Tucked neatly into a corner of London’s Olympic Park, the Beautiful People one-day festival provided the perfect celebration of a glorious summer of sunshine.
Hosted by the team behind the hugely-popular Southport Weekender, the festival’s line-up read like a list of the greats of the last 30 years of house, disco, soul, hip-hop, garage and RnB.
The compact organisation meant that it was swift and easy to move between the five stages – all packed with legends such as Jazzy Jeff, Arrested Development, Evelyn ‘Champagne’ King, David Rodigan, DJ Hype, DJ Spinna and many more.
From the front gate onwards, the security and staff were smiling throughout and helped manage the crowds brilliantly ensuring there was a friendly atmosphere.
The UK Garage stage set the scene early, with MasterStepz and Matt Jam Lamont blasting out 90s classics to a bustling crowd that were singing along to every track from a golden era.
On the main stage, Anane upped the tempo with a set of high-energy disco and house that quickly had the crowd dancing along, but it was Detroit’s finest Moodymann who really stole the show on the day.
Moodymann’s inimitable style – chatting casually with the crowd, while playing some of the finest house, soul and funk records available – was an expertly-crafted set as the sun dipped, making the day feel more like being at a fun house party than a major festival.
To headline the main stage, Masters At Work (AKA Little Louie Vega and Kenny Dope Gonzalez) took over and delivered a solid set of classic house, celebrating 25 years since the release of their iconic ‘Nuyorican Soul’ album. Another highlight was their hit ‘Work’ which had the whole crowd happily singing along.
All day, the music was superb – but ultimately, it really was the people that made Beautiful People a brilliant day out. The old-school crowd created a friendly and welcoming vibe, ensuring everyone left with a huge smile on their face.
In London’s often overcrowded festival scene, Beautiful People is hopefully a must to return next year. By keeping it simple – great music, great sound systems, great visuals – they’ve created a classic day out that really delivers the best of the best.
