The festival vibes were all out recently for Kaleidoscope Festival 2024!
The sun was shining, colourful flags were waving in the sky and there was an enticing scent of freshly cooked street food in the air as people climbed the hill to Alexandra Palace where the event was due to take place.
Alexandra Palace is always a favourable spot for a beautiful event like this; with that remarkable circular stained-glass window, stunning architecture and the skyline of London as the backdrop.
On arrival, we were welcomed by compliments from the festival staff on our festival outfits adorned with sparkles and glitter and were shown to the main stage which overlooked London.
We managed to snag a deckchair and settled in for the first act of the day which was at the main stage; R Voices.
This choir self-identifies as a “warm, inclusive, contemporary choir for adults.”
They sang a set list of music from Stevie Nicks, Scissor Sisters, Eurythmics and many more.
There were dramatic solos, expert harmonies and stunning vocalisations.
The choir allows everyone no matter their background to sing and be passionate about music.
The conductor made everyone in the crowd aware that anyone can join R Voices as they are present in many places across the country.
They are a lovely group to watch if you can catch them at a show near you!
After that relaxing performance, it was time to go and see the man, the myth, the legend, Sir Brian Blessed! Spoiler: he was magical.
Inside a room off the main hall was a stage which Kaleidoscope Festival had titled “the Fringe Stage”.
This room was cosy, and warm, and had two small craft cider vans inside plus a photo booth!
It felt like I’d stepped out of the busyness of the main festival and had been allowed to take a breather and be transported into a different reality.
Once again, we were lucky to secure a deckchair to enjoy Mr Blessed’s conversation.
He started his interview, larger than life by entering the stage and immediately coming up to the front shouting his iconic line from Flash Gordon “GORDON’S ALIVE!”
The crowd went wild for it and anticipated what he would say next.
The conversation with Brian Blessed covered all manner of topics including his imminent climb up Mount Everest for a SECOND time (very impressive for an 87-year-old man!), his G Force training that he is conducting with NASA as he prepares to one day join the few that will travel to outer space.
Also his meeting with the Dalai Llama whose gift was the scarf he wore at the event and of course, his lengthy and dramatic acting career.
To many of the crowd’s delight, Mr Blessed also recounted his time as Boss Nass in Star Wars: Phantom Menace reciting his most famous lines from the film.
He was an absolute joy to listen to and we were lucky enough to meet him personally after the talk; snapping some pictures with him!
Leaving this conversation on a real high; we headed to the main festival stage again to catch Antony Szmierek’s set.
I had researched his top releases online before the festival and was intrigued by his unique spoken-word style.
I must admit; I was blown away by the entire set! Szmierek had so much energy – he was jumping around the stage, leaping into the audience, dancing with audience members, encouraging children to run around with him and much more!
The Manchester-born musician’s stage presence was so uplifting and joyful and I would recommend absolutely everyone to try and catch him just for the performance alone!
In terms of his music, I adored his song “Working Classic” which blended hip-hop, pop, soul and spoken word. The song explored the challenges of the working class, the way we grow up and what the every day might look like. It certainly appeals to the masses working their 9-5 looking for escapism.
After this fantastic set, we explored the rest of the festival.
There was a Family stage which was like a mini festival for children and was filled with many activities and events including the African Acrobatics Circus which combines fire eating, African drumming and circus skills.
There was also the Chickenshed Theatre, a theatre company that has been running for more than 50 years bringing stories to life for audiences all over the UK.
We also managed to catch Let Drum Beat at the Bandstand stage. This band is comprised of a sisterhood of musicians hailing from a variety of backgrounds; Brazilian, West African, French and Scottish.
Their sound reminded me of a symphonic blend of angelic and folk, like something you could find on the soundtrack for an epic fantasy film.
In the evening, headliners Soul II Soul known for smash hit “Back to Life” and Ministry of Sound Classical took to the stage to play some of their biggest hits.
The crowd grew exponentially and the grounds of Alexandra Palace were filled with movement, dancing and sparkles as people lost themselves in the joy of music.
Kaleidoscope festival was an amazing treat of a day and I would recommend it to everyone looking for a special summer day out.
The name “kaleidoscope” seems so aptly perfect for the event as many different genres and styles blend to make art and bring happiness to the people of London!
