Four line-up unmissables to see at Field Day

Field Day is a festival worth raving about. Since 2007, the outdoor all-dayer has brought some of the buzziest names in electronic music to East London – be it The xx in a 500-capacity tent back in 2009 to Aphex Twin in a 50,000-strong crowd last year. For those of us into IFYKYK IDM, breakneck techno, rave and club pop, it’s no doubt an annual calendar fixture.

Well, good news: Field Day is back with another mega line-up for 2024. Returning to Victoria Park on Saturday 24^th August, the FD crew are going all out on the popstar-rave crossover, headlining with legendary French electro duo, Justice, a major Mura Masa set on the decks, and, in a throwback to its early years, The xx’s Romy, live.

There’s also a batch of high-BPM favourites in the mix, too: techno titan Charlotte de Witte, equine party starter horsegiirL and gabber-mad Brutalismus 3000 have all been fielded for this year’s edition. Plus, Mary Anne Hobbs – the beloved BBC Radio 6 Music whisperer – is once again curating the ​‘All Queens’ stage, featuring the likes of Afrodeutsche, Ela Minus and LCY back-to-back with Yazzus.

We reckon it’s the ideal moment to get a ticket. With many of us still experiencing withdrawals after a certain festival in Somerset, it’s nearly time to touch grass and reach for the lasers all over again. But who is worth seeing at all costs – even, shudder, if it means sacrificing a sacred space in the bar queue? Say no more, THE FACE has got you covered, ensuring you have a proper Field Day.

Backed by disorienting distortion and brooding bass, John Glacier​’s rap tunes are totally intoxicating. Her personal life is as mysterious as her music – she keeps her age and her real name secret – but her bars are lined with character, giving us a stream-of-consciousness peek inside her mind. No wonder producers like Vegyn, Flume and Kwes Darko have made beats for her. Fresh from inking a new deal with Beggars Group imprint, Young, and releasing EP, Like a Ribbon, earlier this year, Glacier is in good stead, promising a properly cold set come that fateful summer Saturday.

Canadian artist Bambii started out as a DJ, making a name for herself in Toronto’s queer scene through her cult night Jerk and touring with Mykki Blanco. Now, she’s a singer-songwriter as well as a selector, with a rewind-worthy batch of big and bassy tunes. Her latest track, ​‘SHH’, is a throbbing club banger that makes you want to faceplant the nearest bass bin in pleasure. It’s only 95 seconds long, so let’s hope she plays it at least ten times.

Party starter Shygirl is the pop star’s pop star – albeit with a rave-ready edge – counting the likes of Charli XCX, Rihanna and Lady Gaga among her fans. After cutting her creative teeth as a photographer and model, she began making wonky club music in 2016 before releasing Cruel Practice in 2018 to critical acclaim. Since then, she’s dropped everything from R&B hacked with video-game jingles to Eurotrance-inspired anthems, all with one foot firmly in the dance. Now, she’s bringing her Club Shy concept to Field Day. Considering Shygirl has worked with PinkPantheress, Sega Bodega and Mura Masa, who all are also playing at Field Day, we’re hoping for some classic club cameos.

Mere words can’t accurately describe Yves Tumor’s sound. But who cares about a precise explanation when their music is so melon-twistingly exciting? We’ll try, anyway. Growing up in conservative Tennessee and teaching themselves how to play pretty much everything (guitar, keyboard, drums, extraterrestrial synths… you name it), Tumor started out releasing chillwave tunes before getting signed to Warp Records and warping our minds with Safe in the Hands of Love, released September 2018. Fast forward to now, and they’re making bombastic art rock with trippy guitar solos, distorted vocals and enough FX pedals for a centipede. Seen live, it’s life-affirming.