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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
World
Rachael Burford

Huge new techno festival 'High Lights' planned for east London park this summer

A huge new electronic music festival is set to launch in east London this summer. 

High Lights will see up to 8,000 ravers a day descend on Barking Park between May 31 and June 2 for DJ sets from the likes of Carl Cox, Enzo Siragusa and Max Cooper.

Organisers describe the festival and light show as “part art installation, part architectural performance arena” and "like nothing ever seen in a London park before".  

Councillors in Barking and Dagenham will discuss licencing the three-day’s of dance sets alongside an art installation on Wednesday night.

It comes amid strained council finances, with local authorities across the capital renting out parks and open spaces for festivals and other events in a bid to bring in cash.

Tower Hamlets has extended the licence for All Points East so it can hold larger events in Victoria Park, and later this week Haringey council is set to discuss extending capacity of Krank brothers functions in Finsbury Park.

Artist impression of High Lights festival in Barking Park (High Light)

In documents submitted to Barking and Dagenham council, High Lights organisers said: “We have partnered with Lucid Creates, who will produce and operate the installation, which consists of a giant fully programmable custom built lighting concept hanging just beneath the treeline.

“This will create an immersive natural space like nothing ever seen in a London park before.

“Set into the wooded gardens of Barking Park, High Lights will be a unique performance installation designed to showcase artists in the most dramatic of settings with 7000 people, plus 1000 crew and guestlist per day in attendance.

“Part art installation, part architectural performance arena, there has never been a space this immersive built in an outdoor setting.”

Residents who live near the park will be offered significantly discounted tickets.

Fred Letts, director of Percolate Music, which is organising the event, said: "Our vision is for this to become an annual event set over the course of two weekends, once we have demonstrated that [it] can be run in a manner that is beneficial to the park and the community based around it.

"Community benefits will range from investments in the park and local initiatives, to work placements and training for youth programs."

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