As far as festival locations go, slapping one directly under one of the UK's biggest and busiest motorways doesn't seem like the most obvious choice. And yet, Junction 2's position in the heart of Boston Manor Park in West London, split in half by the M4 as cars merrily whizz their way over the festival, makes it one of the most unique and unforgettable locales in the UK EDM calendar. The organisers have ingeniously leaned into it, too, placing the festival's second biggest stage - named the Bridge, of course - right under one part of the motorway, making for one of the most impressive looking stage set-ups anywhere in live music right now.
All three days of this year's event are boasting a stacked lineup of some of contemporary dance music's most exciting producers, but it's arguably today's festival-closing Sunday lineup with the most generous sprinkling of gems on show. From the whimsical, floaty experimentations of Barry Can't Swim and TSHA to the clubby ecstasy of Joy (Anonymous) and Honey Dijon's nu-disco incantations, there are joyful, life-affirming beats dropping all over the shop. While Barry's set over at The Bridge undoubtedly steals the day (though if there's a downside to the stage's incredible spectacle, it's that you have to fight your way to a stiflingly tight middle section to stand any chance of getting some properly decent sound), some huge shout outs have to go Eliza Rose for a superb two-hour stint of soulful, hip-shaking jams at The Grid and the propulsive, thunderously heavy Ahadadream, who nearly blows the roof off the Dome with his hard-hitting, percussive noise.
Really, though, and as cliche as it sounds, the biggest winners of Junction 2 Sunday are, quite frankly, the vibes (and yes, they are indeed immaculate). Despite the festival mostly attracting a young and painfully cool crowd, there's an open, welcoming atmosphere in every area you stumble upon, be it the blackened, neon-flecked Dome, the mysterious Woods, which feel lovingly plucked straight from Secret Garden Party, or the open air Grid stage, which is constantly busy, a buzzing, bobbling mass of bodies happily dancing away. It helps that it's gloriously sunny, of course, but when you're packing scenes like these, you suspect that it'd have been a knockout of a day whatever the weather.
It's also a flawlessly run festival; security is smooth but thorough, toilet and drinks queues are never overbearing and there's an impressive array of food stands given the relatively modest size of the fest itself (this veggie felt thoroughly well catered for). All in all, there's really not much to fault Junction 2 on whatsoever. Get that Bridge stage sounding as amazing as it looks and we'll have one of the all-time great London festivals on our hands.
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