Originally one of the first festivals of the year during the UK’s May Bank Holiday, Love Saves The Day in Bristol returns following the lifting of lockdown on a abnormally warm September weekend. Against all odds, the festival returned in full force for its ninth instalment and taking place on the new location of Clifton Downs. Arguably the city’s biggest summer event, Love Saves The Day welcomed a variety of genres from electronic, pop, and hip-hop to their signature stages including the Main Stage, Brouhaha, Lost Gardens, Centre Stage (pictured below), Paradiso and Teahcings in Dub.
The sun shone across the two day event, with Saturday kicking off the unforgettable weekend. Setting off on the Main Stage, the stellar line up included the likes of Biig Piig, Crazy P Live, Elder Island, Little Simz and Mahalia. Biig Piig graced the stage in the late afternoon alongside a stunning sax arrangement whilst her signature segue’s into Spanish verses glistened in the afternoon sun.
Further into the evening, fans flocked in their hundreds to witness the skyrocketing legend that is Little Simz. Performing a day after her new album release of Sometimes I Might Be Introvert, Little Simz delivered OG hits like "Selfish" and "101 FM" followed by her critically acclaimed new material.
Whilst the main stage provided something for everyone and was a fairly mellow and warm affair, Love Saves The Day's highlight stage of the weekend comes from the Brouhaha. Heading up an insane b2b set, Chloé Robinson (previously Barely Legal) and Chimpo delivered an explosive set packed with dnb, jungle, and pure crowd pleasers. Standout drops from the dynamic duo included a fiery bootleg of Adam F’s "Circles", Clipz’ "Down 4", Missy Elliott’s "Get Ur Freak On", Shy FX and Lilly Allen’s "Roll The Dice", whilst rounding off on an epic close with Kelis and Andre 3000’s "Millionaire" anthem.
Closing out the Saturday night on the Centre Stage following a stellar line up of producers like Hodge, Danielle, Craig Richards and more, was a mesmerising set from Ben UFO b2b Shanti Celeste. Paired with an equally glistening light show that has become a staple stage associated with the festival due to its unique setup, the set enticed crowds from all corners of the site. The duo drifted between left field gems amongst quirky house and techno flavours, closing out with one of this year's anthems Overmono's "So U Kno".
For those who soldiered on into Sunday’s antics, Love Saves The Day was blessed with another glorious day in the sunshine. Main Stage represented the grime and drill scene with performances from slowthai, Ghetts, Pa Salieu, Ms Banks and more. Sprinkling female empowerment across the crowd on a Sunday afternoon was Ms Banks, delivering fierce energy with tracks like "Novikov", "Again" as well as a cover of Shy FX’s "Original Nuttah 25".
The Paradiso stage welcomed the esteemed artist and radio presenter Jamz Supernova who brought a melting pot of garage, bass, jungle and more with the likes of Zed Bias’ "Neighbourhood", and a mix of B-15 Project’s "Girls Like Us" causing havoc amongst the crowd. Meanwhile, Mella Dee stunned the Brouhaha stage with a collection of rave belters, house cuts and a dash of jungle blended with straight up, timeless tracks like T2's "Heartbroken".
Whilst closing the weekend out on the Brouhaha, DJ royalty Honey Dijon left the crowd on a high, stealing the limelight from her headline peers across the site. With her eclectic soundscape weaving hefty bass through house, disco and techno it was cuts like the tribal infused remix of Childish Gambino’s "This Is America" from Todd Terry, Louie Vega and Kenny Dope that raised the Brouhaha roof, demonstrating her signature and internationally adored talent.
Reflecting on one of Bristol’s, if not one of the UK’s most diverse and appealing festivals, Love Save The Day returned in full force, providing a varied and heavyweight line up despite recent events. Whilst September and the temporary location was a success, 2022’s instalment of Love Saves The Day will return to it’s original May Bank Holiday spot with a exciting new location to be revealed. If this year is anything to go by, next year’s event promises to be the most special yet as they reach their 10 year milestone, continuing to reign as the beating heart of Bristol’s summer festival season.
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