The thing they don’t tell you about DJing is it’s where love lives. You think it is all about the first 12” you obsess over, the divine disco you can’t stop collecting, the cowbell that follows you into your dreams, the house bassline that shakes you to your dancing core. You think it’s about your name on flyers, the resident brackets you fought so hard for, the rider of trouble you’ll spend a lifetime trying to stop, the heroines met, the headliners spun, the outstanding collection of decoratively patterned shirts you’ve accumulated. It’s not. It’s about the people (decoratively patterned shirts optional). The people between the grooves you love, the community behind the record covers, the oh-so direct DM’s, the late-night cubicle bonding you’ll always remember. I’m proud to call it my disco family, a 35-year-old family, filled with tales of love, loss and laughter.

Today my disco family is where love lives. A disco family called 1BTN. It is a place where I learnt Love Is The Message, where new friends and old nodding acquaintances joined forces to deliver a network of love and disco. Yep, there’s that word again. Love. But then when you join those obsessed music lovers and deck hands together it would seem We Are Love. Which is handy. Gives 1BTN the perfect name for a festival. Saves money on the merchandise. And delivers a weekend of music, love and family on our Sussex doorstep with enough 1BTN heroes, heroines, DJs, musicians, artists, creators, cooks and well-being wonders to keep any family gathering sound. 1BTN’s We Are Love. Think of it as 1BTN’s family Xmas without the picky bits. Just the love. And some of those 12”s I obsessed about. See you at the front.

We Are Love Festival – July 28-30th 2023 Bentley Farm Estate, Ringmer, East Sussex. Last few weekend and day tickets available https://www.wearelove.events/

LIVE

Allysha Joy . JIM . Tru Thoughts Presents: Steven Bamidele + Anushka + WheelUP . A Man Called Adam . The Egg . Lakuta . J Felix . Pollito Boogaloo . Super Dupes . Abi Flynn . My System Echo . Transformer . Fukushima Dolphin . Roots Garden Soundsystem

DJs

Ron Basejam . Nancy Noise . Marc Mac (4hero) . Hanry Wu . Afronaut . Mark Force . Mixmaster Morris . Nick The Record . Chris Coco . Dom Servini . Al Mackenzie . Midfield General . Sophie Lloyd . Kelvin Andrews . Sophie ‘Joyful’ Paul . Richard Norris . Nail (Bent DJ set) . Balearic Ultras . T. Roy . Donsurf . The Style Siblings . DJ Amazon . Sarah Sweeney . Peza . Love Is The Message . Dean ‘Sunshine’ Smith . Jaime Read . Affy Go Bang . Wildblood & Queenie . Black Octopus . Ben GC . Mickey Duke . General Legsta . Ty + more TBC!

More!

The Chill Out Tent . Kids tent . Activities & workshops inc. Arts & crafts – Decor creating – Percussive workshop – DJ workshops & tutorials – Family disco . Wellness area inc. Massage – yoga – gong bath – hot tubs – talks – hot box sauna . Street mural painting with Sinna One . Artisan food & drink and much more!