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Olivia Stock
29 June 2023, 14:39

New London festival, RALLY, announces Kelly Lee Owens, John Talabot, Loraine James, more for debut event

South London is getting a new daytime festival this summer

Photo taken inside a festival stage with orange lighting

RALLY, a new community-focused music and arts festival, has revealed the line-up for its first edition at London’s Southwark Park on 5th August.

Promising a fresh take on London one-day events, RALLY is a collaborative project between the organisers of South London festival GALA, and promoters and live music tastemakers, Bird On The Wire. With a focus on celebrating the spaces and artists that make up the city’s vital, grassroots scene, the festival boasts an eclectic bill spanning electronica, techno, post-punk, and leftfield indie.

The inaugural edition of RALLY will feature big-name performances from Loraine James, Kelly Lee Owens, John Talabot, Erika de Casier, and Anthony Naples, who will go back-to-back with DJ Python. Afro-psychedelic artist Obongjayar will also be playing his only London festival date, alongside a b2b from Leon Vynehall & Yu Su.

Elsewhere, Bristol post-punk band Squid will perform live, alongside Soul Wax affiliates Charlotte Adigéry and Bolis Pupul, and South London's Wu-Lu. RALLY will also welcome West London rapper Louis Culture, PVA, and NTS DJ OK Williams to Southwark Park, whilst DJ and poet James Messiah will play b2b with Kemarr.

The line-up was curated by underground label Bone Soda, British South Asian collective Daytimers, Southbank Centre, and holy space-turned-music-venue, Church Of Sound.

RALLY will team up with Peckham’s audiophile bar/restaurant, Jumbi, as its food partner, bringing African-Caribbean cuisine to the festival, while local clubs Venue MOT and Bermondsey Social Club will host afterparties. The festival will also be supporting Sister Midnight, the South London collective opening Lewisham’s first community owned live music venue, and sustainability movement, TOGETHERZERO.

On the arts front, LGBTQIA+ performance collective Disturbance, London art school Goldsmiths, and non-profit creative space IKLECTIK will be hosting exhibitions and installations. 

Tickets to the inaugural RALLY are available here. Check out the full line-up below.