Celebration of Life

Celebration of Life is back for its second edition! The festival – which honours all things love, respect, togetherness and inclusivity – is an LGBTQIA+ haven of community and music. Last year, the festival hosted iconic collectives such as Herrensauna, House of Lux and Spielraum, so with the next edition on the horizon, we couldn’t wait to dive into the line-up and explore all they have to offer.

This year, the Antwerp-based festival will be divided over two nights (get the 2nd and the 3rd of December in the diaries ASAP), at the renowned Trix venue. Described as a “multi-room festival”, the weekend prioritises being a safe space for self-expression and exploration, where the joy of a diverse, intersectional line-up and radical sonic freedom brings everyone together.
There are several exceptional names ready to be obsessed over on this year’s line-up, and as said best by Erwin ten Ham (Programmer), it’s essential as party-goers to “not to only be open-minded towards each other, but also towards our programming” as this time around they are self-admittedly, “challenging our visitors to step out of their comfort zone”. From the sounds of our Glamcult go-to’s like Romy, Octa Octa and Eris Drew to our equally loved techno power plays such as Nene H and TAAHLIAH. The lineup also features Belgium’s futuristic pop sensation Promis3., DJ Schacke and their apocalyptic cacophony of fast techno and pop alongside the celestial Babynymph. Honouring the line-up and the event to come, we share our go-to artists and a sneak-peak into their sound for you to feast upon before Celebration of Life December!

We all know and love artist Romy. The XX co-founder has become a staple of electronic music, giving us that iconic pop influence, having worked for the likes of Mark Ronson, Jehnny Beth, Benny Blanco and – of course – The XX. With tracks like the 2020 Lifetime having garnered over 12 million streams and Romy’s latest club-classic Lights Out with Fred Again dropping earlier this year, we expect (and know will receive) big things this year at Celebration of Life!

Do you like to have the limitations of music pushed? That Berlin-based artist Waynette is the one for you. Dark techno doesn’t seem to cover it as Waynette wades into the worlds of punk, rock, electronic and more, and can do so within the space of 30 minutes. After listening to their Dynamic x Wixapolonia mix to find out more, I have only one word, brutal… and it fits every aspect of Waynette’s genre-bending performances.

If Octo Octa and Eris Drew are on a line-up, you know they’re on our selection! The duo have been a staple of ours since the very beginning and having touched-based with the duo’s exquisite sets last summer at Dekmantel, we can’t wait to get a refresh of what they’ve been up to in the winter months. If you have ever wondered what a house heaven would sound like – these two have the answer.

An underground sensation Nene H is a DJ and Producer known for her unexpected sets and exhilarating performances.  A Berlin(/Copenhagen) girl, Nene H is a Berghain staple, who adamantly fights for more representation on the scene. We recently saw her at ADE, and our love was only further established after hearing her mix on BBC 6 music early last month for Afrodeutsche. Nene is not one to miss.

UK-based multidimensional creative TAAHLIAH, can not be placed only under the header of DJ. Building her sound on the underground Queer club scenes of Glasgow, TAAHLIAH’s ethereal energy penetrates any set she plays. Bouncing between the bounds of techno, hyper pop, and EDM – everything is done through the ecstatic escapism of dance.