Beat-Herder Festival first wave of acts announced for 20th birthday

Renowned for its friendly atmosphere, eclectic musical offerings, and hedonistic spirit, Beat-Herder has stayed true to its free-party roots for two decades, delivering awe-inspiring stages, world-class DJs, live performances, comedy, and countless surprises year after year.

Co-founder Nick Chambers said: “Like ripples on water and the rings of a tree, Beat-Herder’s reach and impact grows. Though we’ve embraced a more intimate feel, our influence stretches far beyond awards and followers: it’s about real people and real lives. With each passing year, Beat-Herder cements its place in UK festival culture, the northern music scene, and the annual migration of thousands who come together each year to celebrate with us. The gravity of Beat-Herder pulls stronger than ever. It’s a beautiful thing, and we can’t wait for many more years of it.”

Beat-Herder will throw open its doors, to those lucky enough to have a limited four-day weekend ticket, on Thursday, July 17th with a line-up of dance music icons and emerging talent, celebrating 20 joyful years that’s seen hundreds of incredible acts grace its many stages since its inception in 2006. This year, in the beating heartland of the festival, Toil Trees will kick off a stonking weekend of good times with viral TikTok sensation Fish56Octagon, renowned British-Iranian house DJ Darius Syrossian and godfather of old-skool Slipmatt. Also confirmed is disco, house, and afrobeats DJ Clara B and Leeds-based melodic house DJ Emma Forster.

The enigmatic Ring stage hosts superstar of drum'n'bass, Goldie, one of the genre's most revered artists, alongside the sensational Anaïs, who has been making waves in the D&B circuit with her killer sets.

Heading into the main weekend, over on the main stage is one of house music's most revered DJ & producers, Armand Van Helden promising a stellar headline set. With a career spanning three decades, the global dance icon of the late '90s has a catalogue of massive club hits, including ‘My My My’ and ‘U Don’t Know Me’. He’s joined by house music legends K-Klass (live), the creative afro-fusion 9-piece collective K.O.G. and lyrical talent, MC Gardna.

Saturday’s main stage line up features drum & bass pioneers Fabio and Grooverider who will celebrate the rich history of jungle and D&B with a groundbreaking headline performance alongside The Outlook Orchestra. Continuing the festivities, you’ll find 1994-flavoured jungle enthusiasts 4AM Kru, original pioneer of jungle Congo Natty, and Beat-Herder favourites and jump-up party-starters Dub Pistols.

On Sunday, one of the leading liquid drum and bass acts for well over a decade, Hybrid Minds, will bring their deft drum work, emotive vocals, and soaring synths to the Beat-Herder stage. One of the leading groups in the UK's ever-evolving jazz and soul scene, Nubiyan Twist is also confirmed, alongside beatmaker, bassist and prolific international dub & reggae collaborator and producer Manudigital, and local legends The Lancashire Hotpots.

Back in the magical Toil Trees on Friday you’ll find LA producer Claude VonStroke who spent over 20 years shaping underground dance music and building a community via his original Dirtybird brand. Also confirmed is tribal house innovator Melé, talented Polish duo Catz 'n Dogz, and BBC Radio 1 DJ Jaguar spinning the next wave of emerging talent, and mainstay of the UK house scene, Anish Kumar.

London-based, Australian-born HAAi, leads Saturday in the woods, known for her boundary pushing blend of psychedelia, techno and powerful beats. The compelling DJ Boring who effortlessly pays homage to dance music’s dense past, is also confirmed, alongside pioneer of electro-funk, re-edits and disco, Greg Wilson, Italian electronic dance maestro DJ Tennis, one of Ireland's breakout music stars of 2024, SHEE, and Demi Riquísimo, who is gaining world-wide recognition for his standout acid, italo-house-inspired sonic palette. Seeing the day out is electro and chill out pioneers of the 90’s, ZERO 7.

On Sunday, expect exciting young DJ Woody Cook, soulful house from TV personality Gok Wan, a DJ set from house music legends K-Klass, Godfather of retro house Paul Taylor, funky turntable trickery from Shaka Loves You, and an unmissable 4-hour set from UK selector, Mr Scruff and MC Kwasi.

Standing 80ft wide and 30ft tall with fire blazing from the ramparts, The Fortress hosts some of the most celebrated DJs over the Beat-Herder weekend, including breakthrough act Ammara with her high-tempo, rave-ready sound, acid house & techno outfit Posthuman, Hydraulix Records’ D.A.V.E the Drummer, acid house instigator Jon Dasilva, true techno legend Dave Clarke, as well as fiery female duo Infrared.

Joining the musical dots on Saturday are multi-genre DJ/Producer Burt Cope, the formidable Tim Reaper, who's been spreading gospel jungle for over a decade via Future Retro London, rising star in the new wave of UK garage MPH, bumpy house and 4X4 Garage from DJ Jackum, grooves and speed garage from Shuffa, and hard house from rising star Carli Jayne. On Sunday catch certified drum n bass DJ Mark XTC, skilled jungle producer Dillinja, electronic duo Phibes, and Bristol-based selector Tropigyal.

Beyond the music, Beat-Herder’s reputation for its enchanting and immersive landscape reaches far and wide. With towering sculptures, interactive installations, and whimsical creations, the festival transforms its grounds into a wonderland of imagination, where every turn reveals a new surprise. From hidden tunnels, a secret swimming pool, cars to dance on, teleporting phone boxes, and a parish church complete with stained glass windows and handmade hymn books, at Beat-Herder, creativity knows no bounds.

This meticulous attention to detail has earned Beat-Herder top honours, including Festival of the Year at the 2024 Northern Music Awards and TPD TV’s Best Festival of the Year. Past accolades include Unique Festival Arena (AIF Festival Awards) and the Extra Festival Award (UK Festival Awards) for creating unforgettable experiences.

For more information, and tickets, click https://beatherder.co.uk/.