Parklife Festival 2022 Took Lineup Diversity to a Whole New Level
Where female artists and DJs came out top.
Last weekend, Manchester saw the return of its acclaimed two-day Parklife festival. After two years of cancellations and change of schedule, the event returned to its original June slot, kicking off the festival season with a refreshing line-up of female acts.
From the founders of the city’s famous Warehouse Project, Parklife festival comes as an extension of the raucous club series with a selection of electronic DJs as well as R&B artists and other musicians performing on the grand stages of Heaton Park. At this year’s event, Megan Thee Stallion headed Sunday’s main stage with her killer performance while globally-renowned DJ Peggy Gou spun some Gudu records in the Hangar the day before.
But, it was the XXL stage hosted on Saturday that welcomed a surprising 50/50 split of
male and female DJs on its blaring techno stage. Duo Blasha & Allatt opened the show with their thumping beats, followed by popular techno fixture Amelie Lens, while Charlotte De Witte kept ravers on their toes with throngs of percussion.
Dotted across both large and intimate settings, U.K. dance favorites Jayda G, Or:la and Annie Mac came through with classic club floor tracks that unified the festival’s varied music tastes. A selection of rising female artists, musicians and DJs also featured including Eliza Rose, Girls Don’t Sync and more sharing a taste of their new beats.
Parklife has certainly brought more female names front and center of its music spectacular but the case for more female acts on festival, and even club night line-ups remains. Platforms such as Women Allergy Club have used social media to bring awareness to the cause, urging promoters to book a more diverse array of musicians. Whereas other DJs have begun to take festival creation into their own hands, as they aim to include more female and LGBTQ+ acts in their line-ups.
Stay tuned to Hypebae for more on female-focused music events this summer.
