Glastonbury’s Shangri-La announces full line-up with festival’s first dedicated South Asian space
The new Arrivals area will be built and presented by an entirely South Asian team
Glastonbury’s Shangri-La has announced its full 2024 line-up, featuring the festival’s first-ever dedicated South Asian space, Arrivals.
The new area will be programmed, designed and built by an entirely South Asian team, as a collaboration between Dialled In, Going South and Daytimers.
Described as a “a sensory feast of vivid lights and colours” crafted by “remixing the worlds of pulp sci-fi classics within a newly redefined South Asian aesthetic”, Arrivals will host a selection of live music and DJ sets from South Asian artists across the week. These include DJ Ritu — an icon of the '90s Asian Underground scene — as well as Nikki Nair, Angel D'Lite, Anish Kumar, Gracie T, Manara, Papadon, Raji Rags, Nabihah Iqbal, and more.
The space, located in Glastonbury’s South East corner, will centre around the simultaneously “nostalgic and futuristic” stage design of Shankho Chaudhuri, Esha Sikander and Shirin Naveed, along with the work of iIllustrator Osheen Siva. According to press material, the audio visual world finds inspiration in solar punk, carnivorous plants, cyborg beasts and more.
Speaking to DJ Mag, a representative from Dialled In said, “We often measure change through the things we build. So to be presenting an actual space, designed from the ground up by South Asians, at the wonder that is Shangri-la exceeds our wildest dreams.
“Huge thanks to the Shangri-La for the creative freedom to present something uniquely by us, showcasing the best of everything our creative community has to offer. This is a culmination of everyone's hard work over generations and we're so privileged to be standing on the shoulders of those who came before us. By South Asians, for everyone, it’s going to be fucking awesome.”
“For me it’s a testament to all the hard work the entire Diaspora has been doing going back two or three generations,” BBC Asian Network presenter Bobby Friction added, calling the creation of Arrivals “a dream come true”.
“South Asian creativity (especially musically) has always been invisible outside the community, yet what we create has never just been for us, it’s always been for everyone... we want Arrivals to be home for anyone who wants to join us as a family, and as a collective of joy in creativity.”
Arrivals is one of six stages at Shangri-La. Nowhere will return to the area with a number of takeovers, including 20 years of Risky Roadz, hosted by the pioneering grime videographer, Joy (Anonymous) & Friends, a celebration of 25 Years of Defected Records, and a return of the Megarave from the music, fashion and activism collective, Sportsbanger.
The Peace stage will see Moonchild Sanelly, Kneecap, Das Brass and more perform, while the Nomad stage will host SWANA collective, PXSSY PALACE, Nadine Noor and more. The dance music focused Platform 23 returns after debuting last year, with performances from the Brighter Days Family, Bianca Oblivion, Blanco, Rosa Pistola and more.
Sistxrhood will also return, and will be open to all for the first time this year, whilst remaining a safe space, hosting everything from workshops to parties. The stage will host performances from DJ Flight, Mantra, Sherelle presents Beautiful and many more.
Glastonbury has also announced a variety of high-profile names in electronic music performing at the 2024 festival, which will take place from Wednesday 26th to Sunday 30th June. Fans can expect to see sets from the likes of Orbital, Disclosure, LCD Soundsystem, Nia Archives, Peggy Gou, Eliza Rose, Honey Dijon, Faithless, Justice, Bonobo, and plenty more.
Check out the full Shangri-La line-up, featuring the new Arrivals stage, below.
Earlier this year, London’s Southbank Centre announced a new South Asian music event series taking place in the spring, featuring performances from anu, Vedic Roots, and more.
