More about: Parklife Festival

Once named ‘Mad Ferret’ festival, there is still some lingering craziness to Parklife, Crowds are feverish as much of the north descends upon Heaton Park in Manchester for a festival that has built itself on a unique mix of DJs and indie bands and often marks the beginning of festival season for many. Add a delirium-inducing level of sun to the mix (or so we thought), and that original name seems more and more apt. 

To begin the festivities, there’s a very familiar name for anyone who has turned on the radio in the past year or two. Fresh from her debut album Dear Amelia at the beginning of this year, Mimi Webb is transforming the Parklife Stage into an army of scorned attendees willing to overlook a billion red flags but also more than happy to incinerate an ex’s house. Mimi proves she is the next coming of pop princess as she commands the audience to bounce about to the ridiculously good ‘Freezing’, the song that began it all, ‘Dumb Love’ and of course, the sizzling hit ‘House on Fire’. Pop excellence on full display. 

Taking over the reigns from Mimi Webb, it’s RAYE’s commanding vocals that soon stand centre stage – despite claims she’s suffering from a sore throat. Still, she manages to sound effortlessly slick, demonstrating the extent of her skills on tracks like ‘Black Mascara’, reaching far into her catalogue for ‘You Don’t Know Me’ before finally leading the crowd in a mass sing-a-long of her absolute hit ‘Escapism’. As the crowd shout back every single word, it seems like the stardom she deserves has finally come home to her. 

Over at The Valley, Skrillex delivers a house-heavy, energised set before delivering a quick ‘love you’ and handing over to Peggy Gou. Within seconds, it is confirmed that everyone in attendance is witnessing the coolest woman in music at work. With just a wave of the hand, the crowd is in her palm, grooving to the likes of ‘Ride the Night’ and the just-dropped ‘(It Goes Like) Nanana’. Her beats are typically dreamy and yet bristling with enough carefree energy to leave the crowd revitalised and ultimately, in awe. 

“Parklife, right now I need you to know you’re witnessing greatness,” Little Simz announces, and she couldn’t be more accurate. Her last two albums have shown that her talent knows no bounds and cemented her as one of the UK’s absolute best rappers, so it is only right that her set is met with a rapturous response. She radiates talent, and in a set that glides from her latest stuff like ‘Gorilla’ to the absolute stratospheric heights of 2021’s ‘Sometimes I Might Be Introvert’ to her earlier catalogue (‘101 FM’ is a standout), Little Simz confirms that she is an artist at the absolute top of her game. Hard-hitting bars, joyous refrains and the kind of formidable performance you can’t tear your eyes from, Little Simz’s set is an unmissable moment. 

Aitch is the big name set to headline the Parklife set, and a hometown show of that scale is an impressive feat. However, an army of festivalgoers journey down to The Valley instead. There can only be one man capable of drawing such a crowd with such competition, and it’s Fred Again… He’s been the topic of a million conversations shared over pints of IPA for months now, but thankfully Fred Again.. lives up to the hype – his set is emotive and raw (‘Sabrina (I Am a Party)’ is almost overwhelming to witness), with just the right amount of levity for the dance to continue. He races through his arsenal of hits, pouring everything into tracks like ‘Jungle’ and receiving just as much energy from a crowd that stands in disbelief – for various reasons, but it’s nice to think Fred’s talent is the main one. It would be easy to dismiss someone with so much hype around them, but in actuality, Fred’s closing set proves he is every bit deserving of the praise. 

After the biblical events of Saturday’s final moments, what to expect for Sunday is a complicated question. The same pattern of ridiculously good pop continues as FLO take to the Parklife stage, armed with coordinated outfits, choreography and borderline angelic harmonies. There’s been a real lack of girl bands in recent years, but FLO’s classic take on R&B shows they are ready to take up the mantle. It’s a moment of empowerment, fun and sheer good vibes as they uplift the crowd through their most recent single ‘Fly Girl’, all the way back to the song that started it all, ‘Cardboard Box’.

Anticipation is high for Confidence Man’s set, but unfortunately the weather has other plans. A torrential downpour and storm leaves things suspended for an hour and feeling eerily apocalyptic – a cookie dough stand does not, in fact, provide good shelter and everyone is suitably drenched, spirits included. Premature shouts of joy echo across Heaton Park when the slightest bit of sun peaks through the clouds, but eventually it’s back to business. Girls Don’t Sync are tasked with a shortened set to bring the energy back, and frankly, who else would be worthy of the task? The four-piece DJ collective have the Parklife FM – Rinse Presents stage packed to the rafters and bring good energy in absolute bundles – Patron poured in lucky audience members mouths, a pause to sing happy birthday and an undimmable party atmosphere, Girls Don’t Sync reinstated life into a sodden crowd with enough force to last the whole evening.

It's back to business from this point onwards, with one of the most anticipated and acclaimed sets of the day. An army of Wu-Tang tees welcomes Wu-Tang Clan and Nas’s NY State of Mind, and it’s a refreshing moment to have a band with such influence and legacy nestled amidst the more forward-facing lineup. It feels like a truly special moment to witness classics like ‘Wu-Tang Clan Ain’t Nuthing ta F’ Wit’ and ‘Protect Ya Neck’ on such a scale, and as the sea of ‘W’ symbols shows, it’s a set a long-time coming for the festival’s audience. 

Overmono commandeer the Eat Your Own Ears tent, and it’s non-stop movement from inside as the duo bring a set of their own tracks and ridiculously good remixes that is in a different league. It truly feels like the sound of the summer, and also the future. Later, when Nia Archives packs the same tent out so much you can barely get a look in, it begins to feel as though the future of dance music is in very safe hands. Between the breezy, transcendent genre-fluidity of Overmono and the jungle-revival Nia Archives champions, whatever comes next can only be excellent.

On the topic of excellent, there’s no one more fitting for that descriptor than Self Esteem. On what is hopefully one of the final stops on her never-ending tour (she really does, do this all the time), she does not seem in need of rest. Instead, she’s sardonic, slick and so, so, talented. It’s a set brimming with bangers and ridiculously good harmonies as one of the most talented woman in the industry cements her iconic status.

For the final act of the evening, it’s a band that are well and truly at their very best. The 1975 are on top form for a headline set just down the road from where they grew up, and the sheer excellence in their arsenal is on full display. They’re an incomparable live band, even with Matty abandoning his usual persona in favour of sincerity, no matter how scary that may be. It’s a sentimental show set to a sky painted in pinks and purples, a show that takes the adoring audience through a journey of what has been an inimitable career for Matty, George, Ross and Adam. ‘About You’ brings the poignancy, ‘Robbers’ delivers the nostalgia, and everything in between exists to bring pure joy and nothing else. This is a band in their prime; with an audience who know every single word and an unstoppable string of hits and raw emotions, there’s no better way to draw an incredibly chaotic Parklife to a close.

See the view from the pit, captured by Georgina Hurdsfield:

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More about: Parklife Festival