With an illustrious lineup of artists representing the vibrant spectrum of Caribbean and African musical genres, the festival promises to deliver an unforgettable experience to attendees. Headlining the event are acclaimed performers such as Capleton, Busy Signal, Shy FX, and Iration Steppas. Joining them are talents like Cameroonian-American singer Libianca and the innovative dub sound system crew Channel One, enriching the festival’s offerings with depth and diversity.

In addition to these headliners, the festival further boasts a diverse array of performers, including the likes of Anthony B, Black Sherif, Ding Dong, Lojay, Queen Omega, WSTRN, Rage MC, Dubwise Jamaica, Ayanna Heaven, Kalia Goddess, and many more. This year’s festival showcases a full lineup of exceptional talent from various corners of the world, with esteemed acts like Jamaica’s Beenie Man, Shenseea, and Busy Signal also gracing the stage. Attendees can anticipate a dynamic display of musical talent, honouring the rich and vibrant heritage of Caribbean and African music.

City Splash Festival stands as a testament to the profound impact of Caribbean and African culture in the UK and beyond, showcasing the abundant legacy of genres like Roots, Dub, and Dancehall while embracing the evolution of Jungle and Garage music.

Featuring seven unique stages offering “diverse sounds and vibes,” attendees can immerse themselves in a medley of musical experiences. Additionally, with over 45 Black-owned food traders tantalising taste buds (delivered in partnership with Black Eats LDN), authentic rum stalls, and engaging panel talks, the festival promises an immersive cultural experience.

Located in the heart of Brixton, Brockwell Park serves as the perfect backdrop for this celebration of Afro-Caribbean heritage, underscoring the area’s rich history and cultural significance. More than just a music event, City Splash Festival is a vital cultural melting pot that celebrates, amplifies, and uplifts Black music, food, dance, and style.

As anticipation builds for this year’s festivities, City Splash Festival promises to be a highlight of the summer calendar, offering an opportunity to celebrate and embrace the diversity and richness of Caribbean and African culture in the UK and beyond. Tickets are available for purchase for the bank holiday celebration here.

Miley Cyrus led the way with her hit single “Flowers,” spending ten weeks at No 1. Other talented artists such as Dua Lipa, Ellie Goulding, Kenya Grace, Raye, Billie Eilish, Doja Cat, Olivia Rodrigo, and Taylor Swift also enjoyed time at the top spot.

In fact, Goulding, Cyrus, Swift, Raye, SZA, PinkPantheress, and Libianca dominated seven out of the top 10 most popular tracks of the year. This achievement is the highest number of female-led tracks in the history of the Official Singles Chart, which spans over 70 years.

Goulding’s collaboration with Calvin Harris, “Miracle,” was particularly notable, and the rest of the top 10 featured artists like Dave, Central Cee, and Rema.

Dr Jo Twist, the chief executive of BPI, expressed her delight at this significant shift but also stressed the importance of not becoming complacent. She emphasised the need for continued efforts in the music industry, she said,“Our work in the music industry continues to ensure that this becomes the norm.” 

Furthermore, an impressive 48.5% of all songs that reached the Top 10 this year were either solo efforts or collaborations by female artists. This represents the highest annual share of Top 10 hits by female musicians in this century.

In 2023, the British music industry saw its ninth consecutive year of growth, with album sales and streams increasing by 10% to a total of 182.8 million. Streaming reached a record high with 179.6 billion audio streams, a 12.8% increase from the previous year. However, no new releases achieved platinum status, indicating a“crisis” in the industry according to music writer Patrick Clifton. He added,“A new generation of artists is not building fanbases that will buy gig and festival tickets in two, five, or 10-years’ time, and is not popularising songs that will have ubiquity in our culture once this generation of music fans reaches old age. The artists who succeed, he argued, are those who are able to cultivate a “two-way” relationship with fans on social media, and “don’t mind revisiting songs from their repertoire if those songs blow up”.

Vinyl records sales reached a remarkable milestone, surpassing 6 million units, marking the highest total since 1990. Additionally, CD sales remained strong with a staggering 10 million albums sold. Furthermore, cassette sales maintained their steady performance, exceeding 100,000 units for the fourth consecutive year.

However, it is undeniable that streaming has become the dominant force in the UK’s music landscape. Accounting for a remarkable 87.7% of the market share, streaming has experienced a substantial growth compared to 63.6% five years ago.

Sealing last year’s number one spot was none other than Miley Cyrus with her smash hit “Flowers”, which spent an incredible 10 weeks at the top of the Official UK Singles chart. “Flowers” was the lead single from Cyrus’ eighth studio-album Endless Summer Vacation, and went on to accumulate 198 million combined audio and video streams in the UK in 2023, making it the most-streamed song of the year. The 31-year-old’s single also went on to be the most-downloaded song of the year, with 91,000 UK downloads.

Joining Miley in a 10-week long reign at the number one spot were British rappers Dave and Central Cee with their single “Sprinter”. The track was a smash hit as it broke UK chart records as it clinched the biggest streaming week for any rap song in Official Chart history, and also claimed the title of the longest-running rap Number 1 in the UK. Since its release, the team duo have racked up 161 million UK audio and video streams, landing them the number two spot on the top songs of 2023.

The track claiming the number three spot in this list was originally the first Official Number One Single of 2023. When RAYE and 070 Shake’s track “Escapism” soared to number one, RAYE told Official Charts: “We are Number 1 in the UK! It’s the first Number 1 of the year, it’s my first Number 1 in my life. I’m an independent artist, this is sickening! This is proof you should back yourself, no matter what. Thank you, this is mad. These are happy tears!” 

Completing 2023’s top five was Taylor Swift’s resilient 2022 hit “Anti-Hero”, and collaboration trance track “Miracle” from Calvin Harris and Ellie Goulding. Celebrating the success of the latter, Goulding told Official Charts: “This is just very cool. Thank you very much to everyone for listening to it and supporting it, Oontz, oontz…rave on!” 

The Official top 10 songs of 2023:

1. “Flowers” – Miley Cyrus
2. “Sprinter” – Dave & Central Cee
3. “Escapism” – RAYE feat. 070 Shake
4. “Anti-Hero” – Taylor Swift
5. “Miracle” – Calvin Harris & Ellie Goulding
6. “Calm Down” – Rema
7. “Kill Bill” – SZA
8. “Boy’s A Liar” – PinkPantheress
9. “As It Was” – Harry Styles
10. “People” Libianca