Preview: Secret Garden Party 2017

This utopic festival makes its return in 2017, with the line-up sounding bigger and better than ever before. Secret Garden Party announces its theme for 2017 along with the first wave of artists: ‘Sweet Dreams… Are Made of These?’ Expect a wry but waggish look at celebrity culture in the costumes and announcements surrounding the festival.

The first headliners announced are Metronomy and Toots & the Maytals. Metronomy make a welcome return to their spiritual home in the Garden, having first played in 2008. Coincidentally, this was the very year that inspired main man Joe Mount to write his latest album, Summer ’08, the summer he says it all began.

Toots & the Maytals hardly need an introduction. They are a truly legendary reggae band with a career spanning six decades. With hits like ‘Monkey Man’, ‘Pressure Drop’, and ‘54-46 Was My Number’, they were key figures in popularising reggae music worldwide. A whole new generation is currently rediscovering the musical flair and charisma of these doyens of reggae royalty.

If the first two headliners weren’t enough to entice you, browse around the other act announcements to find something that suits your tastes. With such a broad range, there’s sure to be something for everyone. Among other artists announced for the 2017 line-up are Honne, Jagwar Ma, Jeremy Loops, Rejjie Snow, Tom Misch, Akala, Deap Vally, Ray BLK, Zak Abel, Etta Bond, Let’s Eat Grandma and Anteros. It’s like having your Spotify playlist come to life.

Watch out for more announcements from Secret Garden Party. For a taster of the festival, watch the official video for the 2016 festival below.

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