Parklife 2024: Another unforgettable return to Heaton Park [Review]

The return to Parklife saw tens of thousands of partygoers battle the elements to see sets from the likes of Kaytranada, Disclosure, CamelPhat and many more. 

As somewhat of a pre-party before the festival season truly gets underway, Parklife is known in the UK for getting the season off to a roaring start. Situated in Heaton Park in the outskirts of Manchester’s city centre, around 80,000 people gather and this year was no different. With headliners including Disclosure, Doja Cat, Kaytranada, Becky Hill, Peggy Gou and many more, Parklife 2024 has once again proven to be an edition for the history books. 

Getting things underway on Saturday, early acts in the day included Sammy Virji b2b Interplanetary Criminal, Majestic, Kenya Grace and more. Starting as they meant to go on, Parklife ensured the schedule was packed from the start. With every area of the festival grounds giving fans something to explore (from fairground rides to interactive brand activations from sponsors and even McDonald’s giving out free fries), it wasn’t just the bigger stages that were being utilised either. One of the prime examples of this was the Jägermeister stage. Although perhaps the smallest stage of the festival tucked away in the hustle and bustle, this became one of the hottest party spots on the Saturday. With a massive queue stretching far, fans rocked up in their hundreds to try and get a glimpse of one particular DJ that has recently taken social media by storm, thanks to his musical knowledge: Fish56Octagon. Somewhat of an electronic music historian, this was no doubt one of the highlight sets of that day.

With headliners Skream, Sub Focus, CamelPhat, Becky Hill and Disclosure (whose special live performance marked their first in the UK in around 8 years), there was something for everyone to end their day with.

Continuing where it left off from the previous day, Sunday kept the action flowing with headlining sets from the likes of Doja Cat, Kaytranada and Dom Dolla b2b Patrick Topping (who replaced Chris Lake & FISHER‘s Under Construction set due to FISHER having to pull out). Of course, like with any British festival, weather issues tried to dampen spirits but Parklife-goers refused to let this happen. Embracing the rain in true Brit fashion, this didn’t stop people coming out in their tens of thousands, if anything adding to the atmosphere during Kaytranada and Doja Cat’s sets.

Overall, all genres of music got their chance to shine this year. With stages dedicated to the likes of house, drum & bass, hard techno and commercial pop/dance, no fan came away unsatisfied with the choices of music on offer this year. Following a successful year again, the festival have confirmed they’ll be back for 2025. To be the first to grab tickets, visit their website to find out more info as soon as it drops.