RALLY keeps bringing fresh flavour to the festival circuit, showing tenacity and vision in carving out its place.
2025 marks the South London festival’s third edition, after two rain-soaked years that nevertheless cement its identity: a celebration of independent art built on community and collaboration. This year, though, the organisers finally exhale—the sun blesses Southwark Park, sparing everyone the frantic dash for cover. (Slightly) less gorp, more golden rays. RALLY feels both intimate and expansive, its programming inspired and immaculately curated. Artists from across the spectrum perform on stages that defy the standard black-box build—architectural designs that lift performance into spectacle. Across the leafy site, installations and immersive spaces break up the flow, reinforcing the festival’s commitment to genuine connection.
On Channel, RALLY’s main stage, cult disco queen Asha Puthli sets the tone with radiant energy. A boundary-breaking artist since the 1970s—crossing Indian classical, avant-garde jazz, disco, soul, funk, ambient and beyond—she belies her 80 years with vocal agility and magnetic charm. Space Talk opens the day with a warmth that ripples through the crowd. Later, Speakers Corner Quartet present a luminous tribute to Arthur Russell. A daunting prospect—Russell’s legacy is so singular that imitation feels impossible—but the South London collective reimagines his work with integrity and invention. Joined by Cate Le Bon, Coby Sey, Lucinda Chua, and Tirzah, their performance feels rare, celebratory, and deeply moving—an uncommon chance to hear Russell’s music brought to life again.
Agnes is RALLY’s most striking structure: a steel-frame monument, multi-level, part-clad, part-exposed, bursting with raw industrial beauty, perfectly suited to the sounds it hosts. Moin, fresh from a Barbican sell-out, locks the crowd in with walls of grunge-soaked guitars, post-rock textures and electronic flourishes. Later, scene hero CASISDEAD turns the stage into a neon-lit fever dream—greens and purples flashing as his immersive, commanding set closes the night in style.
Over at Visionaire, a clean, streamlined stage provides a home for high-calibre dance. The curation flows seamlessly: Mia Koden firing out afternoon wobblers with effortless flair, before livwutang b2b Richard Akingbehin dives deeper into dub-laden techno. Ben UFO, ever the master selector, shells house, garage, techno and everything in between with unmatched precision—hands fly skyward when Dufraine’s remix of Kliig’s Back To Sofa Surfing tears through. Closing, Vlada dials up the wonk, her raw, hypnotic selections bringing the night to a mesmerising, otherworldly close.
Meanwhile, the Mill House dome—RALLY’s own living room—offers a more intimate energy. Nosedrip & Orpheu The Wizard share a set built on synergy and eclecticism, their selections—including Sterac’s ‘X-Tracks’—spilling out against shelves stacked with records and plants. Earlier, Pender Streppers lay down big-time chillers with maximum groove, perfectly matched to the booth’s homely charm.
Day festivals often stumble on sound or curation; RALLY falters on neither. Production is crisp, punchy—sometimes almost too loud, though few mind with earplugs in. Beyond the music, care is obvious everywhere: inventive stage design, thoughtful lighting, delicious food, and introspective installations. It doesn’t feel like a corporate cash-grab but a celebration of community, powered by key collaborators—line-ups shaped by GALA, NTS, Bird On The Wire, and contributions from artists like Trackie McLeod and Abi Haywood. Even Skehans, the beloved local pub, brings its own tent (Guinness on tap, naturally).
With three editions now behind it, RALLY proves it isn’t a passing experiment but a fixture in London’s cultural calendar. Its attention to detail, its respect for artistry, and its refusal to play by corporate rules set it apart. If the first two years are about weathering storms, this year shows RALLY in full bloom.
Head to the RALLY website for more information and updates.