The first August bank holiday weekend saw Houghton festival produce yet another four days of creative bliss. Curated by Craig Richards, the event is now in its tenth year and has become world-renowned for its pioneering musical programme that sees all corners of dance music unite. This year though the team invested further in artistic concepts, collaborations with visual artists and the manner in which these installations could enhance the experience. The result was one of pure escape and revitalisation in the Norfolk woodlands. Standing proudly as the UK’s only festival with a 24 hour license, this year’s edition proved just how important Houghton is to dance music lovers across the country.
In years gone by, it was Houghton’s music programme that took centre stage, this year however they expanded what was on show with a range of artistic concepts. The festival showcased three visual installations by Chris Levine that lit up the forest at night. From a Volkswagen campervan located on the lake adorned with neon lights, to ‘Full Beam’ a light overhead that stretched for miles and seemed to follow you overhead. Both allowed revellers to step away from the music and observe, whilst also offering the chance to embrace both simultaneously. ‘Full Beam’ was particularly awe inspiring on the dance floor as it aligned with the full moon. EBBA also showcased ‘Pulse’, an interactive installation that offered the option to sit or lie down under a wall of light, with the structure vibrating to mirror the rhythms of the forest. It was an interesting concept that many engaged with and was yet another offering that makes Houghton so unique.
The festival continued with 12 stages dotted in and around the forest. This year saw an expansion of The Armadillo – a space where industry talks took place and which also harboured space for alternative and ambient sets. Stallions also took on a larger role, staying open continuously over the weekend and saw DJ’s play unexpected sets, from DVS1’s house set to Johnny Rock and his tongue in cheek rendition of Britney Spears ‘Toxic’. With more focus placed on both stages it offered further choice for punters which was a bonus.
Sonically, this year’s edition offered their most diverse music programme to date. With more debutants than ever before, including the likes of Jennifer Cardini, Marcel Dettman and Objekt all making their first appearances. With the festival selling out almost immediately, it felt like the team had the opportunity to create a lineup that really encapsulated everything Hougton was about, without the pressure of pushing ticket sales.
The level of anticipation was felt from the offset when a traditionally slow building opening Thursday night was packed to the rafters. Our journey started with the duo of Raresh and Praslea at the Earthling stage under their Praslesh moniker with a foray of trippy, psychedelia. It was my first time seeing the pair and would definitely race to see them again. We then ventured to beloved fan favourite Felix Dickinson at Outburst who put on a clinic of just how to play an opening night set. Traversing house and disco, he always kept the crowd on their toes and Our night ended with Kerrie’s live set at Warehouse who gave us a dose of what was to come at the stage, with a hard hitting techno set.
Friday saw the entire site open and there came the clashes. Thanks to its floorless lineup, Houghton always gives you the feeling you’re going to miss something. No matter how much you prepare, you can’t be at two stages at once. The Derren Smart stage saw the UK bass and breakbeat sounds of Ben UFO and Sherelle draw in huge crowds, but for me it felt impossible to leave the warehouse with its immaculate 360 degree soundscape system curated by d&b audiotechnik.
German DJ Helena Hauff brought her fusion of hard hitting techno and electro. Her ability to seamlessly mix vinyl without a hint of a mistake consistently blows my mind. Straight after Regis and Surgeon reunited under their British Murder Boys alias for a one hour live set that saw them play a mix of old and new tracks. Rounding out the night in the Warehouse was Berghain resident DVS1 packed out the stage with a legion of loyal followers. What followed was a masterclass by the veteran that saw three hours of flawless, multiple channel mixing, it was a set that was perfectly summarised by his closing track Illektrolab – ‘Android Humanoid’.
Saturday saw a stacked billing kick off early doors with Manfredas at the Pavillion stage. Set over the beautiful lake, the artist’s psychedelic blend of indie-rock and post-punk creates a unique take on dance music, encapsulated best by Shadow Acid’s ‘Diode Ladder’ for its intergalactic break beat nature – a track that’s just so left field. The best thing about the artist is you always leave his sets hearing something totally new.
Later in the day Red Axes returned to the Derren Smart stage after their incredible live performance there the year before. This year they blew the crowd away with their selections instead. Known for their love of the weird and wonderful, they showed their versatility with a pumping house set.
Closing out the night on the same stage saw two techno legends deliver 6 hours of unforgettable dance music. First up was German stalwart Marcel Dettman who brought a dose of old school trance and EBM. Renditions of Dance 2 Dance’s ‘We Came n Peace’ and the artists own edit of Severed Head’s ‘We Have Come To Bless The House’ were particularly stellar moments. Richie Hawtin followed with a vintage, dark techno set that was consistently driving and calculated in its design.
With endless options at Houghton, this year it felt like you blinked and it was Sunday. Determined to make the most of the final day we saw Or;La open the Earthling stage. The Northern Irish DJ and Correspondent records boss, Jennifer Cardini, who followed, were both making their debuts and it felt like they had been put on too early. Both artists played stellar, pumping sets which would have really received the flowers it deserved under the neon lights and a packed dancefloor at night.
The rest of the final day was packed with great sets from the likes of Batu, Call Super, Joy Orbison and Shanti Celeste. But it was Tristan Da Cunha under his Freakenstein alias at the Warehouse and Ricardo Villalobos at The Pavillion that really captured our imagination with their anything goes approach. Known for his FWEAKY, queer party series, Da Cunha closed the stage with a blend of breakbeat, and vocal driven techno. Often sexually explicit and always fun, It was one of the best sets of the weekend. I’ve had his closing track, ‘Untitled B1’ by The Electric Press on repeat ever since!
Then there was Villalobos’, who has mastered his yearly closing set at Houghton. The enigmatic selector has become a staple part of the festival’s furniture and it showed during his set. Weaving through disco-edits and trippy house tracks, his endless loops of tracks – including his now signature Price ‘When Doves Cry’ remix – kept the crowd on strings throughout. Always a unique experience, it was a great way to bring it all to an end.
This year also saw the festival’s wellness programme at the Orchard play a more prominent role than ever before. With yoga, gong baths and a sauna on site, the area expanded at night this year with ambient DJ’s, blow up mattresses and bean bags to create a wholesome chill out area. It was a space that Houghton had lacked previously and it was a refreshing addition.
This year’s edition was up there as one of Houghon’s finest. Its level of music programming is unmatched and you can tell it’s run by people with a genuine love and understanding of dance music. The freedom punters are offered is unlike other festivals where you get kicked out of the site at night – if you don’t want to return to your tent until Monday, you can. It’s an approach that draws in genuine people, who know their limits. This year’s fine art editions gave an alternative approach to elevating the festival experience and one I hope to see more of in years to come. Houghton is undoubtedly a special and one of a kind experience. We can’t wait to see what they deliver in 2026.
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Houghton 2026 will take place from 6th – 9th August.
Visit www.houghtonfestival.co.uk for more information
Words: Jake Wright
Photography: Sienna Lorraine Gray, Khali Ackford, Jake Davis for Khroma Collective