Festival preview: Hospitality Weekend in the Woods
If you’re into drum and bass, there’s only one place you should be on the 18th and 19th September. And that’s Hospitality Weekend in the Woods.
Set against the beautiful backdrop of Beckenham Place Mansion (coz there’s not much space in Lidl to get a rave going, unfortunately), Hospitality Weekend in the Woods has gained a reputation for being the definitive DnB festival. All of biggest international stars are going to be there, alongside guest spots from the next generation of talent – so whether you’re into the classics, or are more excited to discover new artists that other people haven’t yet, there’s something for everyone here.
(Credit: Hospitality in the Woods)
It’s super easy to get here too. Beckenham Place Park is accessible from all angles – from the south, you’ve got Beckenham Junction (which, as any true south Londoner will tell you, is where trams and go and from) and Ravensbourne train station. From the north, you’ve got Beckenham Hill train station, and Beckenham is pretty close to Sydenham and Catford too.
With *eight* stages all set to go for two whole days, it’s no surprise that the line-up is looking pretty lit too. Headlining the Hospitality stage on the Saturday is Metrik, Hospitals’ very own world-class DJ hailing from London. Since releasing his debut album Universal Language, he’s scored a UK Dance Chart Top 10, mixed an edition of the prestigious BBC Radio 1 Essential Mix hosted by Pete Tong, as well as taking control of his own residency on BBC Radio 1. When he’s not dominating BBC Radio 1, Metrik takes his high-energy beats around the world, from the very best nightclubs in Ibiza and Dubai, through to festival appearances at Glastonbury, Global Gathering, and EDC.
(Credit: Hospitality in the Woods)
Headlining the Royal Rumble stage is King of the Rollers & Inja. King of the Rollers are a collective more than anything else - as solo artists they’ve released music across some of the scene’s biggest labels including Hospital Records, 31, V, Metalheadz, Ram, Low Down Deep and Reinforced. Like Metrik, King of the Rollers are another homegrown Hospital Records artist, and like Metrik, they are laying down some world-class beats. Their latest hit Somebody Else (featuring Lydia Plain) released last April, has over a million hits and rising! This time, they’re teaming up with Inja though. Inja is an artist, MC, and poet, who defies categorization and whose artistic spirit spans a multitude of mediums. Within D+B he’s featured on countless tracks such as Serum’s ‘Blow Them Away’ and Whiney’s ‘Flashlight’. All leading to his first solo single ‘No Regrets’ produced by hip hop legend Pete Cannon!
On Sunday, Netsky is headlining the Hospitality stage. Netsky is a legend within the industry, having won a nomination as "Best Upcoming Producer" within just months of his first release at the Drum & Bass Arena Awards. In April 2020, Netsky released a new DnB single with Hospital called I See The Future In Your Eyes. That single was swiftly followed by Mixed Emotions (featuring Montell2099), and those two tracks were just the beginning of the talented producer's return to DnB’s biggest imprint. Now, the release of Netsky's forthcoming album Second Nature is imminent.
Hospitality in the Woods has sold out for this year. However, you can join the mailing list for 2022 here!
Words by Rebecca Clayton