Block9 to throw outrageous coming of age 16th birthday at Glastonbury 2023
Expect plenty of music, pride, freedom and underground culture.
We’re not sure Worthy Farm is ready for this one… Block9 is turning 16 and is planning an oh-so-sweet party to celebrate coming of age.
Taking a stand against right-wing populism, Block9 is returning to the Glastonbury festival for a weekend of late-night parties, art, underground music, and queer culture. Expect plenty of pride on show.
The infamous late night club spot that is Block9 will be calling on all of its chosen family members to gather around the legendary venues of The NYC Downlow, The Meat Rack, IICON, and Genosys Sound System for only the most spectacular of birthday parties celebrating pride, freedom, and queer culture.
Gideon Berger and Stephen Gallagher, Block9’s co-founders have said it feels perfect to be celebrating the movement’s 16th birthday at Glastonbury.
“In the last few years, our freedoms and our right to protest have come under sustained attack. The creation of new draconian laws means our liberty is being systematically eroded.
“Block9’s 16th birthday party is a stand against right-wing populism, and a celebration of all things alt!”
Special guests include Underground Resistance (Live), Timmy Regisford (Shelter – NYC), Analog Soul, Cakes Da Killa, Mood II Swing, The Blessed Madonna, and Notting Hill Carnival.
The pièce de résistance of Block9 is, without doubt, the legendary global queer institution that is NYC Downlow. This multi-roomed temporary club space housed inside a life-size, film set replica of a seedy 1980s New York bathhouse-cum-meatpacking warehouse.
Always a go-to event for LGBTQ Glasto-goers, this year NYC Downlow promises even more late-night and unfiltered nights including an Elton-fuelled Rocket Glam Night, and a homage to the late, great Lily Savage.
New Yorkers Mood II Swing are sure to turn up the heat on Friday, while Detroit’s Rick Wade taking over on Saturday. Flying in from New York will be Shelter nightclub founder Timmy Regisford who will headline Sunday’s proceedings. Bringing a bit of Renaissance a la Beyoncé will be The Carry Nation who return to Downlow once again fresh from their exploits with the ‘CUFF IT’ singer.
Hidden at the back of The NYC Downlow will of course be The Meat Rack. Hot, dark, and sweaty, The Meat Rack features the ultimate sleazy, homo-centric line-up.
One of the most culturally important events in the world, Notting Hill Carnival returns for a bigger and better party after last year’s successful collab. In addition to daily carnival processions through the festival, Rough But Sweet and Love TKO will lead afternoon sessions with a Saturday memorial tribute session being dedicated to the mighty Jah Shaka.
The immersive audio-visual arena IICON will make an appearance once again, taking the form of a colossal, anonymised head. IICON: AV-3D will present an audio/visual translation of Olivier Messiaen’s masterpiece ‘Quartet for The End of Time’ every night. The piece, created in a prisoner of war camp in the Second World War, will provoke questions about freedom, privacy, and consent.
Fitting in with the idea of protest, Genosys Sound System will celebrate the vital role of music as a form of political protest by mashing up stripped back, old-school rave will be mixed with a line-up of top-tier electronic talent including Analog Soul, Pavel Plastikk, Mariacas, and Block9 matriarch The Blessed Madonna are all set to appear.
Block9 is also continuing its annual collab with PrEPster, providing information, advice, and free f*** packs containing everything you need.