Forget everything you thought you knew about Victoria Park. This June, the historic East London green space gets a full-blown glow-up as the all-new LIDO Festival crashes onto the scene – two weekends of ear-rattling line-ups, midweek community happenings, and eco-conscious vibes that actually walk the talk.
Massive Attack kicked things off on Friday 6 June – taking over Lido Festival with a bold claim: 100% battery-powered vibes only. No meat, no plastic, no problem. Even the mascot, a janky, clattering robot made of recycled cans was doing its bit, dancing through the eco-friendly crowd. Sure, it won’t save the planet overnight, but it’s refreshing to see a major act like Massive Attack trying to clean up the mess that live music usually leaves behind. Symbolic or not, it’s a start – and honestly, no one missed the meat!
Sets from Tirzah, Mad Professor, Everything Is Recorded, paved the way for the electrifying 47Soul – a Palestinian-Jordanian group fusing dabke beats with crunchy electronica and anti-colonial fire. Their bilingual, high-energy set got the crowd moving and thinking – not bad for mid-afternoon in the sun.
No one cared about the grey skies on Saturday 7 June – Jamie xx turned a soggy Saturday at Lido Festival into a full-blown emotional rave – and yes, he brought The xx with him, spinning the kind of genre-twisting magic that had Hackney dancing deep into the night.
And just when your serotonin levels are recovering, round two kicks in this weekend: Outbreak Fest, is in London for the very first time on Friday 13 June. With Charli XCX’s hyperpop playhouse on Saturday 14 June, and London Grammar to cool things down on Sunday 15 June.
But wait – what’s this about Outbreak Fest coming to London for the very first time? That’s right. Manchester’s infamous hardcore weekender is rolling deep into the capital with a ferocious one-day invasion of the Park on 13 June. The lineup? Filthy good. Think Turnstile (UK exclusive, no big deal), Alex G, Danny Brown, Julie, Sunny Day Real Estate, and Knocked Loose, plus underground heavyweights like Fleshwater, Drug Church, and They Are Gutting A Body Of Water (still the best band name on any poster). It’s a genre-hopping, mosh-sparking sonic explosion – from screamo to shoegaze, rap to ragers, all packed into one unforgettable day.
Midweek, expect art installations, sustainability workshops, and community projects that give back more than just hangovers. This isn’t just another London festival. It’s a movement– equal parts hedonistic and holistic.
Weekend 2: 13–15 June
Tickets: lidofestival.co.uk
LIDO Festival
Victoria Park, East London
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