Queens Yard Summer Party is about getting lost, about following your ears, eyes and stomach wherever they want to take you. This bristling cultural festival offers a unique way of exploring and enjoying a wide array of musical sounds and foodie scenes, wellbeing activities and alternative therapies across Hackney Wick. One ticket grants you access to all the different venues, talks and events. You can enjoy your favourite acts as well as discover new loves you never knew existed, all while enjoying some superb food and drink from the most passionate vendors in their fields as well as learning about subcultures you’ve only ever read about. Because the UK is such a vital and innovative musical wonderland, this festival shines a light on that; on the labels, parties and artists that keep the nation's soundscape forever on the move and ahead of the rest of the world. All this plays out in a range of exciting and unusual spaces such as warehouses, taprooms, a terrace, brewery facility, boat, yards, canal side-cafes, theatre, botanical gardens, lofts, basements and maybe even a fridge.
Some of the key venues are well known for the opportunities they offer to hear world class sounds. They include the creative hub that is Number 90, one of the capital’s best riverside and canal bars, Mick’s Garage, the hot East London venue with an open-plan space for 500 people and a 110 capacity Mezzanine level, Giant Steps, a travelling sound system brought to you by Brilliant Corners, plus Bloc’s Autumn Street Studios, independent bar, kitchen and creative space Grow and Stour Space, a non-profit, socially minded organisation which includes studios, galleries and a cafe. Participating brands include Cosmic Slop, a Leeds party known for its superb crowd and eclectic music policy taking in jazz, world, house and afro, cultured electronic festivals Gottwood and Freerotation, Glasgow's legendary Sub Club, cult London promoters Percolate and Make Me plus forward thinking techno and broken beat label Livity Sound.
Away from the music, this eclectic yet boutique festival offers plenty more activities, including boulder wall climbing experiences at Hackney Wick Boulder Project, lessons in transformational breathing with expert Stuart Sandeman, meditative gong rituals with Himalayan singing bowls and throat singing, yoga with leading yogi Delphine, a tea ceremony with Tom Kenning and a renegade discussion with Dr Alex Pardois about magic mushroom microdosing. The entire festival will come alive with a range of contemporary artists who will set up installations and exhibits to really get you thinking.
To keep you well fuelled across the weekend an interesting selection of food is served up from kitchens and pop up food traders at various locations across ‘The Wick’. Esteemed locals offer seasonal menus and flavours from all round the world including dishes like Jackfruit tacos with charred corn salsa at** Barge East**, hand-rolled stone-baked pizzas at CRATE, Grizzly Bear Burgers with Bacon Jam from Burger Bear and Shredded Confit Duck Fries at Number 90 Bar & Kitchen. There are more food traders to be announced.
Of course, you’ll want to wash that down with something equally delicious, and a range of leading breweries will be on hand to help. The Beer Merchants Tap offers 20 keg taps and two cask pumps as well as over 500 bottled beers, Howling Hops Brewery and Tank Ba rshowcase modern, uncompromised, flavoursome, generously hopped beers and you can also look forward to plenty of natural wine and many other delights.
