Dusty Hackney - All Points East Festival

Something of a change up this blog, with my first ever review of a festival (a day festival, albeit). All Points East is a festival in Victoria Park, Hackney which boasts themed days across two weekends in the summer. Beginning in 2018, it has become a fixture of the London calendar, sparking dissatisfaction and outrage from residents.

The day of the festival I attended was the final day of 2025, with a headline show from the Maccabees and a raft of indie bands on the bill. As this was a new event I had never attended and had heard mixed things about, I was excited to sample East London’s major music offering.

The venue

Situated in a corner of Victoria Park, All Points East is a large site with a capacity of 50,000 and six stages. It is fairly well designed, with the two major stages opposite each other, so it is a very simple walk between them. Both stages are a good size and in large areas, so it is pretty easy to move around and to get near the front at almost any point (unless you arrive late to an act). There are also bars everywhere, so getting a drink is quick and easy. The food on the whole was good and I must give a shoutout to the jerk chicken I had during the Cribs. That fixed me on a level I didn’t know jerk chicken could Positives out of the way, now onto the issues.

I had heard tell of appalling sound issues at All Points East, with so-called ‘dead zones’ where no music can be heard despite having a stage in front of you being the most worrying stories. Not to spoil the running order of the blog, but I did experience one of these, but I was not disappointed as it was during Bombay Bicycle Club who I was dragged to so had very little to complain about – but to say you could not hear anything near the back is not an exaggeration. Again, not to spoil this review, the Maccabees’ sound went off completely twice, which at an event of this size is almost unheard of.

The dust was also something I had been warned about but probably underestimated. This summer in London has been incredibly dry and the last thing dry ground needed was 50,000 people walking across it. Plus, as the event was organised so there were rarely two big acts on the same time, everyone would migrate from one stage to the other at the same time, kicking up ludicrous levels of dust; cue coughing, spluttering and wheezing. Some had some well prepared with bandanas and masks, but for those of us who had not prepared, it was a long day of dust. It was not until returning home that the extent of the dirt was learnt. We were covered head to toe in dust and the filth which came off my body in the shower was reminiscent of showering after a full rugby match in autumn. Naturally, there is nothing which can be done about the dust save for inventing a giant vacuum cleaner to deal with the thing. Like I say, nothing to do done.

The bill7

Unfortunately, the full bill did not appeal to me hugely, but I was excited to try out some new acts and to tour a new festival.

However, kicking off the AMEX Unsigned stage was Preston-based indie band, The Juice. The Juice have been around since 2020 and have been traversing the live scene of the northwest, with a few shows south of Birmingham already under their belt. I think The Juice are brilliant and to see them on this bill and with such an opportunity was brilliant. They seized it with both hands and delivered a blistering set. Their crowd started with fewer than 10 of us, but finished with a packed tent, bopping heads and shaking hips. They were and are great, and I recommend everyone to check them out.

From there, we caught Prima Queen and Everything Everything. Prima Queen were good, with lots of energy and a surprisingly big crowd. Everything Everything, unfortunately were really not my cup of tea and I found myself flagging during their set. Retiring to the back, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that their big hit Distant Past was by them (I had no idea who sang that song) and that was good. A break in play followed, which was food time and the holy jerk chicken which rescued me. We had the Cribs playing in the background, who were heavier than I expected and I thought sounded pretty good.

CMAT was our next viewing. I had heard a lot about CMAT, but none of her music, so I was intrigued to see her live. She certainly delivered. Her set was engaging, funny and just what was needed. I knew none of the songs, but her presence and live show meant there was not a dull moment. She has gained a new fan, and I will endeavour to see her again.

As aforementioned, I was pulled kicking and screaming to Bombay Bicycle Club and thankfully could get away with the art of conversation instead of listening to them due to the poor sound system. 10 minutes of perseverance was followed by a quick escape to get a good spot for the Maccabees.

Maccabees

The Maccabees are an indie band hailing from Southwest London, with famous brothers Felix and Hugo White two of their key members, along with singer Orlando Weeks. Their debut, Colour It In, was released in 2007, and they enjoy a career of nearly 10 years before disbanding in 2016. They never truly hit mainstream stardom but acquired a meaty fanbase in that time. Since splitting, Felix White’s fame as a co-host of the BBC’s loosely cricketing podcast Tailenders has ignited more interest in the Maccabees. So much so, when they announced their reunion, it was met with much more enthusiasm and demand than many had imagined from their initial stint.

Kicking off the show with Latchmere, the energy is there from the start. Lego and X-Ray follow, keeping up the tempo. From therein, the same setlist they returned with earlier this summer follows. I am not a hardcore Maccabees fan and definitely noted some similarities between a few of the tracks, but that did not detract from my enjoyment.

The show featured a wonderful surprise guest, with Jamie T appearing on stage for a collaboration of Marks to Prove It, followed by a cover of his hit track, Sticks N Stones. The Gen Z and Millennial crowd went absolutely mental, as I’m sure you can imagine. Many of us had expected Florence Welch to take to the stage, as she is Felix White’s partner and had joined the Maccabees as a guest during their Park Stage slot at Glastonbury this year. No dice, but Jamie T was a more than capable replacement.

Much like in their studio recordings, Something Like Happiness is the standout. With its uplifting melodies, hopeful lyrics and gentle swing, this is truly their magnum opus. This closes the main set perfectly – a wonderful song, but just enough to leave you wanting more.

The encore follows with Toothpaste Kisses, the beautiful love song from the Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging soundtrack. A lovely ditty which the crowd sing along to, not missing a word or beat. The closer is Pelican, a song close to my heart. As a youthful XFM (now Radio X) listener, Pelican soundtracked many mornings, afternoons and evenings. XFM seemingly could not go through an entire day in the 2010s without playing this song. Not that I complained, as I think it is a masterful indie anthem.  The lyrics are surprisingly deep, focussing on mortality and the human experience, all wrapped up in a catchy riff and boppy bridge like a neat bow. It is the perfect closer, giving an audience its last chance to blow off steam and expel its energy before heading home. Pelican delivered and then some.

As the house lights came up and the dust was kicked into the air again, we left in good spirits. A successful day in the sun on the penultimate day of this Bank Holiday weekend would have to do a lot to dampen even the biggest malcontent’s spirits. As for All Points East itself, I will not be rushing back to Victoria Park save for a brilliant lineup.