Central Cee Confirmed for Saturday Slot at Skepta’s Big Smoke Festival 2025

New Wave
Apr 25
1 min read

Crystal Palace Park is set to host one of next year’s most anticipated music events as Big Smoke Festival takes over the iconic venue on Saturday the 9th and Sunday the 10th of August 2025. Curated by Skepta, the festival is shaping up to be a bold celebration of UK talent, and it’s now been revealed that Central Cee will be performing on the Saturday billing.

The first day of the festival will focus on live performances, with Skepta himself leading proceedings with a rare and explosive solo set. He will be joined by a mix of seasoned artists and fresh talent, including Chy Cartier, grime mainstay Chip, who is gearing up for a new album this April! The show will also feature a special back-to-back set from JME and Frisco, marking a unique moment for fans of the UK underground. Central Cee, known for hits such as “Sprinter,” “Doja,” and collaboration with Skepta, "Ten", will no doubt bring an electrifying energy to the stage.

Speaking on the announcement, Skepta shared: “Cench is at the top of his game right now. Having him join the festival is a real honour and something I’m truly excited about.”

On Sunday, Skepta will switch roles and return as a DJ under his Más Tiempo imprint for a day devoted entirely to dance music. Following a run of packed-out club nights across the capital, Más Tiempo has become one of the leading names driving London’s club culture forward. The full Sunday lineup is still to be announced, but expectations are high for another unforgettable day of music.

The Final tier tickets are now on sale!

Comments

INTERVIEWS

The four part quartet returns with a starkingly fresh twist on timeless R&B

Confessions Of A Loverboy - No Guidnce on Harmony, Brotherhood, and Balancing Emotional Risk with Release

There’s something profound about a confession. Providing equal parts risk and relief, the desire to be vulnerable lies at the core of Confessions of a Loverboy , the latest offering from London-based quartet No Guidnce. Across five tracks, the group offers open-hearted manifestos on modern masculinity, confidence, and heartbreak.

Nippa unveils his third EP, Hope She Hears This

Masculinity in Minor Keys, NIPPA Takes a Deep Dive Into his new EP (Interview)

Nippa is one of UK R&B’s most compelling new voices—genre-blurring, emotionally astute, and refreshingly self-assured and has arrived with his highly anticipated third EP, Hope She Hears This. Hailing from Tottenham, north London, his music fuses buttery smooth melodies with sharp, rap-adjacent lyricism, rooted in a rich palette and wide ground of sonical influences that fall between the genres of Motown to US and UK rap.

Destin Conrad Speaks About Representations of Queerness, His Debut Album 'Love On Digital' and How Technology Has Transformed The Dating Space

Destin Conrad is one of the most talked-about young artists in the R&B genre right now, and for good reason. He has just released his highly anticipated debut studio album Love On Digital, to rapturous acclaim from fans and critics alike. The aforementioned album is a body of work that pays homage to many of the pioneers of the genre in the 2000s before him, whilst still managing to throw in his unique flair to each song.

Greentea Peng Goes In On 'Tell Dem It's Sunny' [Interview]

A complete maverick, she’s an artist who refuses to allow external sources to influence her

One Day It Will All Make Sense - Steel Banglez on Legacy, Blending Culture, and his Production Process

For the first instalment of New Wave Magazine's Hitmaker Series, a brand new look into producers in the industry who are behind some of...

Artisanal One Presents Journal 01, First of a Series of Visual Poem by Adémidé Udoma

“Universe talks, soul listens,” he writes in Journal 01, offering a guiding ethos for the practice. It is this listening to self, history and the unseen that shapes the output of Artisanal One. Whether through print, textile, installation or performance, Udoma’s work invites quiet reflection and thoughtful engagement, reminding us that creativity, at its core, is a form of devotion.

Inside the 2025 Met Gala’s Monumental Celebration of Black Fashion and Tailored Identity

The 2025 Met Gala, held on May 5 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, was a landmark celebration of Black sartorial excellence, themed “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style.” This year's event, co-chaired by Pharrell Williams, Colman Domingo, Lewis Hamilton, A$AP Rocky, and Anna Wintour, with LeBron James as honorary co-chair, paid homage to the rich history and contemporary expressions of Black dandyism. Although absent due to injury, Lebron James's influence was

10 Things We Love About Isaiah Falls

It’s no secret why Isaiah Falls is one of R&B’s most exciting new voices, nurturing a distinct sound rooted in his Orlando hometown,...

Summer Walker Returns With Dazzling New Track "Spend It" and A Cinematic Twist

Summer Walker steps boldly into a new chapter with the release of her latest single Spend It, an alluring and fiercely confident track that signals a fresh artistic direction for the acclaimed singer. The song arrives in three distinct forms, the original alongside two reimaginings titled Spend It Diamonds and Pearls Version and Spend It Rent is Due Version.

Loewe, COS and Kendrick Lamar Lead the Charge in Lyst’s Q1 Fashion Index

As the fashion world continues its high-stakes game of creative musical chairs, consumers are paying attention. Global shopping platform Lyst has just released the Q1 2025 edition of its influential Lyst Index, a quarterly ranking of the hottest brands and products in fashion.

2 3 4 5

NEW WAVE MAG