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BLOCK9 AT GLASTONBURY FESTIVAL 2025

Other | Saturday 17th May 2025 | Rosh

London, May 2025. Block9 is pulling out all the stops ahead of Glastonbury’s 2026 fallow year. Once again, an otherwise tranquil corner of Worthy Farm will be transformed into a ‘temporary alternative reality’; an eye-popping, celebratory wonderland of huge art installations, underground music, queer culture and alternative performance.

 

New for 2025 is a twin-venue Daytime Block Party across both Genosys and The NYC Downlow, featuring Derrick Carter, Jayda G, Don Letts, Fatboy Slim, Hot Chip, Luke Solomon and Melle Brown. In keeping with last year’s daytime surprise appearances, expect top-secret drop ins from some very special guests!

 

As always, Block9 welcomes an incredible cast of creative talent to rural Somerset for a hedonistic weekend of late-night sessions, with artists including DJ Disciple, Cybotron, Nia Archives, Paranoid London (Live), Sub Focus, Sippin’ T, Bashkka, SHYBOI, Deep Dish (Classic house set), Heléna Star, DJ Storm, Don Letts and many more.

 

This year, Block9 partners with the inimitable Led By Donkeys collective on a brand-new collaboration in the fight against Elon Musk and his tech oligarch cronies. Protest, party and counterculture politics at the heart of the weekend - just as they should be.
 
 
 

IICON


Welcome to IICON, the immersive audio-visual arena in Block9 East. Taking the form of a colossal, anonymised head, IICON is a pseudo-religious monument to the terrifying new realities emerging in our digital, post-truth age. This immense sculptural artwork is animated by state-of-the-art video mapping and delivers a vision of future music from the cutting-edge of today’s underground.

 

IICON starts on Thursday with The House of Xtravaganza’s blazing talent THOG (Rush Davis) and killer producer Pearson Sound.

 

Friday has Cybotron, led by frontman and techno pioneer Juan Atkins, and UK tricksters Two Shell.

 

Saturday highlights include Paranoid London (Live) and SHYBOI, with Arabic-infused deepness from Brooklyn-based Makadsi, while BBC Radio 1’s Benji B pops his IICON cherry.

 

Sunday on IICON starts with wonky dub-reggaeton and dubstep courtesy of Bushbby, Raggs and Sippin’ T, and is followed by our traditional drum’n’bass festival finale with Sub Focus, Nia Archives and DJ Storm.
 
 
 

GENOSYS

 

Created to explore the birth of analogue electronic music and its lasting legacy, Genosys takes centre-stage in Block9 West, and features legendary pioneers from dance music’s past, present and future. 

 

Thursday night sees Lance DeSardi present his slamming new live set alongside Hanoi heavyweight Ouissam, while LA stalwart Heidi Lawden makes her Genosys debut.

 

On Friday night, Chicago’s Smartbar resident, Garrett David, returns with a brand-new live show. Block9 favorite Anil Aras graces us with his up-front Amsterdam house sound, followed by Peach x Saoirse x Moxie.

 

Saturday starts early, at 2pm, with the mother of all day parties, followed by Colombia’s Confidential Recipe b2b Leeon, Leonce, ISAbella, EMA and Hannah Holland.

 

The weekend closes with Genosys’ annual ritual: paying homage to the very best in acid house, with New York legend Justin Strauss, national treasure Craig Richards and Block9 veteran Felix Dickenson. Hold tight for London’s queer rave founders Chapter 10 and their Pittsburgh counterpart Aaron Clark from Honcho.
 
 
 

THE NYC DOWNLOW

 

Across this year’s festival The NYC Downlow hosts an unrivalled roster of legendary talent from the LGBTQ+ house and disco Hall of Fame.

 

Brooklyn trailblazer, DJ Disciple brings his foundation sound, and rising UK talent Heléna Star makes her sophisticated, soulful Downlow debut, alongside unadulterated ballroom fierceness from Blitz Club resident Bashkka. 

 

Washington’s Deep Dish dig into their world class discography to play a very special ‘classic house’ set, and wonder-producer Scott Diaz makes his return alongside Downlow residents Grace Sands and Prosumer, with South London hero DJ Biggy C from Bootylicious joining the family for the first time.

 

From 2pm on Saturday, The Downlow pays a very special 30th birthday tribute to our sisters at Classic Music Company, and after 10 years in the making, Chicago OG Derrick Carter finally takes his long-awaited headline slot. Grammy-winning, Beyoncé collaborator Luke Solomon also graces the decks.

 

Sunday sees performances from true legend Danilo Plessow aka Motor City Drum Ensemble, Los Angeles mainstay Colored Craig, and Gerd Janson, ahead of the closing set from The Downlow’s spiritual leader, Luke Howard from Horse Meat Disco.

 

Jonny Woo’s resident drag troupe Maude Adams & All Those Children carry us throughout the weekend with themed nightly performances; The Underwear Party, One Million Years BD (Before Drag), Total Slag Night, Protest, and a glorious finale on Sunday - A Night of 1000 Divines / A Celebration of John Waters.

 

The NYC Downlow is a queer venue that raises money for good causes through its moustache entry system and merchandise sales. Look out for the PrEPster crew around the NYC Downlow as they hand out information, advice and free f*ck packs containing everything you need. 
 
 
 

THE MEAT RACK

 

Hidden at the back of the NYC Downlow you will find another amazing dance floor - The Meat Rack – this year featuring a line-up of sleazy backroom selectors like Seth Troxler, NIKS, Nicholas Matar, Nabihah Iqbal, Andy Cato (Groove Armada), Shay Malt, Deptford Northern Soul Club and Mandel Turner.
 
 
 

PrEPSTER and MAP Return

 

Block9 charitable partners for this year will include London-based HIV prevention activists PrEPster, MAP (Medical Aid For Palestinians), Crisis, Human Dignity Trust and Freedom from Torture.

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