Four Tet Revamps Chloé Robinson & DJ ADHD’s 'Pax'

United Kingdom

Chloé Robinson

Switzerland

house

swiss house

Andrea Oliva

United States

uk dance

John Summit

uk house

TSHA

Pete Tong

Melé

Kitty Amor

Spain

Ushuaïa Ibiza

ANTS Week 14

ANTS

Sweden

dark techno

minimal techno

raw techno

schranz

swedish electronic

swedish techno

techno

Adam Beyer

tech house

ALISHA

Belgium

acid techno

belgian techno

electra

Amelie Lens

Ammara

drum and bass

jungle

uk dnb

Andy C

Argy

Arielle Free

Ben Hemsley

Germany

german house

german techno

high-tech minimal

Boris Brejcha

deep tech house

progressive house

CamelPhat

dancefloor dnb

Chase & Status

Netherlands

dutch tech house

Chris Stussy

melodic house

Cristoph

uk tech house

Danny Howard

France

big room

dance pop

pop dance

David Guetta

belgian dance

belgian edm

dutch house

electro house

progressive electro house

Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike

Duke Dumont

Each August Bank Holiday weekend, the Daresbury Estate in Cheshire transforms into the epicentre of the UK's electronic dance music scene. Creamfields, an event now synonymous with world-class DJs, groundbreaking production, and an unparalleled high-energy atmosphere, draws vast crowds from across the globe. Widely regarded as the nation's premier electronic music festival, its journey spans over a quarter-century, reflecting the evolution of dance music culture itself.

The festival's origins are inextricably linked to Cream, the legendary Liverpool nightclub founded in 1992 by James Barton, Andy Carroll, and Darren Hughes. Cream rapidly became a cultural phenomenon, instrumental in establishing Liverpool's clubbing credentials and fostering the rise of the superstar DJ. Leveraging this powerful brand identity, Creamfields was launched in 1998, not in Liverpool, but as a one-day event in Winchester, Hampshire, attracting 25,000 attendees with acts like 

. Its immediate success necessitated expansion, leading to a move in 1999 to its "spiritual home" at the Old Liverpool Airfield, doubling capacity and solidifying its connection to its roots.

A pivotal moment arrived in 2006 when, having outgrown the Liverpool site, Creamfields relocated to its current, expansive home in Daresbury. This move was transformative, providing the physical space required for exponential growth. It facilitated the crucial introduction of camping around 2008-2010, shifting the event from a day or two-day gathering into the immersive, multi-day experience it is today. The festival's duration steadily increased - becoming a two-day event for its 10th anniversary in 2008, expanding to three days from 2011, and eventually settling into its current four-day format, typically running Thursday to Sunday over the bank holiday. Daily attendance figures swelled correspondingly, now reaching capacities of 70,000 to 80,000.

Musically, Creamfields remains dedicated to the electronic spectrum. While born from house music, its numerous stages now host everything from mainstream EDM, techno, and trance to drum and bass, hardstyle, and more. This sonic diversity is matched by a relentless commitment to cutting-edge production. Creamfields is renowned for investing heavily in spectacular light shows, pyrotechnics, and powerful sound systems. Over the years, it has debuted iconic, often record-breaking stage structures like the colossal Steel Yard, the visually stunning Arc Stage, the immersive Runway/Halo concepts, and most recently, APEX - billed as the world's largest indoor festival superstructure with a 30,000 capacity.

The festival consistently attracts the titans of electronic music. Line-ups feature a blend of global superstars (such as 

), and leading figures from various sub-genres (including 

), alongside platforms for emerging artists.

Creamfields' evolution also included significant international expansion, with events staged across the globe. Domestically, a notable strategic development occurred in 2022 with the launch of 

 in Chelmsford, running alongside the original Daresbury event (rebranded Creamfields North) for its 25th anniversary. While this dual-festival format ran for a couple of years, recent indications point towards a consolidation back into a single, unified large-scale event at the Daresbury site.

From its nightclub origins to its current status as a globally recognised, four-day festival institution, Creamfields' journey is one of continuous adaptation and growth. Its enduring success stems from its ability to consistently deliver world-class line-ups, push technological boundaries in production, cultivate an electric atmosphere, and evolve in response to the dynamic landscape of electronic music, cementing its legacy as a cornerstone of UK festival culture.

Creamfields

Creamfields Festival 2025

Italy

italian techno

Davide Squillace

deep disco house

Eats Everything

Eli & Fur

Australia

australian house

FISHER

Ilario Alicante

Joris Voorn

Bulgaria

KiNK

leipzig electronic

Matthias Tanzmann

tribal house

Nic Fanciulli

spanish techno

Paco Osuna

Prunk

SYREETA

ANTS Opening Party

deep groove house

uk pop

Alex Mills

scottish techno

Ewan McVicar

DJ EZ

future garage

Gorgon City

Sam Divine

Fat Tony

Sarah Story

big beat

electronica

Fatboy Slim

nu skool breaks

trip hop

Groove Armada

aussietronica

lo-fi house

Mall Grab

minimal tech house

Enzo Siragusa

Layla Benitez

german tech house

Kolter

Türkiye

Carlita

Desiree

ambient techno

float house

intelligent dance music

microhouse

shiver pop

Daniel Avery

ukg revival

Logic1000

jazz house

Dan Shake

Lauren Lo Sung

KILIMANJARO

garage house

Honey Dijon

classic dubstep

uk bass

Skream

Glastonbury Festival is an iconic five-day music and arts event held on a farm in Somerset, England, that has grown from a modest gathering into a world-renowned cultural phenomenon. It was founded by dairy farmer Michael Eavis, who hosted the first edition on his Worthy Farm in the early 1970s. The first festival was a small affair, with around 1,500 attending, and tickets cost just £1, with festival-goers famously treated to free milk from the farm’s cows. That humble, communal atmosphere set the tone for Glastonbury’s ethos, reflecting the hippie idealism and countercultural spirit of its time.

Over the ensuing decades, Glastonbury transformed from that intimate gathering into a sprawling, world-renowned event. By the 1980s it was drawing tens of thousands, and each expansion brought new challenges and innovations. New stages and themed areas were added as the festival evolved from a simple concert into a celebration of contemporary performing arts, featuring not just rock music but also dance, comedy, theatre, circus, cabaret and more. Despite occasional setbacks, including battles with local authorities over licensing, and planned “fallow” years when the festival skips a summer to let the land and community recover, Glastonbury’s momentum only grew. Today it is often called the world’s largest greenfield music festival, with more than 200,000 attendees converging on over a thousand acres of countryside to form a temporary city each summer.

As its reputation soared, Glastonbury became a coveted stage for the world’s leading musicians. Some of the most celebrated figures in music have headlined the festival’s iconic Pyramid Stage, from veteran rock stars like David Bowie and Paul McCartney to pop icons like Beyoncé. The bill has spanned genres and generations, also featuring era-defining bands (such as Blur and Oasis) and groundbreaking artists from the worlds of hip-hop and R&B (for example, Jay-Z and Stormzy). These high-profile performances have solidified Glastonbury’s status as a pinnacle of live music achievement. They are often more than just concerts; many sets have passed into legend, talked about for years afterward and seen as defining moments in both the artists’ careers and the festival’s own story. In this way, Glastonbury’s stages have become 

, underscoring the festival’s massive influence on pop culture.

Another hallmark of Glastonbury is its long-standing commitment to activism and philanthropy. Far from being an apolitical entertainment event, the festival has used its platform for advocacy since its early years. In the 1980s it forged a partnership with the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, turning the festival into a fundraiser and a megaphone for the peace movement. This ethos of giving back has only strengthened over time: Glastonbury regularly donates millions of pounds to good causes, and its official charity partners include humanitarian and environmental organizations like 

. Attendees encounter numerous causes on-site, from stalls promoting human rights and climate action to eco-friendly initiatives - and the festival itself strives to model sustainability. Recycling programs, renewable energy installations, and even the repurposing of abandoned tents for the homeless (through initiatives like the “Give Me Shelter” campaign) are among the measures that highlight its socially conscious mission. Glastonbury has effectively intertwined music with activism, showing that a festival can be both a celebration and a force for positive change.

As large as it is, Glastonbury has preserved certain traditions that distinguish it from other music festivals. For example, part of its grounds is dedicated to the “Green Fields” - zones with no amplified music, where attendees can explore workshops, healing tents, and a stone circle, all of which echo the mystical, free-spirited vibe of the festival’s early years. The festival’s Pyramid Stage, with its distinctive pyramid shape originally conceived in the early 1970s, has become a defining symbol of Glastonbury, instantly recognizable in photographs and broadcasts around the world. Another unique practice is the “fallow year,” when every few years the festival takes a planned break to let the land recover and to give locals and organizers a breather, a reflection of how interwoven the event is with its environment.

Glastonbury also stands out for the sheer diversity of experiences it offers; one can wander from a raucous rock performance to a tranquil field of meditation, or stumble upon a secret set by a surprise guest on a tucked-away stage. This blend of scale and intimacy, of mainstream spectacle and alternative community, gives Glastonbury an atmosphere of magic and camaraderie that keeps fans returning year after year. What began as a humble gathering in a Somerset field has evolved into a cultural institution, a festival unlike any other, revered not just in the UK but around the globe for its history, its heart, and its enduring creative spirit.

Chloé Robinson

Articles

Other artists