So far as competition places move, slapping one immediately below some of the UK’s largest and busiest motorways does not appear to be the obvious selection. And but, Junction 2’s place within the center of Boston Manor Park in West London, break up in part through the M4 as automobiles merrily whizz their excess of the competition, makes it one of the distinctive and unforgettable locales in the United Kingdom EDM calendar. The organisers have ingeniously leaned into it, too, hanging the competition’s 2d largest level – named the Bridge, after all – proper below one a part of the dual carriageway, making for one of the spectacular having a look level set-ups anyplace in are living tune at the moment.
All 3 days of this 12 months’s tournament are boasting a stacked lineup of a few of modern dance tune’s most fun manufacturers, however it is arguably these days’s festival-closing Sunday lineup with essentially the most beneficiant sprinkling of gemstones on display. From the whimsical, floaty experimentations of Barry Cannot Swim and TSHA to the clubby ecstasy of Pleasure (Nameless) and Honey Dijon’s nu-disco incantations, there are happy, life-affirming beats losing everywhere the store. Whilst Barry’s set over at The Bridge certainly steals the day (although if there is a problem to the level’s unbelievable spectacle, it is that it’s a must to combat your solution to a stiflingly tight center phase to face any likelihood of having some correctly first rate sound), some massive shout outs have to move Eliza Rose for a excellent two-hour stint of soulful, hip-shaking jams at The Grid and the propulsive, thunderously heavy Ahadadream, who just about blows the roof off the Dome along with his hard-hitting, percussive noise.
In point of fact, although, and as cliche because it sounds, the most important winners of Junction 2 Sunday are, reasonably frankly, the vibes (and sure, they’re certainly immaculate). In spite of the competition most commonly attracting a tender and painfully cool crowd, there is an open, welcoming environment in each house you bump into, be it the blackened, neon-flecked Dome, the mysterious Woods, which really feel lovingly plucked immediately from Secret Lawn Birthday party, or the outdoor Grid level, which is continuously busy, a humming, bobbling mass of our bodies thankfully dancing away. It is helping that it is gloriously sunny, after all, however when you find yourself packing scenes like those, you think that it would had been a knockout of an afternoon regardless of the climate.
It is usually a flawlessly run competition; safety is clean however thorough, bathroom and beverages queues are by no means overbearing and there is an outstanding array of meals stands given the fairly modest dimension of the fest itself (this veggie felt completely neatly catered for). All in all, there is in reality now not a lot to fault Junction 2 on in any way. Get that Bridge level sounding as superb because it seems to be and we’re going to have some of the all-time nice London gala’s on our arms.
