Award winning Secret Island Festival announces first wave of acts including DJ Hype, Demi Riquísimo and Kara

DJ Hazard, Plastician, Michelle Manetti, Randall, Scarlett O’Malley and TIbasko will all play this July on Mersea Island, Essex

Youth Music has been confirmed as the official charity partner

Rebel Essex, student media platform for Essex University comes onboard as student partner

Secret Island Festival (SIF), voted 2^nd best festival in Essex*; have announced the first wave of confirmed acts for the fourth outing of the hugely successful, grassroots, day summer music event, taking place on Mersea Island, off the coast of Essex, on Saturday 20^th July.

Drum and Bass heavyweight, DJ Hype, has been confirmed along with DJ Hazard and rising star Kara. Semi Delicious label boss Demi Riquísimo along with label contributor Michelle Manetti, will be bringing the London and international underground scene to the island this summer, joined by rising star, Scarlett O’Mally. It has also been announced that there will be a new stage partner, Mas Que Nada, who will host Plastician and Tibasko, amongst many other exciting acts.

The organisers have also announced that this year’s national charity partner will be Youth Music, the UK’s leading young people’s music charity. The charity believes that every young person should have the chance to make, learn and earn in music and has developed a national grassroots infrastructure that ensures the future of music is more inclusive, diverse, equitable and accessible.   

The festival has also partnered with Rebel Essex – a student media platform, which aims to debate, educate, inform and entertain over 16,000 students at Essex University.

SIF, which was founded by lifelong friends Ben Wass, James Dunn and Matt Prevett, who all grew up on Mersea island, will be held on Saturday, 20^th July at Strood Field, East Mersea from 12pm to 11pm, in what will be the fourth edition of the event.

2023’s event saw 2,500 music lovers attend to see Faithless, The Shapeshifters, Norman Jay MBE, and Dillinja, amongst many others and the SIF team are aiming to pull in 3,000 festival goers in 2024. There will be over 50 artists , performing across four stages.

Tracey Gascoyne, a senior member of the SIF team said: “Secret Island Festival is more than a festival, it’s a movement, our celebration of music and positivity. It’s a unique gift that I’m proud to be part of and 2024 is looking to be really special. We are so excited to kick off our announcement with house & disco artists and stellar names from the Jungle and Drum and Bass arena. Rough Tempo will be returning to curate the Rough Tempo stage with these artists.

She continued: “We are incredibly proud to be able to announce this year’s charity partner will be Youth Music, who do such important work, investing in music-making projects for young people across the UK, who are experiencing the most challenging of circumstances. We also welcome Rebel Essex to the SIF family with open arms. Our festival has always been about the local community and these partnerships bring us ever closer to achieving that aim.”

Matt Prevett, Co-Founder of SIF, said: “Born out of a lifelong friendship, Secret Island Festival was started four years ago by three best friends. The overarching aim has always been to share our mutual love of music and the special moments that it creates.

“Mersea Island has been used as a place to relax and get away from the city since Roman times, feeling worlds apart from city life with a slower pace, beautiful estuary views and some of the best sunsets in the UK. It is clear why we call it the ‘Secret Island’. We can’t wait to bring you our fourth event from this special place, in as many years. The first phase is just the beginning, we will be announcing many more mighty acts in the coming months, so grab a ticket whilst you can.”

Tickets start at £42.50 and are on sale now at secretislandfestival.co.uk.

For more information or images, please contact the SIF Press Team, as follows: Ruth Law on 07429 342292/ Phoebe Campbell on 07725 178044