NYC's Why Not Now Fest Lineup Drops
NYC's Why Not Now Fest debuts May 23-24 at Industry City with electronic heavyweights Gorgon City, Chase & Status, and Joy Anonymous B2B MPH. The festival targets the urban club scene with commercial house and dance music. London's Honey Honey launch party March 13 at Electrowerkz also features DJ Cactushead and Tuffcub.
The festival brings a significant UK presence to Brooklyn, led by drum and bass pioneers Chase & Status. The duo, Saul Milton and Will Kennard, recently won their first-ever BRIT Award for "Producer of the Year" and saw their 2023 album, *2 Ruff, Vol. 1*, land four singles in the UK top 40 simultaneously. Fellow headliners Gorgon City, the North London production duo of Kye Gibbon and Matt Robson-Scott, have been mainstays in electronic music for over a decade. They broke into the mainstream with top 10 UK hits like "Ready for Your Love" and "Here for You," cementing their role as influential figures in house music. The choice of venue, Industry City, is a key part of the festival's identity. The 35-acre complex of repurposed warehouses in Sunset Park has become a sprawling campus for businesses, dining, and cultural events, transforming the historic waterfront area into a modern Brooklyn hub. The London launch party offers a preview of the festival's ethos. "Honey Honey" is a new gay club night at the industrial Electrowerkz venue, promoted by DJ Cactushead with a focus on creating a "kindness-first" and welcoming atmosphere for a diverse crowd including "cubs, daddies, chubs, chasers, and their friends and admirers." Joy Anonymous, another UK-based act on the lineup, is known for fostering a communal atmosphere with their pop-up performances on London's South Bank. Their back-to-back set with MPH continues a trend of collaborative DJ sets that have seen them share the decks with artists like Fred again.. and Todd Edwards.
