It was over 30 degrees on the morning of Sunday 24th May as we prepared ourselves for a long day of standing in the sun in Brockwell Park. Cross the Tracks is one of the first festivals I went to after moving to London, and still one of the closest to me. I often recommend it as a good ‘starter’ festival as no matter who’s playing you’ll have a good time, and this year was no different.
The first act of the day was Charlotte Dowsson on the Main Stage. Dressed like a kind of mermaid princess (a big compliment), she took to the stage with grace as she gazed over the gathering crowd. Her voice is soft and sultry, drawing an audience that she later shared with us was much larger than she’d expected due to how early her slot was but was clearly a testament to her talent.
Next was Ama Louise, an RnB singer with a clear adoration for the genre. Despite performing in the incredibly hot D-Railed tent, she blessed her audience with beautiful vocals both when it came to her own songs as well as her cover of the much beloved Jazmine Sullivan track ‘Bust Your Windows’ which saw multiple people sprint into the tent from outside.
Lady Wray boasts a decades long career and has definitely learned how to entertain an audience. Having previously played in 2024, she’s a Cross the Tracks veteran who provided a performance full of joy.
Not at all an up and coming artist, War are the band who brought us long-lasting hits such as ‘Lowrider’ and ‘Why Can’t We Be Friends?’, songs that had the hundreds of people packed in to see them singing and dancing along. It was one of those sets that feels quintessentially ‘Cross the Tracks’ – full of warm nostalgia that triggers a strong sense of community.
I hadn’t heard of Australian Don West before arriving (my fault, as he has over 3 million monthly listeners), but I seemed very much in the minority on the day. People ran to the Terminal stage to get a good view as he strutted around in a tight vest top and sunglasses, followed closely by a cameraman.
I first caught Obongjayar at We Out Here in 2024 where he made it clear that he’s an excellent performer. Shirtless and with muscles flexing, he paraded around the stage well aware he had the audience in the palm of his hand. He’s truly electric and in future years is a definite contender for headliner.
South London’s finest, Joy Crookes has been a TNAM team favourite for many years. Playing a string of unreleased tracks as well as some old favourites (the entire crowd seemed to sing along to ‘When You Were Mine’), her voice was warm and welcoming to the sun-stroked crowd.
Playing a mix of her new album and major hits, Little Simz took to the stage for a blazing finale. There was a heavy pro-Arsenal energy in the air the entire day, and her set was no different as she revealed a football shirt under her jacket. At one point she brought back out Obongjayar and the two danced around each other, their styles blending beautifully. An excellent sendoff.
There’s no doubt we’ll be in attendance next year.
