Emerge East festival: The Beating Heat of Barking Riverside

Over the weekend, The Emerge East Festival welcomed its grounds for parents, kids and young adults to move between stages, unhurried as they enjoyed the last spills of sunshine listening to live music acts and the activities available.

An appeal of the festival was its Low-barrier entry points, which meant that the event was for everyone, rather than groups being priced out. Tickects were free, there was also clear signage, accessible amenities and thoughtful programming meant everyone, from seasoned festival-goers to families attending their first music event, felt at home.

Without a doubt, Inclusion and diversity were at the beating heart of the festival, which celebrated its fourth consecutive year in Barking Riverside.

Located on the river, the new neighbourhood in East London’s growing community came together for a full programme that provided a day full of art, music, food provided by local residents, and engaging workshops inspired by nature.

People were dancing, sharing benches, trading recommendations, and connecting. Everywhere you looked. Embracing the goals of the festival, the crowd felt less like strangers and more like a neighbourhood gathering—easy smiles, spontaneous dance circles, and no sense of exclusivity.

If you were hungry or needed a drink, you didn’t have to look any further, as at your disposal accurate mix of local street-food vendors kept the energy up, ranging from global comfort dishes to fresh vegan options, making the festival a culinary as well as musical draw.

Also on display was a Diverse DJ line-up, where A strong rotation of selectors kept the energy flowing by blending house, afrobeats, amapiano, UK garage, and global rhythms for the Barking Riverside Block Party.

The Block Party, hosted by Capital Extra’s Robert Bruce, was all about authentic experience and feel-good music, as homage was paid to the Diaspora.

Trusteed selectors in Glade Marie, Capital Extra DJ Shayna Marie, Girls Love Soul, Big Fish Little Fish and more demonstrated why they are considered elite tastemakers.

And then intimate and immersive live performances were held at the One Room Live Stage, curated by Hemingway Design as the sun came down and the beat rose and fell.

The stage offered addictive and energetic vibes from homegrown music artists as people vibed with the help of sound design that made even small sets feel impactful and connected.

New Wave ran their very own DJ competition via our music outlet New Wav. SOUND, called  “Riverside Rave”, where aspiring DJs Lilo, Misfya, and J Vincent all delivered a 20-minute set each.

Each DJ had their own individual style, and managed to build a genuine connection with the crowd through thrilling soundscapes, as they danced to ambitious track selections and transitions; each DJ by the end of the night had earned a studio time at a local music studio at Barking and Dagenham.

Their strengths were their differences. MISFYA produced a passionate bass-heavy bounce set, darting from Genres that included Gqom, UK Garage, Funky, Jersey Club and Baile Funk.

Whilst J Vincent mainly played Afro-centric grooves, but did at times venture out to Baile Funk with the relentless drive of Batida, twisting through vogue, funk, and hip hop.

Brazilian artist Lilo, who has developed their sound on Voices Radio on the show GENRELESS SOUND, broke international and genre boarders as they honed in on diversity to play a bit of everything for everyone.

The Emerge East festival proved it's ability to create a space for all local residents and curious festivalgoers to go and enjoy themselves whilst uplifting the community and supporting local businesses - savouring the last of summer's light and its warmth, the memory of it will be enough to tie you over until next year.