INTERVIEW: Love to be… announces new dance music festival

Celebrating three decades of shaping the UK house music scene, the iconic brand Love to be… is set to mark its 30th anniversary this year with an extraordinary event that promises to be a highlight of the year; the Love to be… Festival. This landmark celebration will take place at The Stray in Harrogate on Saturday 14th of September, positioning itself as the largest dance music festival the town has ever seen.

Love to be… first emerged in 1994 at the Music Factory in Sheffield, quickly becoming an impactful force in the UK’s growing house music scene. The brand was instrumental in bringing the sounds of house music to countless fans, booking legendary artists like Masters at Work, Todd Terry, Frankie Knuckles and Roger Sanchez, alongside UK talents such as Dave Seaman and Pete Tong. Over the years, Love to be… has not only shaped the landscape of house music but also cultivated a loyal following, becoming synonymous with quality events that blend music, atmosphere and culture.

The Love to be… Festival promises to be a fitting tribute to this legacy, featuring an outstanding lineup of house music talent spread across three stages. The Main Stage will see a headline performance by house music legend Roger Sanchez, joined by other icons like Barbara Tucker and DJ Darius Syrossian. The lineup also includes a live set from the renowned Adelphi Music Factory, ensuring the festival will be an essential event for house music lovers.

Love to be… has also partnered with The Ostrich Foundation, a local charity dedicated to reducing youth suicide by breaking down the stigma surrounding mental health. The foundation works closely with other charities and NHS agencies to equip young people and their communities with the tools needed to recognise and respond to suicidal behaviour. The festival will help raise awareness and funds for this vital cause, with representatives from The Ostrich Foundation present throughout the event to engage with attendees and a minimum of £1,000 being donated to the charity.

Marc Dennis and Tony Walker, the main figures behind Love to be…, express their excitement for the upcoming festival: “We feel privileged to have been able to do our part in supporting house music over the past 30 years. As we celebrate this milestone, culminating in our very own festival, Love to be… will still deliver that proper 90s atmosphere combined with a modern-day vibe. We can’t wait.”

With its thrilling lineups and a mission of social impact, the Love to be… Festival will be a celebration of a community that’s grown and thrived over three decades. Whether you’re a longtime fan or a newcomer to the scene, this festival promises to be an unforgettable experience, blending nostalgia with the excitement of modern music culture. Tickets for the festival are available now via Skiddle and Resident Advisor.

We caught up with Marc and Tony of Love to be… to find out more about their musical story so far and their upcoming new festival. Check out our interview with them below.

Hey guys, how are things? It must be a busy time for you right now!

Yes, it’s been a crazy year for us and the team, but very exciting.

What’s been your biggest highlight of this year so far?

So far, two sold-out shows in Sydney headlined by Basement Jaxx and Armand Van Helden have been real highlights, but all the 30th anniversary dates have been very special in their own right.

How do you feel the dance music scene in the UK has changed since the 90s?

With the unfortunate closures of clubs and venues, the landscape has changed massively since the 90s. When we started as a weekly event, pretty much all the events around the UK were weekly, and every town and city had multiple clubs, which created a community and a generation of clubbers who went out pretty much from Thursday to Sunday, week in and week out. With the growth of festivals and bigger events, customers are now saving up for one-off events or three-day festivals at home and abroad as the event landscape has changed from those early days.

What have been some of your favourite events you’ve put on to date?

Going back to the early days, bringing in Frankie Knuckles and Satoshi Tomiie on NYE was a real pinch-me moment. More recently, our first event out of lockdown back in Sheffield was immense—the atmosphere was electric.

Who are some of your favourite new house artists?

Alongside our established headliners, we are always looking to bring through new talent and introduce artists to our events. Adelphi Music Factory, Wh0, and Selena Faider have rocked sets for us recently, and we have our own pool of residents, such as Sinclair and Keex, breaking through at events. Through the radio show and record labels, we are always looking for emerging talent and are loving the sounds of artists like Myd, Elte, Sonic Soul Orchestra, and Kaleena Zanders.

Where did the idea for having your own festival come from? Was it challenging to organise compared to other events?

The plan was to scale up the brand to larger event capacities, and we were given a great space and opportunity to put the festival on this year, so we had a few sleepless nights and decided to go for it. It’s been a massive undertaking for the team, and when you’re putting in your own infrastructure into a blank space, there’s so much more to think about and plan around—health and safety, licensing, customer experience, and logistics—compared to putting on an event in a ready-made venue.

What made The Stray the perfect venue to host the festival?

It’s a blank canvas with easy transport links, and it’s an area that was crying out for a festival. Plus, it gives us plenty of scope to expand in the heart of our home county, Yorkshire.

What are you most looking forward to about the Love to be… Festival?

Seeing it all come together—kind of like launching the first event back at The Music Factory back in 1994. It’s the culmination of a lot of hard work and planning, and seeing people enjoying themselves at our events is what it’s all about. We’ve bridged generations on our dance floors over the past few years, with clubbers who remember us from the 90s and a new, younger audience now discovering the brand. That unique fusion and energy that our Love to Be family creates on the dancefloor is a great motivator!

You’ve also partnered with The Ostrich Foundation charity. What do you hope to achieve with that collaboration?

The Ostrich Foundation is a local charity close to our hearts, and we feel that the extra exposure through our channels and festival marketing can help raise awareness alongside raising funds.

Will you look to do more festivals in the future?

Yes, we are already planning 2025 in Harrogate, plus looking at some further UK and overseas opportunities for 2025/26.

What’s your favourite festival in the UK?

Creamfields is massive and has led the way for electronic music festivals. Similar to us, it was born out of a 90s club night.

Finally, what else do you have in store for the rest of the year?

After the festival, we don’t get much of a break as we head to Liverpool for a huge day party at Camp And Furnace with Barbara Tucker and Marshall Jefferson on September 28th, before heading back to Leeds at Mint Warehouse on November 23rd, and finishing the year with a 30th anniversary closing party on December 7th in Sheffield. We’ll also be focusing on some strong releases via the record label and planning our strategy for 2025 with Love to Be… and our sister brand FunkyLove.