The West Midlands’ biggest and best music and arts festival is on for 2021 with increased capacity as it moves to an impressive new home at Sandwell Valley Country Park for its 7th edition
MADE Festival, the West Midlands’s biggest and best music and arts festival, is close to selling out in record time (waiting list available) as it announces its return for 2021. Together with a move to new home, Sandwell Valley Country Park, and an increased capacity, MADE Festival celebrates its 7th edition with 7 stages, a huge line up and a long-awaited headline set from The Streets – their biggest ever gig on home turf. Over 20,000 festival fans are expected to make up for lost time as MADE continues to grow into one of the UK’s most significant festival brands. Alongside The Streets, MADE Festival continues to support a mix of homegrown talent and massive names including, Wikinson, Sonny Fodera, Shy FX, Hybrid Minds ft Tempza, High Contrast, Jay1, Low Steppa, SASASAS, Artwork, Bru-C, A.M.C & Turno ft Dreps & Phantom, Darkzy & Window Kid, Horse Meat Disco, Bad Boy Chiller Crew, Ray Keith, Crazy P Soundsystem and many more. Together with a mix of urban arts, creative performance, delicious street food and friendly faces, the stellar line up ensures an unforgettable day and night of festival adventures.
Festival Director Pete Jordan comments. “We are hugely excited to be returning in summer 2021. After a difficult year for so many, we look forward to kickstarting the UK’s cultural recovery and make our anticipated debut at Sandwell Valley Country Park. To have sold out this far in advance is fantastic news and we remain focussed on delivering a safe, welcoming and entertaining event to the West Midlands.”
MADE Festival is proud to bring Birmingham’s favourite son back for a headline performance in front of his biggest ever home crowd. The Streets became the voice of a generation after his 2002 breakthrough Mercury Prize-nominated album ‘Original Pirate Material’, enjoying two further UK #1 albums, and two more UK top 10 albums, as well as a string of hit singles, including UK #1 hit, ‘Dry Your Eyes’. After retiring The Streets in 2011 Mike Skinner had more to say and revived his alter-ego in late 2017. His subsequent sold-out tour culminated in a headline slot on the John Peel Stage at Glastonbury in 2019. The excitement is already growing for The Streets to step out in front of a huge home crowd at MADE Festival on 31st July.
Also announced on the Main Stage is the don of jungle and drum & bass, Shy FX, a mainstay of the drum & bass scene since breaking through over 25 years ago with Apache MC and ‘Original Nuttah’. Coventry rapper Jay1 also lines up ready to prove he’s here to stay after crashing the UK charts with his first two singles. Greentea Peng is a must see. The south east London neo-soul singer was flagged by The Observer as one of their ‘20 for 2020’ rising stars and was voted no.4 in the BBC ‘Sound Of..’ list of promising new talent in January this year. More Birmingham talent arrives with Dapz On The Map, turning heads with his latest freestyle; Lady Sanity, always a favourite with MADE crowds; Mayday, DJ Vital, Joe Hunt, and Sum Cellar.
The Weird Science Arena delivers the cream of the crop in drum & bass. Wilkinson has released on Ram Records, Hospital Records, crossed over numerous tracks including the top 10 anthem ‘Afterglow’ and sold well over a million records. Hybrid Minds step up for a MADE debut with their distinctive soulful take on the genre - proven rising stars when they sold out Printworks in 24 hours. High Contrast continues to push the boundaries of drum & bass. He’s remixed everyone from Kanye West to Adele and co-produced Underworld’s last album. Festivalgoers are in for a treat. SASASAS return to MADE. The leviathan combination of Skibadee, Shabba D, Harry Shotta, Phantasy and Macky Gee almost seems like a mini-festival wrapped up inside one act. More massive basslines come from A.M.C & Turno ft Dreps & Phantom, Bou B2B K Motionz ft IC3, Culture Shock, Something Something, Traumatize, Demo B2B Clifdon, and RVS.
And something special for those in the know. Referencing the classic parody advert ‘Raveageddon’, MADE Festival and Kenny Ken will finally deliver the legendary ‘Kenny Ken B2B Kenny Ken’ set for a one-time only deal – this historic moment should not be missed!
The Afta Dark Stage is quality house music all day and all night. Australian talent, Sonny Fodera returns to MADE Festival bigger than ever. His tracks have hit tens of millions of streams, with releases on his Solotoko label and remixes of the likes of Calvin Harris, he’s guaranteed to draw a massive crowd. Also lining up is Low Steppa. The Simma Black label boss has also released on the likes of Defected and Strictly Rhythm and remains one of the most vital and influential house DJs out there. Eli Brown also appears as one of the fastest rising names in house over the last year. Add in Defected resident Jess Bays, and handpicked ressies Fleur Shore, Alex Parkin B2B Will Power, Tyron Amory B2B Shakti, and Ryan Nicholls, and Afta Dark will be jumping.
Published on 05 March 2021 by Ben Robinson
