The multi-weekend, star-studded, frankly behemothic All Points East (or APE for short) has risen to the top, now the cream of the crop of London’s summer festivals.
Despite only hosting their first festival in 2018, wherein they won the UFA award for Line-up of the Year, and missing a year due to Covid, they have gone on to devour other smaller London festivals in their wake, including the prestigious Field Day that is now presented under the All Points East banner.
Their presence cannot be ignored. A huge reason behind their success is their spanning of numerous days, with each day vaguely embodying a scene, a genre, a style of music, or a demographic, giving each day a different feel, a vibe unique and suited to the music on display.
Let's start. 16th of August, the first day, concentrates the finest of UK's electronic dance scene: Chase & Status, Overmono, Sammy Virji, and Nia Archives headline, all of whom have defined the UK dance sound over the years, as well as featuring jungle pioneer Shy FX, the virally successful Hamdi, Irah, and SHERELLE.
The following Friday, All Points East (or APE for short) turns its attention more toward the alternative electronic side, with Barry Can't Swim, Confidence Man and Shygirl on the top bill. This is an especially smart move, considering that although these artists differ in their flavour of electronic style, their demographics have substantial overlap.
After honouring the more unknown yet beloved artists within their scene, on the 23rd, APE goes for the big-hitters, the mainstream award winners, in the form of RAYE, Tyla, recent Grammy recipient Doechii, and Jade.
And then on the following day, in true British fashion, APE is much obliged to feature our favourite indie rock and indie folk groups of the last two decades: The Maccabees and Bombay Bicycle Club - two of the most unquestionably meteoric acts of Britain's indie scene, as well as relative newcomers Dry Cleaning, borne from the contemporaneous post-punk scene, one of Culture Calling's favourite contributions to traditional rock music in this country.
With a line-up so comprehensive, so diverse in genres and styles across eras, held over two weekends on multiple days, it’s fair to say that All Points East wins the accolade of Best London Summer festival. Already monolithic and only growing in size, its foreseeable that by 2030, Victoria Park may be renamed ‘All Points East Playground’.