Festival Guides

Ministry of Sound announce brand new clubbing concept Sovereign

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Sasha to return to Ministry of Sound for first time in 6 years
With Sovereign, Ministry reclaims the position of kingmaker in British electronic music. The concept will see our team of experts handpick the very best, most influential artists in the scene today. We will celebrate each one with an all night long headline set on the best sound system in the world and present them with a bespoke, one-of-a-kind sovereign ring in recognition of their unparalleled contribution to electronic music.
Founded in 1991 as the UK’s first super club, over the next 31 years Ministry of Sound has defined the agenda for British club culture. The first club to bring US house music to our shores and a vital breeding ground for the domestic music scene, nurturing all genres – from jungle, to UKG, trance to tech house.
Genre agnostic, Sovereign will champion the leading voices of every corner of dance music, selecting the cream of the crop from every sound and scene. Each artist to headline a Sovereign event will be presented with their unique Sovereign ring on the night. It will serve as both a recognition of the artists contribution to dance music culture and as an official thank you for the joy their music has brought to so many fans.
Our debut event, and the recipient of ring number 001, will be progressive house hero, Sasha. With a career spanning decades, as both a solo artist and in collaboration with John Digweed, Sasha was the original superstar DJ. Sasha’s storied career has seen him win countless awards, including DJ Mag’s No.1 DJ, 4 International Dance Music Awards, 4 DJ Awards and a GRAMMY nomination.
His relationship with Ministry stretches back to the release of Sasha & Digweed’s legendary mix album, Northern Exposure, on Ministry of Sound Records. The double CD album is considered one of the greatest mix albums of all time and is a defining release of the 90s.
Sasha chose Ministry of Sound as the venue for his long-awaited reunion with John Digweed. 10 years after their last tour together, the two played a surprise B2B in our main room on 24th March 2016.
On Saturday 12th November, Sasha will return to Ministry of Sound for our biggest collaboration to date. As the headliner of our debut Sovereign event, we will present a night dedicated to celebrating his outstanding contribution to dance music and present him with the very first Sovereign ring.

BLOODSTOCK shares nine more bands for 2023!

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As we head into Halloween territory, BLOODSTOCK has dropped an absolute face slasher of a band announcement!  Here’s the latest on what’s coming to Catton Park in 2023!

Swedish metal luminaries IN FLAMES land themselves Friday’s special guest slot on the Ronnie James Dio main stage. Last month, the band dropped a music video for new track, ‘Foregone Pt. 1’, taken from their forthcoming album, ‘Foregone’ which is set for release in Feb 2023. Perhaps BLOODSTOCKers will get to hear some new tunes live!

Saturday’s RJD main stage special guests are the mighty ANTHRAX!  2021 marked the band’s 40th Anniversary and to celebrate, they recorded the ‘XL’ livestream which was released digitally this Summer (and will be available on BluRay later this year). Check out their performance of ‘Aftershock’ here.

Also grabbing main stage slots on Sunday are Brazilian metal icons SEPULTURA, who recently played an incredible set at this year’s Rock In Rio together with the Brazilian Symphony Orchestra and Cali alt rock squad UGLY KID JOE, who release their new album, ‘Rad Wings Of Destiny’ later this month.  Check out ‘That Ain’t Livin’, the lead track from that record, for all the AC/DC vibes.

Headlining the Sophie Lancaster big top stage on Friday are deathcore frontrunners WHITECHAPEL, who released their most recent album ‘Kin’ last October, investigate that here.  Florida heavy rock squad NONPOINT, who dropped a high octane video for new track, ‘Paper Tigers’ recently, and Norwegian folk metal maniacs TROLLFEST also join the bill on Friday.  Be sure to bring a ‘Pina Colada’ for those guys! 

NY hardcore legends BIOHAZARD are set to headline Sunday night on the Sophie stage, with their original line up!  Check out their monster landmark track, ‘Tales From The Hard Side’ taken from their classic ‘State of The World Address’ album.  Also landing a Sunday slot are retro sounds from the brothers and sisters of the CHURCH OF THE COSMIC SKULL.  If you’re not yet aware, get a handle on their 70s psych rock with the video for ‘Sorcery & Sabotage’. 

In addition, the grass roots music-supporting METAL 2 THE MASSES 2023 programme is underway!  If you’re a self-released or unsigned band, throw your hat in the ring to land a slot on BLOODSTOCK’s New Blood stage next August. Regions announced so far are: CHESTERFIELD, NORTHERN IRELAND (Belfast), REPUBLIC OF IRELAND (Dublin), SHEFFIELD, HITCHIN, MANCHESTER, MILTON KEYNES, BOURNEMOUTH, LEEDS, NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, ESSEX (Colchester), KENT (Gravesend), BRISTOL, NORTH WALES (Wrexham), LEICESTER, STOKE ON TRENT, SOUTH WALES (Cardiff), NOTTINGHAM, DEVON & CORNWALL (Saltash), SCOTLAND (heats locally, final in Edinburgh) and LONDON. Full details of venues and who to contact to enter in each region, can be found here or on Facebook.  Heats kick off soon!

BLOODSTOCK’s 2023 Ronnie James Dio main stage headliners are KILLSWITCH ENGAGE and MEGADETH, with the third to be announced in the coming months.  Also appearing are DEVILDRIVER, FIT FOR AN AUTOPSY, DECAPITATED and GATECREEPER, plus over on the Sophie Lancaster stage, expect to see ZEAL & ARDOR, KING 810 and UNTO OTHERS.  Many, many more are yet to be announced. 

With tickets selling faster than ever, all VIP packages and campervan passes are already sold out and Early Bird tickets are down to their last few, at a discounted price. Grab yours now at the ticket store.  

Get full festival information at bloodstock.uk.com.

BLOODSTOCK will take place at Catton Park, Derbyshire on 10th-13th August 2023. 

Great Dane Denis Horvat is back on Afterlife with an epic 4 track odyssey “Cha Cha”

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Denis’ penchant for synth-driven melodic techno is evident across all four of these scintillating cuts. 
 
Title track ‘Cha Cha’ percolates and throbs, using a distinct vocal clip and exhilarating synth arrangements to create indelible memories. ‘Precious Unica’ brings in vocalist Lelah for a dour journey into our mind’s emotional centre.

‘Momentum Of The Arapaima’ merges unusual percussive elements with a moody bassline and an earworm vocal clip for ultimate dance floor effervescence.

Finally, ‘Majstor’ utilises minimal framework to awaken our primitive state, encouraging deep primal expression. 

 

Calvin Harris, David Guetta, Steve Aoki & Fatboy Slim amongst 40 of the worlds biggest DJS coming together to perform at the Qatar World Cup

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https://mdlbeast.com/

https://www.instagram.com/mdlbeast/

Taking place from November 21 until December 18, ARAVIA tickets can be purchased here: https://bit.ly/3Lw0R8a

Saudi music entertainment company, MDLBEAST, has just released the biggest names in the international and regional music scene confirmed to take the stage for ARAVIA, at Qatar’s ‘Al Rihla’ venue during the 28-day world cup season.

As MDLBEAST’s first music event outside the Kingdom’s borders, ARAVIA will take place from November 21 until December 18 this year, with tickets available to the public for purchase starting from QAR 199. 

Fans can expect a range of international artists to perform across the concert series including Calvin Harris, David Guetta, Afrojack, Fatboy Slim, Steve Aoki, Hardwell, Rae Sremmurd,  Tinie and Tyga. The stellar line up doesn’t end there; regional superstars like Amr Diab, Ayed, and Hamaki as well as up-and-coming Saudi talents such as Biirdperson, Cosmicat, Dish Dash, and Vinyl Mode, are set to put on incredible shows. 

The newly released line-up serves a major purpose: to shine light on local and regional talents, and to create and promote shareable moments with the community and international stars traveling to Qatar from around the world. 

Talal Albahiti, Chief Operating Officer and Head of Talent Booking at MDLBEAST, commented: “Our mission goes far beyond the music scene in Saudi Arabia. On the contrary, it is aimed at growing the music industry region-wide and ensuring we create a sustainable music industry, inspiring and empowering the entire ecosystem.

Between our annual flagship event SOUNDSTORM in Riyadh, and ARAVIA in Doha, we are thrilled to travel out of Saudi for the first time and be hosting these incredible music events. 

Flying into Qatar, to bring in our talented team and expertise to ensure music fans across the region enjoy the best performers from around the world.” 

The nightly raves will unite global football fans and provide attendees unmissable opportunities to enjoy a wide variety of musical genres, taking them on a journey they won’t forget in the Qatar capital. 

The performances will kick off at the end of each match at the purpose built ‘Al Rihla’ stage after each football match from November 21 to December 18. More event and ticket information available here: https://bit.ly/3Lw0R8a

The current headliners for the ARAVIA music festival attached in the flyer.

-ENDS-

About MDLBEAST:

MDLBEAST LLC is a music entertainment company committed to growing talent, building the regional scene, and advancing the creative economy. MDLBEAST was established following the success of its flagship festival, SOUNDSTORM, in 2019. 

Through its focus on artists and talent, MDLBEAST is building a talent infrastructure and providing them with opportunities which put them on global stages. Similarly, through owned events and experiences, content, conversation, fashion, and more, MDLBEAST is helping to build a thriving, and economically sustainable music community in and for the region. MDLBEAST operates under its three corporate arms: XP Music Futures, MDLBEAST PRESENTS and MDLBEAST Record Label.

Labryinto returns to Costa Rica following stunning debut

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Tale of Us, Keinemusik, Lee Burridge, Damian Lazarus, DJ Tennis, Carlita, Trikk and more all feature 

Date: 28th December – 3rd January
Location: Guanacaste, Costa Rica
After a much talked about debut, Labryinto Festival is back on the stunning Coast of Guanacaste in Costa Rica this New Year. From December 28th to January 3rd it offers a unique and escapist mix of world class music music, art, gastronomy, wellness and plenty of strong sustainability initiatives with headlines such as Tale of Us, Keinemusik,  Lee Burridge, Damian Lazarus, DJ Tennis, Carlita, Trikk and many more.
Labryinto invites you into an immersive world of complex and mind blowing production with a unique creative direction. It takes place on the famous Guanacaste “Gold Coast,” which is 400 miles of coastline featuring prime beach destinations that draw surfers from across the globe for their world-class breaks. Stunning jungle, waterfalls and sea views make it an idyllic location. It is transformed with hidden party spots draped in organic and natural production, warm mood lighting and world class sound systems that bring each party to life.
Each year the festival has a new theme and this year’s is A.I. and funghis. Creative Director Melissa O explains the concept, “Over the last decades, humans have been creating species of superior beings called artificial intelligence. Now we imagine that in 20 -30 years with the help of mushrooms and other sacred plants, these AIs will acquire a higher consciousness and understanding of life which will allow them to live in harmony with nature, protecting life on this planet better than what we have ever been able to. That is what we are trying to showcase here. Labyrinto is a window into the gestation of this new A.I. world.
Musically, Labryinto is a forward thinking line-up with globally renowned melodic techno pair Tale of Us bringing their always evocative sound. The esteemed German crew Keinemusik also line up with their enchanting house sounds, and All Day I Dream label and party head Lee Burridge is the perfect man to summons some motherly and shamanistic house in the jungle, as is the notorious musical wizard and Crosstown boss Damian Lazarus. Add in the widescreen electronic output of Life And Death’s DJ Tennis, Turkish DJ, multi instrumentalist and producer Carlita and Trikk and you have a surefire winner. 
To secure your ticket to this party in paradise head to http://labryinto.com.

Ibiza super brand Cafe Mambo returns to the Albert Hall on 22nd October!

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www.jbmmusic.com

Featuring Louie Vega, Lovely Laura & Ben Santiago, Ryan McDermott & Special guest Fat Tony.

Following on from Cafe Mambo’s sell out New Years Eve extravaganza, they are back with more Ibiza house music vibes at the Albert Hall on 22nd October!

Louie Vega: A leader in global dance music, Louie Vega has painted an award-winning career from a palette mixed with everything from house, salsa and afro-beat, to jazz, hip hop, gospel and soul.

What distinguishes the Grammy winner and 7-time nominee as one of the best living house music deejays is his ability to evolve alongside the times, distill the current musical landscape through his unique taste and put his own timeless spin on all the music he creates.

Lovely Laura & Ben Santiago: Lovely Laura & Ben Santiago have taken the world by storm with their incredible live sax / house music shows in Ibiza, whilst simultaneously gaining millions of internet streams that have captured the world’s attention.

After performances at super venues such as Ministry of Sound, Ibiza Rocks, Pacha, Café Mambo, Ushuaïa and Space, Laura’s & Ben’s star prowess still continues to rise. They have become one of dance music’s revered and most loved duos. With residencies under their belt for some of the biggest clubbing brands in the world, the husband & wife combined talent has proven to be a compelling union.

Fat Tony: Fat Tony is a key player on the London scene, both for gay and straight parties. Now with an international reputation, he is as in demand as he was when first starting out 30 years ago. Back then he was playing at the Playground but soon started his own night, Total Fashion Victim, then Jungle in 1985, which became the first place to play garage and house. Since then he has gone on to play every major club worth its salt, and has held some key residencies all round the country.

Tickets are available now via Skiddle!

BEON1X Open Mind Music Festival puts Cyprus on the map

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Tickets for 2023: 

https://beon1x.com/

https://www.facebook.com/BeOn1x/

https://www.instagram.com/beon1x/

https://twitter.com/beon1x

Two loud weekends brought to Cyprus world class DJs: Boris Brejcha, Carl Cox, Chelina Manuhutu, Christian Smith, Deborah De Luca, Drunken Kong, Fatima Hajji, Giorgia Angiuli, Guy J, Jamie Jones, Marco Bailey, Matador, Nick Warren, Paul Kalkbrenner live, Sasha / John Digweed, Squire, Sven Väth, WhoMadeWho live and even more local artists.

Official aftermovie from the first weekend: https://youtu.be/EaVg7Sk6upY

“Our main goal this year was to loudly declare ourselves, to show that we are professionals and we are able to hold such a high-level festival in Cyprus. We have managed to bring some of the biggest names in electronic music. Among our guests were both local people and many tourists from all over the world. They are all different, but they are united by love for music. And it’s amazing. We are grateful to everyone who was involved in BEON1X. It was such a wonderful journey and we invite you to make it even more special next year”, – BEON1X team says.

Six days, two stages, more than seventy DJs, more than 16 000 visitors, dozens hundreds of dancing, innovating sound systems, a hightech stage, hundreds of crew members, one festival.

BEON1X is a unique socio-cultural project organized by representatives of the international business and IT communities based in Cyprus.

The main goal of the project is to create a new and completely unique location in Cyprus, which can be utilized by people from all over the world, combining the best in music, art, and ecology, mixed with the values of humanity, aimed at delivering real positive transformation. The delivery of the BEON1X project will be phased over a period of three years from 2022 to 2025, during which time the art cluster will become one of the world’s largest socio-cultural hubs.

Join us in 2023!

Tickets for 2023: https://beon1x.com/

Club Chinois announces new October parties and extra closings

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Matthias Tanzmann, Davide Squillace, Rhadoo, Tucillo, Tania Vulcano, Ida Engberg, Luciano

https://www.instagram.com/clubchinoisibiza
https://www.clubchinoisibiza.com/

The nights might be drawing in but Club Chinois continues to burn bright with a new run of parties announced on top of some extra closing events. Between now and a special Halloween Performance by La Troya on October 21st, new events including Moon Harbour with Matthias Tanzmann and Davide Squillace, Trip with Rhadoo, Eclud and Tucillo, La Troya Closing, Ethereal with SIS and more and Una Mas all come next to final gatherings for season residencies from Ida Engberg, Satori and Pablo Fierro and an overall Club Chinois Closing Party.

Club Chinois had a historic debut season. The club brought all new musical and decorative style to the White Isle with innovative bookings from across the house, Afro and techno spectrum. In what was formerly known as Heart Ibiza, this meticulously designed club offered warm lighting for knowledgeable music lovers who wanted something more intimate.

Events kick off with Satori who closes down his season on the 6th with SORA, Guy Laliberté and Clint Lee, then Pablo Fierro hosts We’re Here on the 7th with Megablast, Eribertho Cruz, Santiago Garcia and Bruz.

The Trip party is set to line up three times – first on the 8th October with minimal techno innovators Rhadoo and Eclud and local hero Tuccillo, then again on the 22nd with line-ups come and on the 29th October with Tania Vulcano, Tuccillo, Cesar Vicent, Isbel and Eclud.

As well as hosting the Halloween party on October 31st, La Troya have one last dance on the 10th with Oscar Colorado, Lunnas, Franco Moiraghi, Felix da Funk and Manuel Frias and 11th October sees Ethereal take over for the first time with world class house and techno from Sis, Eduardo Marvaso, Maricha and Iban Mendoza,

The rest of the month has Boho by Camilo Franco on the 13th October and a day after on the 14th is the closing of Pablo Fierro’s sublime season with Francis Mercier, Mounters and Juan Fierro. On 16th October some of the season’s favourite DJs return for the Club Chinois closing with Luciano and Ida Engberg joined by house talents Clint Lee, Sara Araujo and Manu Gonzalez adding their own unique sounds. Una Mas then return on the 18th October with Cici and more.

LINEUPS

06.10.22 SATORI CLOSING PARTY
LINE-UP:
Satori
SORA
Guy Laliberté
Clint Lee

07.10.22 WE’RE HERE – PABLO FIERRO
LINE-UP:
Pablo Fierro
Megablast
Eribertho Cruz
Santiago Garcia
Bruz

08.10.22 TRIP
LINE-UP:
Rhadoo
Eclud
Tuccillo

10.10.22 LA TROYA CLOSING PARTY
LINE-UP:
Oscar Colorado
Lunnas
Franco Moiraghi
Felix da Funk
Manuel Frias

11.10.22 ETHEREAL
LINE-UP:
Sis
Eduardo Marvaso
Maricha
Iban Mendoza

13.10.22 BOHO BY CAMILO FRANCO
LINE-UP:
Camilo Franco
TBA

14.10.22 WE’RE HERE CLOSING PARTY – PABLO FIERRO
LINE-UP:
Pablo Fierro
FRANCIS MERCIER
MOUN
JUAN FIERRO

16.10.22 CLUB CHINOIS CLOSING PARTY
LINE-UP:
IDA ENGBERG
LUCIANO
CLINT LEE
MANU GONZALEZ
SARA ARAUJO

18.10.22 UNA MÁS
LINE-UP:
CICI
TBA

22.10.22 TRIP
LINE-UP:
TBA

29.10.22 TRIP
LINE-UP:
Tania Vulcano
Tuccillo
Cesar Vicent
Isbel
Eclud

31.10.22 HALLOWEEN PERFORMANCE BY LA TROYA
LINE-UP:
TBA

   

ENDS:

About Club Chinois:

In Summer 2022, the team behind Park Chinois, London’s most iconic and luxurious Asian restaurant, launched their new high-octane and immersive nightspot Club Chinois. Ibiza’s newest destination concept is housed in the Ibiza Gran Hotel, enticing global music talent and hedonistic souls, where late nights come alive with escapism and adventure.

Radiating in richness, colour and energy, Club Chinois is comprised of golden sculpted columns, opulent textiles, elaborate wall art and sensory surprises around every corner. The sophisticated setting hosts up to 1000 revellers and offers an innovative cocktail list, five-star hospitality and superb service.

Upcoming events
https://www.clubchinoisibiza.com/events

Opening hours
22:00 a 6:30

https://www.island-hospitality.com
IG: @Island_hospitality
https://www.clubchinoisibiza.com
IG: @Clubchinoisibiza

Progressive house & techno duo Tinlicker bring their new LIVE set to Manchester on Friday 3rd February at Un:titiled Studio!

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Utrecht based duo Micha Heyboer and Jordi van Achthoven have been crafting their computerized soul together since 2013. And even during those early days they were no rookies, having individually honed their skills as part of world renowned drum ‘n bass act Black Sun Empire (Heyboer) and as producer, songwriter and music editor for many artists (Van Achthoven).
All this previous experience showed from day one, resulting in an impressive string of highly mature and deeply emotive tracks. Ever since they began working together they’ve quickly become a household name in the
world of electronic dance music with releases on labels such as Anjunadeep, mau5trap and Armada.
Jordi and Micha’s productions like their song ‘Because You Move Me’ or dancefloor anthems ‘Lost’ and ‘Less Than A Minute’ have racked up millions of streams. Their reworks of Robert Miles, deadmau5, James Zabiela and Reflekt’s iconic ’Need To Feel Loved’ together with their collabs with Ben Böhmer, Lane 8 and Helsloot have become indispensable ingredients for the world’s biggest radio and DJ shows.
Tinlicker will kickstart 2023 with a tour of their brand new LIVE set in Manchester on Feb 3rd 2023.
Tickets available:

Epic Pool Parties to Debut at Art Basel with 5 days parties on South Beach.

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After success at Miami Music conferences over the last few years Epic Pool parties will now host parties at Art Basel

November 30 – December 04

www.theepicpoolparty.com
https://www.instagram.com/epicpoolparties/

Electric Ibiza, Jonathan Cowan Productions and the Sagamore Hotel once again collaborate to bring you an unparalleled 5-day pool party series during this year’s influential cultural gathering Art Basel in Miami. Expect carefully curated lineups of the world’s most sought after DJs. They will be performing on a festival style main stage, with full production and special fx, cutting edge audio and visual technology, food outlets, elevated bottle service and enhanced VIP options including pre reserved Tables, Private Cabanas and Beds all serviced by our tentative hospitality team.

All this happens during the iconic Art Basel, a leading global platform connecting collectors, galleries, and artists with an annual event on Miami Beach. It is all about helping grow and develop local and global culture but in a new and contemporary way that transcends the concept of the classic exhibition with a much more open-plan approach and of course some world-class parties.

The always unforgettable events go down at The Sagamore Hotel, an art deco architectural celebration and the centrepiece of Miami beach with a glistening pool and this time even more space to dance, lounge in comfort and soak up the winter sun rays.

Tickets for all parties are now on sale, choose a 5-day pass with re-entry permitted and come and go as you please or a single-day ticket.