August 28, 2025 |
Field Maneuvers could quite possibly be the UK’s best party.
The independent festival which is more of a no frills, dirty little rave has spent over a decade causing beautiful carnage right in the middle of Norfolk. After a near death experience (2024’s edition was due to be the festival’s last), the FM crew were so blown away from the outpouring of love from its dedicated partygoers that they decided to go for it again.
And thank God they did. This year’s was the biggest and best FM to date, with a stacked line-up and a sensational gang of dance floor divas to match. Missed out on the action? You can already pre-register for tickets for next year’s knees up. Before all that though, fill yourself in on all the shenanigans 2025 had to offer.
ANGEL D’ LITE B2B JOE NONLOCAL
For all Field Maneuvers veterans out there, a highlight every year has been watching Local Group shell it inside the laser dome that is the Sputnik stage. Armed with the wobbliest of wobblers, the terrible twosome consisting of Jon NonLocal and LMajor first united as a duo at this very festival, spending the next decade treating FM revellers to their raviest of stylings. Now going it out alone, the pair played separate sets this year, with Jon joining forces with fellow FM fave, Angel D’lite [who appears in the latest issue of 10], for two hours of absolute madness at the Laika tent, unleashing The Prodigy’s Voodoo People to really get heads spinning.
PAURRO
Mexico City’s Paurro brought the heat as part of the Low End Dreams take over of the main tent Friday night. Making her long-awaited FM debut, the Aanjel label boss didn’t disappoint with her heady blend of tribal house, fiery breakbeats and more carnage à la The Prodigy to get the fezzy’s first night into full swing.
FAFF
Who would’ve thought you could experience transcendental dance floor bliss inside the four walls of a pop-up pub in a field in Norfolk? Beneath a sea of lasers, London duo Faff (who appear inside the latest issue of 10 Men) turned FM’s The Packet Inn (greatest name for a boozer ever?!) into a rave cave. Sexy house music, fruit machines and pints by the plenty? Bury us here.
BIG ANG
Arguably the most anticipated set of the weekend, the undisputed queen of bassline, Big Ang, turned Sputnik into a speed garage haven. Sheffield’s finest had queues snaking around the dome, with what felt like was the entire festival eager to be blasted with Ang’s filthiest womp womps, including a bass-y facelift of Sister Sledge’s Lost in Music and a mind-scrambling edit of Baby D’s Let Me Be Your Fantasy to finish things off.
HOUSE OF GARAGE
The entire Saturday afternoon inside Sputnik was pretty stellar. Bristol’s Sofa Sofa kicked off her House of Garage takeover with a two-step masterclass, segueing nicely into A for Alpha, the young producer and DJ delighting dance floors internationally with her ’90s garage gems. Following Big Ang’s mega moment was the legendary Jeremy Sylvester, who brought six hours of garage excellence to an epic close, inviting Ang back up to the decks for a surprise b2b in the final moments of his set. Top tier stuff.
NADINE NOOR
Back at The Packet Inn and Saturday night’s UHaul Dyke Rescue takeover turned FM’s watering hole into a glistening lez fest. Shout out to Pxssy Palace’s head honcho, Nadine Noor, who had the queers in a chokehold with club classics like Lock ’N Load’s Blow Ya Mind and a goodie bag of delicious pop edits including a euphoric twist on Addison Rae’s Aquamarine that caused a moment of sheer gay panic.
NEIGHBOURHOOD TURNS 15
Neighbourhood has been a returning favourite to Field Maneuvers over the years, delivering a slew of the festival’s most memorable sets. As the label and touring club night celebrates its 15 birthday this year, founder Tasha rounded up a crew of the finest selectors to soundtrack Sputnik into the early hours of Sunday morning. From Benton’s teeth-rattling jungle to Akua’s full-throttle techno, there was a bit to please all types of dance floor devotees.
DIALLED IN
Dialled In is the collective platforming South Asian artistry in the electronic space, which for the last three years has been taking over FM with the goal of bringing the highest of energies to the dance. This year was no different, closing out Sputnik with an intoxicating mix of head-spinning smashes. Our favourite moments included Gracie T’s rocket-fuelled bassline and dubstep stompers (who doesn’t love a menacing mashing of Kelly Clarkson’s Since You’ve Been Gone) and AHadADream, who had booties shaking in abundance, especially when spinning Daddy Yankee’s Gasolina.
DALSTON SUPERSTORE SUNDAY
Arguably the silliest day of the year, Dalston Superstore’s Sunday FM takeover couldn’t get more joyous. You’ll spot revellers dressed as fried eggs, bottles of Smirnoff Ice and office workers for this gloriously chaotic day which sees the beloved East London gay bar come to Norfolk for the day. Names you’ll find regularly playing inside the queer mothership took to the lakeside stage, including standout sets from Ashtray and J. Aria b2b Shivum Sharma, with Kurtis Lincoln MCing throughout the day.
Over inside the FM Tent, queer publishers Smut Press brought along Someone Sunny for a gay mix up of house and more bass-y numbers. Superstore boss Dan Beaumont united with Hannah Holland [who features in our latest issue] for 90 minutes of hedonistic thumpers including Bronski Beat’s ’80s classic Hit That Perfect Beat, all while ISAbella got the room sweating with her sexy house flavours.
MIDLAND
Rounding out the Superstore takeover and the festival itself was none other than Midland, whose set shaped up to be the perfect farewell to another glorious year at FM. If there’s ever someone to kick you back into shape on the last night of a three-day bender, it’s Midland, mixing house and disco with banger after banger from Abba, The Pet Shop Boys and Madonna – treating the crowd to a sing along to Nothing Really Matters in the festival’s final moments. Pure bliss. Till next year, you naughty bunch.
Photography courtesy of Field Maneuvers.
