On its way to becoming a cultural happening, Rosa Festival brings together rising dance music artists onto the Peak District scene.
In the lead-up to its fifth anniversary, festival organisers have dropped the final lineup announcement. With DJs from all genres of underground music, this lineup is a harmonious blend of hard-hitting dance music from all corners.
The festival, based in Middleton-by-Youlgreave, has rapidly grown in success since it began in 2020 and has made a name for itself in Yorkshire and Derbyshire communities.
Rosa Festival: humble beginnings but expanding year by year
Named after Rosa Road in Crookes, the event was set up by seven core organisers, alumni of the University of Sheffield. With increasing popularity among students and dance music enthusiasts alike, the festival has expanded organically year by year.
As Thomas O’Keeffe, 24, a co-director of Rosa, explained to Yorkshire Bylines:
“We had originally set out to create an audio company, having speakers that we wanted to test out, but seeing a gap for a local electronic music festival in the Peak District was the turning point when we decided to create an event ourselves.
“From hosting events in a marquee tent, the jump from second to third year was major as we went from a small following to nearly 500 people. That was really when we made our mark, having gained a licence and booking big local artists on the scene.”
The festival, which takes place from 7–10 June, has since outgrown its humble beginnings, along with its original venue, and accommodated 650 people in its fourth year.
In touch with the Sheffield dance music scene
Despite its location in the Derbyshire Dales, the festival arose out of the organisers’ involvement in and admiration of the dance music scene in Sheffield. The music culture, O’Keeffe said, has always attracted the masses:
“When we were at university in Sheffield there were always these dance events – the fact that you’ve got venues like Dryad Works and Hope Works is unreal. Most cities don’t have a place like that where you would consider it underground and local people can put on events.”
Also speaking to Yorkshire Bylines, Joe Meehan, 27, co-director and logistics co-ordinator for the festival, added:
“The Sheffield music scene, in particular, is punching above its weight. The city has always had a really strong bassline culture. Part of it is because Sheffield is at its core an industrial city and it’s got these warehouses that are integrated into it that have been repurposed into venues which manifest its own unique version of the dance music scene.”
As Rosa Festival continues to evolve, the artists involved maintain the essence of its Sheffield origins as an underground rave, which has now, the organisers explained, transformed into an annual pilgrimage for electronic music enthusiasts across the nation.
Rosa Festival 2024’s most anticipated artists
With its roots firmly planted in the underground scene, the festival makes a case to become a focal point of UK dance music culture, with a line up overflowing with up-and-coming drum and bass and bassline artists. Highlights include UK bass heavyweight Zero, JungleTek legend Vandal and fast rising drum and bass star [IVY] amid a vast array of local and international DJs.
Solo headliner Zero, renowned for raucous beats and gritty synths, embodies the festival’s diverse soundscape. Zero paves the way for ‘The Wub Club Takeover’ with artists Forca, Thorpey and Dr Oscillator representing the vibrant sounds of Sheffield bassline and UK garage.
Sitting at the top of the lineup, DJ and producer [IVY] brings an electric fusion of 4×4 hardcore with drum and bass. Equally, “Born on Road” Resident DJ Bish is anticipated to bring a killer selection of dubplates to the festival’s Cyberstag stage.
Bringing it all together is Vandal, the co-founder of the renowned KAOTIK Sound System. The producer has toured Europe, showcasing his unique blend of jungle and reggae-infused hardtek and hardcore for over a decade.
Broadening Rosa Festival’s musical horizons
While dance music orientated, the festival has ventured to incorporate a variety of genres into its line-up from locally sourced artists.
The locally-acclaimed acts include the Sheffield-based seven-piece jazz-funk band We Hate the Sharkman as well as the Nottingham based three-piece band The Ruffs, mixing psychedelic, rap, punk, and rock into their sets.
While the festival has broadened its musical horizons, the organisers explained that drum and bass remains a central pillar of Rosa’s identity.
For further information and tickets, see the Rosa Festival website.
