A new 3-day house music festival, curated by legendary Hacienda DJ, Graeme Park, will take over SteelYard Kelham, Sheffield’s premier mixed-use, live indoor / outdoor shipping container park this summer.
From 28th to 30th June, Blueprint Festival will transform SteelYard Kelham into an immersive tropical wonderland creating the perfect backdrop for quality grooves from some of the most respected and influential names in the history of house music, including Graeme Park, Greg Wilson, Todd Terry, Norman Jay MBE, Fat Tony, Jon Pleased Wimmin, K-Klass, HiFi Sean, and many more.
Weekend tickets start at £55 +bf
Blueprint festival-goers can soak up the summer vibes, enhanced by spectacular light and sound production, acrobatic performers and more, and enjoy a range of delicious street food from local traders. The transformation of SteelYard Kelham will be undertaken by immersive decor specialists, Visual Architects, ensuring guests step into a different world, full of eye-catching, mesmerising elements, all soundtracked by some of the original architects of house music.
Blueprint Festival is yet another chapter in the story of a flourishing area of Sheffield. Kelham Island has been named as one of 51 coolest neighbourhoods in the world by TimeOut and last year, it was listed by The Sunday Times as one of their Best Places to Live in the UK. SteelYard Kelham has quickly established itself as an essential venue for outdoor events with the likes of Sunset Festival, Lust, and Kargo parties drawing crowds of clubbers through last summer.
When it comes to the music, Blueprint has some of the most influential house music pioneers in the world gracing the event over the weekend. Graeme Park can be trusted to curate a musical experience of the highest quality. As a 9-year resident at Manchester’s infamous club The Hacienda he helped steer the direction of the 90’s house music explosion. He’s remained in heavy demand ever since, as a DJ, producer, and radio presenter, even taking a full orchestra on the road for the Hacienda Classical show. Few people understand house music like Graeme Park and he brings all this knowledge to the Blueprint Festival lineup.
The Friday lineup features all Hacienda legendary residents and proven influencers of club culture. Alongside Graeme Park is Greg Wilson – pioneer of DJ mixing, Jon Da Silva, now in demand via his I Love Acid sets and radio show, and Tom Wainwright – expect classic house from another Manchester icon.
Saturday’s lineup delivers more house music royalty including Fat Tony, former resident at Turnmills, Egg, Limelight, and The Palladium in New York among others; trailblazer, accomplished producer – including crossover chart success – and selector Jon Pleased Wimmin; K-Klass (including a special PA) who will showcase a glittering career that has seen top 5 chart hits like ‘Rhythm Is A Mystery’ and classic remixes like Bobby Brown’s ‘2 Can Play At The Game’; the widely respected first woman to host a dance music show on BBC Radio 1 Lottie; DJ, producer, and A&R for Defected and his own label Big Love, Seamus Haji; and enduring talent and bastion of house music knowledge Terry Farley.
Sunday at Blueprint sees Graeme Park take to the decks again with an incredible lineup, including Scottish selector HiFi Sean who brings the underground house and disco sound that has made him a Defected and Glitterbox favourite; one of the early female pioneers of house music both behind the decks and behind the scenes Lisa Loud; founding member of KISS FM and the Good Times soundsystem Norman Jay who was awarded an MBE in 2002; Smokin Jo, a Glitterbox regular and a global sensation who remains the only female DJ to be named DJ Mag’s #1 DJ.
The final name for Blueprint’s debut festival is the mighty Todd Terry the DJ / producer whose sound helped define New York house music in the 90’s, recording under various names including as part of the acclaimed Masters At Work, and also blowing up in the UK with top 10 hits like ’Something Goin’ On’ and ‘Keep On Jumpin’.
