Wide Awake 2024: Thrills Abound at South London Alt-Music Festival

A day of controlled chaos at counter-culture spectacle

Revellers lapped up the sunshine this bank holiday as Wide Awake Festival took over South London's Brockwell Park on Saturday.

Now in its fourth year, Wide Awake has established itself as the place to be to catch the crème de la crème of the alternative music scene. With King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard taking the headline slot, Wide Awake's artfully curated line-up also featured some of the most hyped, up-and-coming acts around. Rising artists Fat Dog and The Dare shared stages with Mercury Prize winning Young Fathers (pictured above), 90's shoegazers Slowdive and alt-music stalwarts Dry Cleaning.

Throwing open its gates at midday, PC Music's Hannah Diamond brought high-concept hyperpop on the Moth Club x Wonderland stage as one of the first acts of the day. On the Disco Pogo stage, punk duo Lambrini Girls tear it up, drawing a fervent crowd as lead singer Phoebe Lunny dives into a sea of hands (below), seemingly spending more time in the audience than on stage.

Luke Dyson Wide Awake 2024 by Luke Dyson LD1 0138

Crowd participation and moshing were two expected yet welcome themes across the day, as New York rock band Model/Actriz vocalist Cole Haden leapt into the furore of Moth Club x Wonderland's big red top tent (below). Gripping his tethered mic, fans swarmed around him, eager to get close to the singer.

Explosive, contagious energy rippled throughout the day. Arnt brothers Elliott and Virgile, who form the post-punk, glam rock duo Faux Real, evoked Zoolander vibes in their matching, all-white cargo fits and synchronised dancing. The pair prove that musical acts can be at once very silly and completely serious, as their performance cleverly harnessed the art of cringe.

Speaking of silly, South East London band Fat Dog - known for their surreal and boisterous live shows - continued to make good on their building reputation for chaos. Their set at the Desert Daze x Bad Vibes x Manchester Psych Fest stage drew one of the biggest crowds of the day.

Back under the big top tent, sheltering my reddening skin from the sun, New York's indie sleaze revivalist, The Dare, cavorted around the stage, clad in the black and white slim-fit suit that has become his trademark. Curious onlookers gathered around the edges of the awning, eager to catch a glimpse of the buzzed-about musician. Elsewhere, on the main stage, post-punk band Dry Cleaning allowed for a mellow moment with their set, so many took the opportunity to rest their weary legs lounging out on picnic blankets.

During one of my many crossings of the festival site, I was lured in by the dance-pop sounds of Charlotte Adigéry & Bolis Pupul on the Wide Awake x KEXP Stage, the Ghent-based duo who use music as a vehicle for socio-political topics. The energy of both was infectious; Adigéry, clad in fabulous round blue sunglasses, sauntered across the length of the stage, at one point losing (and subsequently retrieving a shoe), her laugh a persistent, deliberately unsettling refrain on standout track 'Haha'.

While much of the festival catered to alt-rock bands, electronic heads were able to get their fix in our very own Corsica Studios x DMY tent. A jam-packed line-up of the best underground DJs and selectors spun uncompromising tunes all day, including OK Williams, Helena Hauff, Ben UFO and lastly, German electronic duo Modeselektor, who closed out the day to appreciative chants and whistles from a packed tent of fans.

Shoegaze icons Slowdive took the sunset slot on the Desert Daze Stage, providing a downtempo and nostalgic hour before Aussie rock band King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard headlined the main stage for a raucous closer full of psych guitars.

As night falls on Brockwell Park, it's safe to say that Wide Awake Festival has retained its spot in the upper echelons of alternative music events thanks to a well-curated lineup and (controlled) chaos abound. Until next year...