We Out Here festival review: A celebration of diverse sounds, sights and people

We Out Here festival review: A celebration of diverse sounds, sights and people Gilles Peterson brings top tunes and good vibes together at the UK’s friendliest festival☆☆☆☆☆ The Mirror wondered earlier this summer which festivals would fill that big Glastonbury hole. Enter We Out Here. Starting out in Cambridgeshire seven years ago, the gathering has grown into its permanent home in Dorset becoming one of the UK’s most-loved events in the diary. Set in the lush grounds of St Giles House, BBC 6 Music legend Gilles Peterson’s latest show delivered 400 live acts featuring headliners like Thundercat and Peven Everett, DJs across 15 stages, and exceptional family and wellness areas over four nights. The festival once joined the musical dots between jazz, hip-hop, house, afro and electronica adding the community vibes of Glasto albeit with a smaller footprint. Imaginative eclectic programming attracted the most inclusive crowd on the festival circuit with all ages and creeds represented. It made for the friendliest crowd, reflecting the very best of British multiculturalism. Most revellers we met had been more than once and saw the event as an annual fixture in their summer calendar. Music highlights were non-stop. Lone rocked the Grove with 90s rave nostalgia on the opening Thursday night followed by another BBC 6 music star, Jamz Supernova, at the state-of-the-art stage Rhythm Corner. On Friday, music segued from jazz – featuring the likes of Corto Alto to Brazilian veteran Arthur Verocai, the legendary Brazilian composer created a rich blend of samba, soul, and jazz with a 20-piece ensemble – to electronic late into the night. Highlights included jazz-rappers Digable Planets to Joy Crookes and Adam F live, leading the rave backed by a full band, delighting the crowds. Disco Davids and Dianas enjoyed festival favourite Love Dancing tent once again this year: Colleen Murphy packed the venue to capacity with her cosmic beats with clear, crisp sound and production. Secret sets in the woods featured mystic sounds with Gilles Peterson and friends, while Brown Excellence rocked the Roller Rink, blending leftfield UK electronic sounds with Hindustani melodies, Arab rhythms, and 80s/90s Bollywood and Arab funk. House music legend Kenny Dope Gonzalez was super popular at the Grove, but the very welcome addition of the Beat Hotel stage from Glastonbury took some of the overflow. Paula Tape’s upbeat electronica was another real moment on Saturday night at this worthy new venue on the site. Four Tet closed the state-of-the-art Rhythm Corner on Sunday night with the audience already buzzing about We Out Here 2027 on the walk back to their tents. Like Glastonbury, the festival stands out for its atmosphere as much as the music – this year was all about togetherness and healthy hedonism. The Sanctuary wellness area turned standard selfcare into a massive community hang, complete with hot tubs, saunas, and ice baths at the Wandering Wild Spa building connection and collective rituals. Yoga, meditation, music, sound therapy and workshops alongside swimming were all on offer but the area felt so welcoming that many merely spent the day chilling in the sun chatting to friends, old and new. If you wanted to get creative, the Craftwerk area offered awesome communal DIY slots like printing, weaving, and life drawing, while the little ones built their own adventure wonderland in the family area. The Talks Tent kept the conversations flowing again speaking of the importance of community spirit in divisive times and Blink Mental Health was on hand providing free therapy with psychologists and counsellors throughout the weekend. Dedicated quiet spaces were available for those needing a breather. Plus, the site was incredibly accessible, featuring wide, step-free pathways encouraging wheelchair navigation. This 25,000-capacity party completely sold out four months in advance this year. Expect more of the same next year. If you want In on We Out Here, get in quick. For more information, see HERE