The gates of the UK’s most gloriously unhinged temporary city are about to swing open. Boomtown Chapter Five: Radical Redesign lands in Hampshire this August, and if the whispers, line-up drops, and sold-out status are anything to go by, we’re strapping in for a vintage year. This isn’t just a weekend in a field; it’s a full-throttle collision of sound system culture, identity, and raw subcultural energy.

Before you lose yourself in the labyrinth, here’s the blueprint for surviving — and thriving — in the madness.

“F*cking Dance!!!!”

If there’s one artist who perfectly embodies Boomtown’s chaotic, boundary-smashing ethos right now, it’s Lynks. Armed with their phenomenal debut album Abomination and an aesthetic they cheerfully describe as “objectively very tacky… but spiritually very ‘me’,” Lynks is bringing their choreographed electroclash-meets-hyperpop sermon to the Nexus stage.

Their only instruction for the crowd? “F*cking dance!!!!” Expect tiny shorts, massive bass, and a show that swings wildly from filthy club euphoria to gut-punch vulnerability.

The Head of Music’s Hit List

With 17 years under his belt, Boomtown’s Head of Music James Cousins knows exactly what makes a field move. If you’re looking to dodge the obvious, his hit-list is a goldmine. Top of the agenda: Berlin three-piece Komfortrauschen, who are reinventing live techno by leaving the laptops at home and delivering a set that feels like a punk riot.

Also on the radar are Miss Kaninna, blending First Nations hip-hop with Amapiano, the socially aware guitar-chaos of Cardiff post-punks Panic Shack, Irish post-punk outfit Gurriers, and rising UK alternative voice Pozzy.

Alter Egos and 180BPM Euphoria

Boomtown has always been a battleground for heavy, high-tempo electronics. This year, the hydrogen-powered HYDRO XL stage is hosting a massive debut: [IVY] vs [SAFYRE].

It’s a sonic Jekyll and Hyde clash of the highest order. While [IVY] will be dropping her trademark ruthless 180bpm drum & bass, her alter-ego [SAFYRE] will be dragging the crowd through 160bpm hard bounce, Euro-trance, and 2000s throwbacks. It’s pure, unfiltered euphoria built on double-drops and massive switch-ups.

The Blueprint and The Breaks

That clash of sounds is built on decades of history. Boomtown is honoring the deep-rooted cultural ties between House and DnB this year — proving that while they might seem worlds apart, they share the exact same DNA.

House provided the blueprint in the neglected warehouses of Chicago — creating communal uplift out of cheap drum machines — while DnB took that template and weaponized it through UK pirate radio, speeding it up and dragging it into illegal fields. Whether it’s an acid-drenched 303 bassline or a pitched-up Amen break, it’s all the same language of working-class resistance, just spoken at different tempos.

Taking Over the Streets

Speaking of community resistance, the Daytimers collective is taking over the Boomtown streets, and it’s unmissable. For six years, this crew has been a vital force in championing South Asian underground artistry, shattering flat stereotypes and reclaiming space on the dancefloor.

Expect a massive, unified crowd moving to an insane blend of Bollywood vocals, jungle breaks, and Afro-house grooves. It’s a heavy homage to the legendary ’80s and ’90s daytime raves, completely reshaped for a modern soundsystem.

Stitching the Future

But amidst the 180bpm carnage and street parties, Boomtown still grounds itself in a collective vision for the future. The Cloak of Hope — a massive, growing garment that began during the COP26 climate walk — is returning to the festival.

After touring the UK and gathering patches imbued with everything from Druidic wisdom to raw environmental pleas, the Cloak will be in the fields for citizens to stitch their own visions of a sustainable future into its fabric. It’s a quiet, radical reminder of what the festival is actually about: building a better world, patch by patch, before we pack up the tents and head back to reality.

Get your boots laced. See you in the maze.