The Strawberries & Creem (S&C) team announced their takeover of the Red Bull Stage on Monday 26th August at this year’s Notting Hill Carnival.
The 5,000-capacity arena in Emslie Horniman’s Pleasance Park – the biggest fixed stage at Carnival – will play host to amazing DJs such as BBC Radio 1’s Kenny Allstar, and the UK’s favourite dancehall selectors, DJ Larni and Rachel Anson, plus a Native Soundsystem takeover bringing their own flavours from the African diaspora. There will also be an array (8+) of big-name, internationally-renowned special guests performing surprise sets too…
As with any S&C production, show-stealing special guests are their sweet spot. From Aitch’s unannounced performance at the festival in 2018, to Central Cee coming out with Kenny Allstar for a surprise appearance in 2021 – you can expect the S&C stage to make some of the most memorable moments of Carnival 2024, following on from Red Bull the day before.
S&C and Notting Hill Carnival are long-time collaborators. The Carnival has had a presence at their festivals in Cambridge for years – with performers in iconic and traditional carnival fits, stilt walkers, roaming steel pan bands, and Soca DJs appearing at Strawberries & Creem festival in 2021 and 2022, plus a Girls Can’t DJ stage hosting some of the best dancehall DJs.
This stage takeover also kicks off Strawberries & Creem’s 10-year anniversary celebrations – and marks their move to London. The lineup amplifies their desire to both ‘Celebrate Heritage’ and ‘Champion Future’ – by creating a musical melting pot whereby new talent rises to the top and established artists are celebrated (you will see from the special guests…). The founders are on a mission to create culturally-significant showcases of music like no other, blending global stars and era-defining pioneers with the brightest young stars.
Another part of this mission is the S&C Drumsheds show booked for 29th November – their first ever indoor festival – 1 day, 3 rooms and 15000 people. Check socials for all their news.
Chris Jammer, head of partnerships at S&C, said:
‘Notting Hill Carnival has always been a musical & cultural institution for us, so we’re so excited to be bringing S&C to the party properly for the first time. Our takeover of this iconic stage is massive for us – we grew up going to Carnival, and experiencing some of the huge moments that took place here. We’ve got an unforgettable day of music planned, with some amazing artists to do it justice. It’s brilliant to be working with our friends at Carnival to celebrate some of our all-time favourites and bring through new talent as well.’
