The European festival summer has become a bit of an institution. Spanning across different continents, countries and scenes, thousands each and every year make the trip to lands of new for a week of something special. Hideout has become one of the leaders in that regard, a sun-soaked coming together that grows and grows each year with a line-up packed with electronic giants and some of the most hyped names in grime and rap for a festival spanning across land, sea, and beach.
2018 was no different, delivering some of the most rapturous and stunning sets in the festival's history and proving why Hideout remains in a league of its own. Kick-starting the week with the Beach Party, DJ EZ headlined with a masterclass in how to nail a festival, delving across UK garage classics and immediate party-starters for an unrivalled set from one of the game's most respected and admired figures. It sets the path for the week ahead, one full of surprises and thousands of beaming music lovers enjoying the giant stages in front of them. From Skream turning a Boat Party into an unstoppable carnival of drops, to the countless sets spread throughout Zrce Beach's countless venues from Solardo, Peggy Gou, Jamie Jones C and more—the party never stopped.
AJ Tracey's Tuesday night set was another rammed-out affair. Ripping through a quickfire set of favourites, slow-jams, new numbers and more, it felt like a real moment where the potential for how big the emcee can go was shown in front of thousands. His set was followed by a drum & bass history lesson from Chase & Status, the sort of one-two that shows just why Hideout remains unrivalled each and every year. Next up, Bugzy Malone showed us why he's Manchester's king of grime with an effortless set that featured new cuts and crowd-ready hits, following on from 1Xtra's MistaJam who dropped big-timejams down at Papaya. The list goes on and on—and that’s what makes Hideout so essential. A week long party full of big slots at every turn, there's a reason why it continues to grow as a vital part of the summer party season.
2019 details are set to be announced soon. Keep an eye on www.hideoutfestival.com for more.
