Grime master Skepta didn’t just build a festival, he crafted a cultural landmark. With the debut of Big Smoke Festival in July 2024, he staged more than music: he created a curated experience that melded performance, fashion, house, community values, and mentorship under one sky at Crystal Palace Park. It was a festival by an artist, for artists, an audacious answer to the mainstream, and a testament to grime’s expansive cultural reach.

The Big Smoke Festival wasn’t flawless. Rain poured, set lists were trimmed for a televised football match, and K-Trap’s set was abruptly cut. Yet the festival exceeded expectations: it united long-time grime fans and new audiences, introduced the sounds of Más Tiempo, and celebrated curated street culture. The closing performance featuring Skepta and JME felt like a symbolic passing of the torch, artist to artist, legacy to future.

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From Tottenham to Global Stages

Born Joseph Junior Adenuga in Tottenham, Skepta has spent over two decades re-defining UK rap. As a core force behind Boy Better Know, he helped grime emerge from underground London into a global movement through tracks like Shutdown, That’s Not Me, and Konnichiwa, the last of which earned the Mercury Prize in 2016.

But Skepta’s legacy isn’t confined to music, it’s about reinvention.

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Beyond Music: Skepta’s Expansive Creative Landscape

• Más Tiempo: Launched in 2023 with Jammer, this DJ collective embraces house, techno, and amapiano. Their global club presence, including Ibiza, showcases Skepta's versatility beyond grime.
• Mains & Puma Collaborations: Skepta’s fashion label, Mains, and his sneaker partnerships with Puma reflect his growing status as a streetwear tastemaker.
• Film – Tribal Mark: This short film highlights his storytelling capacity through a cinematic lens, merging identity, tradition, and visual narrative.

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The Big Smoke Festival Takes Shape

2024 Debut

Skepta’s inaugural one-day festival at Crystal Palace Park featured dual stages: the Big Smoke Stage (grime, rap, afrobeats) and Más Tiempo Stage (electronic, house). The line-up included JME, The Streets, Mahalia, Lancey Foux, and Uncle Waffles. It ended under difficult weather, yet was remembered as “electrifying” and “a triumph.”‍

Community Reflections

Reddit attendees praised JME and The Streets, though noted disruptions from weather and the football broadcast. Skepta even apologized for K-Trap’s cancellation, promising his return next year.

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2025: A Weekend Worth the Wait

This year’s festival unfolded August 9–10, 2025, at Crystal Palace Bowl as part of the wider South Facing Festival.  This year, Big Smoke Festival returned on August 9, 2025, at Crystal Palace Bowl, in partnership with South Facing Festival. The lineup was stacked with Skepta and Central Cee leading the pack. It also featured JME, Frisco, Chip, Skyla Tyla, Fred Again, and more. The dual-stage format returned, delivering on its promise to both the grime-rooted energy and the Más Tiempo electronic explorations. Social media was buzzing as fans hailed the event as “epicc” and “insane,” reinforcing its impact on the cultural scene. ‍

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Why Artist-Led Festivals Matter

1. Creative Ownership: Festivals like Big Smoke place community, sound, and culture at the center, over ticket sales or trends.
2. Legacy Building: They become platforms for mentorship and network building, allowing artists to shape cultural narrative.
3. Intersectional Storytelling: These events artfully combine music, fashion, food, and film into a purposeful experience.
4. Inspiration for the Next Wave: Seeing an artist like Skepta curate spaces and narratives is empowering, proving that self-determined artistry can define culture.

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Skepta’s Festival as a Cultural Blueprint

Big Smoke is more than a music event; it’s a cultural blueprint. Skepta is modeling how artists can evolve, from telling their story through music to curating entire cultural ecosystems. If 2024 was the bold opening statement, then 2025 stands as both validation and invitation. For creative pioneers across the globe, watch, and follow.

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