“You shouldn’t think of it as being some boring shit for old people,” Stephen Gallagher says of voting and democracy. This year, the set designer has a new mission: getting ravers at Glastonbury to vote. Since 2007, Gallagher has, along with Gideon Berger, put together Block9, one of Glastonbury festival’s stalwart dance areas.
Perhaps more than a mere area, it’s a festival within a festival, part of the late-night South East Corner, celebrating LGBTQ+ culture and dance music. Home to the IICON stage, Genosys, and NYC Downlow, this year will see Bicep, Roni Size, Confidence Man, Eliza Rose, Honey Dijon and more perform to the tens of thousands who find themselves in the intense corner of the Somerset festival. From 00s pop to cutting-edge electronica: Here’s the best UK music festivals in summer 2024 ‘Democracy is stronger when more people take part’: Voter ID may stop millions from voting in 2024 Returning for its 17th outing at the festival, Block9 will be hoping to channel the power of partying to something concrete.
Along with hundreds of hours of pulsing beats, lasers and half-remembered conversations, Gallagher and co combine activism and protest with a good time. “Vote for freedom, vote for the freedom to love whoever you want to love. Vote for anti-racism, vote for a ceasefire.
Vote for whatever those things are that you want, and that you’re passionate about for your life,” he says. “Doesn’t matter what they are. This is the opportunity for .
