestic Hub stage from Glastonbury. All the main stages will be covered and have walls.
There will be mind-blowing audio-visual experiences that we could not have even dreamed of at our previous, smaller venues. There will be awe-inspiring projections and installations making use the the brooding buildings that dominate the area.
There will be unforgettable sunrises over the water. There will be the rock-solid sense of community and togetherness. And there will be BlocTV.
Matching Bloc’s hard-earned reputation for radical audio with Shangri-La’s magnificent production values will make the sixth annual Bloc festival like nothing the world has seen or heard before.
