It is now just a matter of hours before Craig Richards throws open the gates of Houghton Hall and kicks off the most highly anticipated music festival since, well, last year’s Houghton.
So far, each edition of Houghton has built on the legacy of the previous year. Houghton is rightly proud of its reputation as your favourite DJ’s favourite festival, and the onus is on every single artist performing to bring their absolute best. USBs are fastidiously sorted into special folders and playlists throughout the year in anticipation of Houghton Hall’s early August extravaganza.
The festival now finds itself at a crucial stage of its development. A mythical first few years led to an explosion in popularity during the post-Covid years, and the site has undergone some structural and stylistic changes with it, Tantrum has now fallen by the wayside, with the likes of The Old Gramophone expanding into the spaces it left behind. Some will bemoan the alterations to the site layout and the changing composition of the crowd as the festival continues to grow, but with Craig Richards at the helm, we can be confident that any changes are made with the dancers squarely in mind.
Stages such as The Pavilion has been fortified in recent years and the Derren Smart stage has had a full 360-degree overhaul. Terminus remains the jewel in Houghton’s crown, with a frankly obscene soundsystem, a secret lineup and 24-hour programme setting it apart from even the toughest competition. Add an intriguing slate of workshops and activities in the Armadillo and the sites typically eclectic array of art installations, and everything is clear – the festival has retained its original spirit while sanding down its rougher edges.
The weeks leading up to Houghton are a fervent time for the faithful day-ones and newcomers alike; the weeks following the festival then see fans across social media swapping track IDs – the Identification of Music Group surrenders itself entirely to a tagline of “Heard at Houghton Festival 2026”. It’s a festival like few other and is certainly part of the conversation for typically having the absolute finest lineup in the country. The programming is unerringly consistent throughout the entire weekend, but it’s often the late night/early morning sets in which the festival really comes into its own. Houghton in the smallest hours often becomes a mythical, other-worldly, dreamlike space unlike any other dancefloor in the country. It’s an astonishing festival run by the absolute best in the business. To save you the stress of picking through hundreds of tantalising options, we’ve picked out five performances that are particularly deserving of your time…
Objekt
A true pioneer whose inimitable style combines the full gamut of chin-strokers and ravers. They shot to prominence with 2017’s “Theme From Q”, which would eventually be named Mixmag’s track of the year. Objekt’s more recent releases have retained their intensity, while taking somewhat of a turn into more expressive dubstep. 2024’s Chicken Garaage is a fantastic example of the rich seam of 00s breakbeat and garage that Objekt has been mining recently. It’s also a tune they spun in a recent Dekmantel b2b2b2b with Ben UFO, Call Super and Pariah. Objekt will be laying it down from 03:00-06:00 within the ever-daunting Warehouse during the small hours of Saturday morning.
Tama Sumo & Lakuti
Two DJs whose lives has culminated in a wonderful musical journey together. Tama Sumo & Lakuti’s b2b sets are legendary, with the former having cut their teeth in the Berlin club scene in the early 90s and the latter having found themselves in the warehouses of Johannesburg mixing US and Kwaito House Music. The pair are technically proficient and creatively ambitious DJs who play glorious, relentless, uplifting house music and will be closing the festival in Stallions on Sunday night – promising to be an utterly pulverising affair and is not one to be missed.
Melina Serser
Merlin Serser’s set on Outburst at midday on Saturday will suit the battle-hardened ravers whose Friday night is yet to run its course, and equally those who have woken up in Norfolk keen to attack the day. Both crowds will be well served, by one of the festival’s most talented DJs performing one its most intimate of stages. Melina Serser is a rising star out of Montevideo, Uruguay, blending downtempo, jazz, ambient and trip-hop. Serser’s set at Outburst during 2025’s Houghton Festival is on Soundcloud for those who are yet to be initiated.
Jane Fitz
Jane Fitz continues to establish herself as a Houghton Festival mainstay. She’s a consistently excellent purveyor of wigged-out house and techno, laying it down exclusively on vinyl. Her set at last year’s festival is quickly becoming the stuff of legend. Last year’s sunrise set on the Pavillion stage has given way to a slightly earlier set on the neighbouring Earthling. This year, we can expect even heavier artillery beneath the night’s sky.
Eliphino
Eliphino is both a personal favourite and an absolute mainstay of the festival’s Giant Steps stage. Having piqued my own interest with 2011’s utterly monstrous “More Than Me”, Eliphino has kept a relatively low profile in the 15 years since. Fortunately, he’s popped up behind the decks at Houghton Hall with reassuring consistency, and his recent studio releases have built on the early promise of his nascent NTS Radio days. The likes of “I Don’t Care” and “It’s Hard To Say” are wonderful examples of nimble UK garage, and Eliphino’s 20:00 Saturday night Giant Steps stint promises to be the most bouncy and joyous of affairs.