This is why Harrogate will be the world's epicentre of superstar DJs with thousands of spectators
Organisers behind a major dance music festival on the Stray which is expected to attract 6,000 revellers say they are “proud to be working in Harrogate”.
Despite its Victorian charm, international DJ/production duo Marc Dennis and Tony Walker, whose music life began in the Sheffield house music scene of the 1990s before they became a worldwide force, told the Harrogate Advertiser they couldn’t imagine holding the star-studded Love to Be...Festival anywhere else but Harrogate.
"We’re proud to be be working in Harrogate,” said Marc.
"It’s a lovely town but it does have a rich vein of dance music history of its own.
"Just look at Utah Saints who are music royalty.
"We’ve worked around Harrogate; we know the Ivory bar and the Funk My Life team in Harrogate.
"We’ve even spotted a few old clubbers from those great days back in Leeds.
"We wouldn’t want to put the event on anywhere else than Harrogate.”
Packed with euphoric music, great food, immersive entertainment, and unforgettable energy, Love to be… Festival will offer 11 hours of non-stop house music on Saturday, September 6.
Just imagine it, superstar DJs such as Armand Van Helden and Marshall Jefferson on the decks on the lush green fields of the Stray.
As the Harrogate Advertiser talks to Marc and Tony on the phone, they are in Ibiza preparing to DJ for legendary American DJ Todd Terry in a few hours time.
That is nothing out of the ordinary for an enthusiastic and talented duo who have more than paid their dues since their DJ-ing adventures began 30 years ago and who still love what they do as if they were teenagers.
"We have been doing this for a long time now but we both love music and we are both still DJs,” said Marc
"It seems just like yesterday that we started but we’ve had a whole life in house music.”
As well as Armand Van Helden and Marshall Jefferson, the second annual Love to Be...Festival in Harrogate is bulging with top-tier DJs and performers across the day, from Shapeshifters to Ultra Nate and Marc Dennis and Tony Walker themselves.
Such was the popularity of last year’s event, capacity on the Stray has been raised from 4,000 to 6,000 spectators.
There will also be a completely reimagined main stage paying homage to Love to Be...Festival’s iconic Sheffield roots where 90’s house history meets festival fever.
If the secret of house music’s enduring appeal since the pioneers of the Chicago house music scene in the warehouses of the mid-1980s lies in its positive vibes and musical flexibilty, it’s something Love to Be...Festival’s organisers are keen to reflect in this weekend’s line-up.
"The strength of house music is that its roots are in dance music and disco,” said Tony.
"The core of house music remains the same but it’s always been open to incorporating different styles and sounds
"It’s always evolving, never gotten stale.
"The festival offers a broad selection of DJs playing diverse sounds because that’s what house music is.”
As people who know and love Harrogate, Marc and Tony put a lot into the organisation of Love to Be...Festival, maximising attendees enjoyment while working with North Yorkshire Council on important matters such as crowd safety and logistics.
The festival experience on the Stray will offer a fantastic food village will feature high-end street food from vendors serving Greek dishes, Kerala-style South Indian vegetarian food, stone-baked pizzas, and gourmet chicken.
And there will also be an array of fairground rides, a roaming team of Ibiza and Dubai superclub dancers, stilt walkers, fire breathers and epic audio-visual production.
Another innovation will see organisers launching a new ‘Ultra VIP Experience’ tickets with a table for ten people package setting you back £3,300.25.
It’s almost as if Marc and Tony expect to be around for a long time.
"We could see in Harrogate and York and Leeds there was an appetite for what we do,” said Marc.
"Bands like the Rolling Stones are still touring in their eighties.
"Classic rock music defined the 1960s and 70s; it was so part of the culture of its era that it has never gone away.
"So was house music in the 1980s and 90s.
"We’re confident house music will still be there in 30 years time and still attracting the crowds.”
For Love to Be...Festival tickets, visit: https://www.lovetobeevents.co.uk/