Written by Sophie Wyatt
Summer is on the horizon (we know, hard to believe), but we can see it coming over the hill. And summer means festivals. London’s festivals are continuing to grow, but one that has earned a staple place in our calendars is Cross The Tracks. Returning to us for a third edition, Cross The Tracks brings together a wide range of artists, food, art and people to Brockwell Park, Brixton – this year falling on May 28th aka a Bank Holiday. After making an unforgettable debut back in 2019, the festival’s following year was forced into cancellation due to the pandemic. But following this they’ve hosted the likes of Joy Crookes, Sister Sledge and Jordan Rakei.
Having recently released their 2023 line-up, Cross The Tracks have outdone themselves once again. With artists such as NxWorries (Anderson Paak & Knxwledge), Yasmin Lacey, Kelis, Masego and Ravyn Lenae among an amazing list of other outstanding musicians. Known for offering ‘the best jazz, funk and soul music in town’, we know that the vibes will not disappoint.
London’s Jazz scene is continuing to grow. What once was an underground genre is now standing strong and making its presence known around the city. In a description of the line-up, the festival explained that “In the past half decade, along with the west coast of the states, London has become the epicentre of contemporary jazz. The London scene is blending so many genres that asking ‘Which genre is that?’ it’s almost missing the point. It’s a melting pot of music. It is not mathematically analysing something to the point of splitting hairs, but breaking the limitations genre tends to bring. Defined boxes can be dangerous, especially in music.”.
Aside from the legendary artists featured on the line-up, the event will also feature The London Brewers Market, an artisan and creatives market, 40+ independent food and drink traders and plus talks, panels and workshops by charity and wellness partners. Whilst Cross The Tracks is still somewhat new to the UK festival scene, they have made a mighty big impact in their short time running. With its seven stages, the festival has a laid-back vibe, a beautiful setting and a whole world of people looking to dance, drink, eat and have an amazing day.
While the summer sun still seems far away in this miserable weather, make sure you secure your ticket to what is set to be one of the hottest festivals this year.
