Dance and electronic music have steadily carved out their place at Victoria Park, and All Points East 2025 proved no exception. Following on from LCD Soundsystem’s 2024 showcase, which paired them with acts like Joy (Anonymous) and Jai Paul, and the Lido Festival’s celebration of DJ and drag icon Jodie Harsh, this year’s line-up leaned deep into drum & bass, UK garage, and dubstep.
Before the headliners, Overmono set the tone with a bass-heavy, inventive set that reached another level when MC Kwengface stormed the stage for Freedom 2. Over at the West Stage, Sammy Virji’s seamless mix of UK garage, bassline, and house lit up the field — perfectly matched with bursts of fire fountains erupting behind him.
By the time Chase & Status took to the main stage, anticipation was sky-high. As the screen dropped to black, the roar from the crowd was deafening — a perfect setup for the arrival of Takura, the night’s magnetic MC, who lifted the energy with every call-and-response. His command gave Will Kennard and Saul Milton the freedom to span their entire catalogue, from early classics to recent bangers like Baddadan and Backbone (the latter co-signed by All Points East alumnus Stormzy).
The show was a masterclass in scale. Lasers and pyrotechnics danced across the night sky, building to a post-sunset crescendo of fireworks. True to All Points East tradition, Chase & Status brought out surprise guests — Tom Grennan, IRAH, Flowdan, and Trigga — each raising the euphoria to fresh peaks.
Chase & Status don’t deal in ballads or reflective interludes. Their live show is pure velocity — relentless BPMs, heavyweight drops, and galvanising MCs keeping the crowd locked in motion. Nobody came to stand still, wave a torchlight, or brood; they came to dance hard, with friends or strangers, until the very last beat.
From the moment the stage went dark to the explosive finale, All Points East was transformed into one giant rave. Chase & Status didn’t just headline — they turned Victoria Park into the pulsing heart of UK dance culture.
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