Shining the Spotlight: Boosting Black DJs and Artists at UK Festivals

Music festivals are exciting events where people gather to enjoy live performances and celebrate different cultures. In Birmingham, Boxout Fest is a festival that focuses on black music and culture. DJ Buxley, the founder of Boxout Fest, is calling for more black DJs and artists to be featured at major UK festivals. He believes that black musicians are often placed on smaller stages and are not given the recognition they deserve. To address this, DJ Buxley started Boxout Fest in 2023, aiming to improve representation and provide new opportunities for talented musicians. This year, over 80 DJs performed their sets for the first time at the festival, showing how the event is helping new artists get noticed.

DJ Buxley emphasizes that representation is not only about the music but also about the people working behind the scenes. He wants to see more people who support black music and culture involved in roles like marketing, social media, and event management. He says, 'Anyone that's talented and pushing black music and culture, we give them the platform to be great. ' Boxout Fest features a variety of music genres, including Afrobeats and Dancehall, attracting festival goers from countries such as Ghana, Nigeria, Bermuda, Italy, and the United States. This year, more than 6,000 people attended the two-day festival at the end of August, making it a significant event for the community.

The festival also highlights female and non-binary DJs, who are often underrepresented at other festivals. DJ Buxley points out that many large festivals choose artists based on their popularity or social media following rather than their talent. He wants to change this by giving talented individuals a chance to shine, regardless of their fame. Mel Grace, a presenter at Boxout Fest, shares that she wishes bigger UK festivals would showcase a wider range of black music genres. She mentions that Birmingham has a rich history of black culture, with many people from the Windrush generation and their descendants contributing to the city's vibrant music scene. Mel Grace believes it is important for Birmingham to show the rest of the UK how proud it is of its black music and culture. NSG, a group that headlined the festival, stresses the importance of representing black British music and culture at festivals across the country. DJ Buxley adds that true legacy comes from making a positive impact on people, not just from making money. He hopes Boxout Fest will continue to be a platform for talented artists and help celebrate black music and culture.