Festival Preview: South Facing 2021
Down in sunny south London, there’s a different kind of festival taking place in Crystal Palace this August. South Facing festival isn’t like any festival you will have experienced previously. Rather than taking place over one or two days, cramming as much entertainment as possible into a short space of time, South Facing is taking its time and milking south London talent for all it's worth…
South Facing festival is offering you a whole *month* of concerts, screenings, and activities! Kicking off on 6th August and continuing until the 29th, there will be hundreds of your favourite artists performing at the Crystal Palace Bowl. This brand-new festival has been created by some of the people behind Field Day, Winterville, Cross The Tracks, Wide Awake and Dimensions.
(Credit: @southfacing)
Although South Facing may be spanking new, the Crystal Palace Bowl certainly isn’t. Set against the beautiful backdrop of Crystal Palace Park, the Bowl has hosted a whole lot of legends in its history as a music venue: The Who, Pink Floyd, and The Cure, to name a few. The Bowl is even the site of Bob Marley & the Wailers’ largest-ever UK gig at the Crystal Palace Bowl in 1980 at the last ever Garden Party! Any act stepping on this stage has some pretty gigantic shoes to fill.
I’m sure they’ll be able to handle the pressure though. Taking place every weekend throughout August, South Facing will be welcoming grime and hip-hop legends Ghetts, Kojey Radical, Dizzee Rascall and The Streets on the 6th, 14th, and 20th August, respectively. If grime isn’t so much your scene, fear not; indie rock royalty such as Supergrass, The Cribs, and Corrine Bailey Rae, will also be taking to the stage.
Each weekend, the concerts will be ticketed. However, if your pockets are feeling the strain of post-lockdown freedom, then there’s no need to worry; South Facing festival is bringing you heaps of *free activities* taking place mid-week. They’ll be an entire open air film festival taking place, which is being organised with help from Crystal Palace International Film Festival across three consecutive Tuesdays. There’s going to be screenings of blockbusters such as Disney’s Mulan, Oscar-winning Green Book, and Taika Waititi’s critically acclaimed Jojo Rabbit, as well as some shorter arty animations.
Soho Radio will also be a constant presence, bringing you two days of live music along with radio and podcasting workshops. On Wednesday 11th August, Soho Radio will be showcasing fresh new artists Collectiva, Malphino, and Summer Pearl. They’ll also be putting on workshops specifically aimed at those wanting to get into the industry, teaching you dos and don’ts of radio broadcasting. On Wednesday 18th August Greg Foat, Art Themen, Baldo Verdu, Phil Achille, Nadav Schneerson, and Raf Rundell & Terri Walker will be taking to the stage. This will be followed by a workshop in podcasting, giving you the best advice on how to record your podcast.
(Credit: @southfacing)
Just in case this isn’t enough for you, there will be three days of free live music in the Bowl curated by Crystal Palace Festival and Albert’s Favourites. These Sundown Sessions will be completely free to attend, and will be bringing you all the good vibes you’ve been missing since the pandemic began. You’ll be able to catch south London legends such as Andrew Ashong, The Soothsayers, and the South London Youth Orchestra.
At South Facing Festival, you’re truly spoiled for choice! You can find out about everything that’s going on at South Facing here.
Words by Rebecca Clayton