Berko Fields, Hertfordshire’s most exciting new festival, has wrapped up its debut edition at Berkhamsted Cricket Club after a weekend that left thousands of festival-goers with great memories and a big smile on their face. Over three days, from Friday 11th to Sunday 13th September, Berko Fields created a wonderful, inclusive and friendly atmosphere as people came together to dance and enjoy sets from some top-tier artists.
The weather was perfect as Friday’s House Takeover got underway. DJ SKT warmed up a crowd already fully in the mood, building the energy before Fish56Octagon took to the Berko Fields decks. What followed was two hours of house music at its finest — classics, exclusive edits and cutting-edge new music, hands in the air from start to finish. Then, towards the end of his set, the sky above Berkhamsted lit up as 400 drones rose behind the main stage in a twelve-minute aerial display, creating a spectacular audio-visual experience spanning 160 metres above the field and choreographed to the music.
Fish56Octagon had previously made a tongue-in-cheek claim that he and Berko Fields would be creating a record for “most drones in the sky, making a DJ logo, during a performance… in Hertfordshire!” If that can be a record, he definitely made it, as his giant logo lit up the night sky. The drones formed an acid smiley face, a peace sign, and many more incredible formations, much to the crowd’s delight.
Saturday brought BBC Radio 1’s Danny Howard to the stage for a set that raised the temperature and set the tone as crowds of festival-goers were drawn to the outdoor dancefloor. As night fell, Symphonica Orchestra’s Ibiza Classics performance was spectacular – every classic tune reinterpreted and performed to perfection by this hugely talented ensemble. The crowd reaction was ecstatic, but it went up another notch as the drones lit up the sky again, this time forming a giant conductor, arms raised, leading the orchestra from above. It was undeniable: Berko Fields had created a talking point no other festival has delivered.
Sunday was the biggest day of the weekend by numbers, as thousands of mums, dads and kids pulled on their raving boots for Raver Tots. So Solid Crew and Artful Dodger headlined a day that put UK garage classics front and centre — alongside a fairground, a full programme of children’s entertainment, and the particular joy of watching parents dance with their young kids as they relived their clubbing years. Everyone went home happy.
Across all three days, a carefully curated selection of local food and drink traders kept festival-goers fuelled — a reminder that Berko Fields’ attention to detail extended well beyond the stage. From first-timers who’d taken a chance on a new name to seasoned festival regulars who’d arrived with expectations already high, the response was the same: Berko Fields is something special. It arrived, it delivered, and it has set a new benchmark for what a regional festival can be.
Berko Fields