By Adam Bloodworth
Houghton festival takes place August 10 – 13 in Norfolk
If you fancy a dance this summer, and are into electronic music, try Houghton festival in Norfolk. Other than having a particularly beautiful setting, there are a few reasons we particularly love this event.
There is music pretty much round-the-clock, with sets from some of the biggest DJ names in the world, including new electronic pioneer Call Super, alternative techno wizard Erol Alkan, and German selector Helena Hauff.
The festival also calls itself a “celebration of art and music,” which means interesting lighting installations and specially created structures and artworks are for exploring between sets.
One thing we’re particularly keen on is the stunning setting. The festival takes place on the grounds of the neoclassic Houghton Hall, which is quite the Gatsby-esque setting for a countryside knees-up.
It’s not all dancing: a sophisticated restaurant sits in the middle of the on-site lake, so you can eat a proper lunch with proper cutlery while deers roam. There’s also a sculpture park, with pieces by world-renowned sculptors and many upcoming artists across multiple mediums.
Back to the music, and that’s set up by Craig Richards, one of the resident DJs at Fabric who has been at the London super club since its inception.
The festival say: “12,000 attendees experience 4 nights of expert programming under the big skies and coastal air of Norfolk. Fans of underground arts and music travel from South America, Japan and Australia to what has become one of the world’s most acclaimed and remarkable festival experiences.
“There’s no VIP section, no corporate name sponsors. The serendipitous rural magic touch; no phone signal.”
There’s also complementary yoga and and sauna for winding down, or getting back into the mind set for more music.
It’s all played on top-of-the-range speakers, allowing vinyl to be spun by DJs for a deeper, richer sound experience than you’ll find at many other festivals.
Tickets for Houghton festival are available on the website
