Fred Again & BBK Light Up Big Smoke Festival
Fred Again.. and Skepta at Big Smoke Festival, 12.08.25
Fred Again linked up with UK grime heavyweights BBK for a spectacular Big Smoke Festival set — nothing short of explosive
In a night packed with surprise appearances, flawless mixing, and bass that rattled through the crowd for an hour and 10 minutes, South London felt like the centre of the music universe - finally putting the US/UK debate to bed.
Skepta on stage DJing
Tickets were acquired the night before, and god I am thankful for that impulsive purchase, possibly the best £40 I’ll ever spend. A gorgeous summer’s day in South London, Big Smoke Festival felt noticeably small, something I ended up loving. The intimacy of Crystal Palace Park meant ideal stage views and space to actually move, the warm air buzzing with anticipation.
I rolled in late afternoon, catching the end of Maceoplex’s set. Travis Scott vocal snippets and Daft Punk samples floated over the crowd like jolts of nostalgia, getting heads nodding. As the sun dipped, Skepta appeared, bathed in gold light, leaning into house classics like Freed From Desire and Show Me Love, bringing us to Ibiza before snapping back into heavier beats.
BBK (Boy Better Know) freestyling behind Fred Again..
By the time Fred Again took over, night had swallowed the park. UK rap legend Skepta joined him to debut an unreleased track and, of course, perform their track Victory Lap. A tune born from a Doechii sample, pieced together live on PlaqueBoy Max’s stream before taking on a life of its own.
Fred looked utterly in his element locked into the moment, hands flying over the decks, bass rattling through chests. USB gems like Rumble, Places to Be, and Leave Me Alone dropped in quick succession, each met with a wave of euphoria.
When Victory Lap 5 hit, D Double E’s verse sent the crowd into orbit, limbs in the air, strangers gripping each other. Then BBK appeared like the Avengers: JME spitting That’s Not Me and Shutdown with his brother, Chip and Jammer trading freestyles, the mic passed between them like a spark.
Every hand-off drew a fresh roar from the crowd, each verse another jolt of energy.
Not that we expect anything less, but Fred’s mixing was utterly seamless, grime cuts melting into drum & bass drops, house rhythms folding into thunderous basslines.
Skepta’s ad-libs “serious”, “dirtyyy” sliced through the music with infectious swagger, punctuating each drop and verse like exclamation marks. The crowd fed off it, their faces lit with grins, dancing without a care.
There was a warmth in the air, not just from the summer night, but from the way it felt like we were all part of something special.
I felt a rush of disbelief, certain I was witnessing a rare festival moment - warm, electric, and unforgettable. Skepta seemed to share that feeling, at one point holding his head in his hands as if in awe, watching his own independent festival vision come to life in front of our eyes.
Now, would I have attended Big Smoke Festival without Fred Again’s last minute addition, no, will I be attending next year – without doubt.
A perfect blend of electronic music and grime, an embodiment of current Uk music culture.
Hearing the live freestyles made me fall back in love with UK rap that I used to blast in my headphones on the way to school.
Pure nostalgia remixed with dirty drum and bass beats, probably my favourite set I’ve ever been to. The Sunday scaries didn’t stand a chance, though the next morning might have been the hardest post-concert blues have ever hit.
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