It’s a hot, hot day in Brockwell Park. There’s a specific kind of feral British festival audience that can only be whipped up by a heatwave, and they’re in full attendance at Field Day 2026. Luckily there’s a lineup of DJs and artists that are ready and willing to step up to the plate and go toe for toe with the weather in terms of firepower.
Up first were veteran party starters Horse Meat Disco. Bona fide disco legends, they remain a special dancefloor experience regardless of their ubiquity – as unafraid to take a trip with an obscure B-side as they are to drop a Donna Summer banger. Still playing every Sunday in London at their Eagle residency in Vauxhall, they’re always match-fit, and their early afternoon set at The Green was no different – even if their stellar track selection was overwhelmed by the sheer heat in the tent.
Heading out for some breeze, next on the running order was Interplanetary Criminal on the main stage. Zachary Bruce has been on a winning run for the past few years, summiting the UK garage scene, and crossing over into dance music proper. His huge collaborations – with the likes of Sammy Virji and Kettama – are dancefloor demolition tools, and the crowd he pulls to the main stage far outweighs just UK garage heads, highlighting just how far his notoriety has spread. His calling card is a fast, skippy blend of stepped-up UKG and bassline, and it’s impossible not to be pulled along in the wake of his giddy mixing, as he lights cigarette after cigarette behind the decks.
Speaking of winning runs, Joy Orbison is no stranger to the phenomenon. Following the inescapable ‘Flight FM’ just a few years ago, it feels like the post-dubstep stalwart has become an institution unto himself. The tent is absolutely packed, but what’s most admirable about Joy’s sets is his refusal to bend to his popularity. Dropping delightfully odd cuts – including Overmono’s edit of Death Grips, not exactly a crowdpleaser – it’s amazing to see just how much he can hold the audience in the palm of his hand through the stranger corners of his record bag.
The penultimate act on the main stage is Honey Dijon – the New York house icon is on a victory lap celebrating recent album The Nightlife, which sees her celebrating the clubs and scenes that she came up through. She shows up the acts that she’s billed alongside, in terms of star power – it’s hard to imagine a more glamorous main stage turn. Dijon brings a pop star sensibility to the slot, even bringing with her a guest, as Gabriels vocalist Jacob Lusk joins her for their track ‘Satisfied’. A stalwart of the queer clubbing landscape who is now a bona fide star unto herself.
Finally, as the sun sets on Brockwell Park, Sam Shepherd – AKA Floating Points – takes to the stage. Touring with his live electronics show, it’s a refreshing contrast to the DJ sets we’ve seen elsewhere, marking a far more cerebral turn. Shepherd performs flanked by arresting live visuals, courtesy of artist Akiko Nakayama, who expertly blends Shepherd’s modular synth sounds with a sophisticated camera, paint and water setup. It’s a hard combination to describe, but the results are almost exactly the floating points of Shepherd’s moniker – a spectrum of lights ebbing and flowing with each beat, creating a kaleidoscope that truly heightens the set.
The music itself is heady live electronica – part Underworld, part Aphex Twin, always delightfully weird. At times we slip into time-stretched jungle breakbeats, at others anthemic rising synth lines – all conducted live by Shepherd, who looks totally at ease piloting an onstage table of gear that doesn’t look far away from an aeroplane cockpit. It’s a euphoric close to the festival, transcending some of the more hedonistic moments elsewhere into a thing of real beauty – truly one of electronic music’s leading lights.
featured image: Luke Dyson
