The ALB Festival has run annually since 2021, which originally celebrated the end of national lockdown. Emerging during the Corona Virus pandemic, the Anti Loo Roll Brigade (ALB) established themselves as a unified community group who provided a support network during the pandemic by providing education, food, gifts, additional support and PPE to local care homes and communities. However, since then, the ALB have brought communities together with their annual music festival, the ALB Festival.

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Ellis-Bextor recently witnessed a resurgence in popularity following the use of her 2001 hit ‘Murder On The Dancefloor’ in new cult classic Saltburn, released in 2023. With the iconic disco-pop track’s re-emergence into the top 10, the singer has earned a prominent place in pop culture.

It was reported that Ellis-Bextor witnessed one of her busiest years yet in 2024, playing a total of 110 shows, and touring with the likes of Nile Rodgers and Take That. One of which saw the pop star as the leading lady to welcome in 2025 during the BBC’s annual New Year’s Eve concert.

The singer’s appearance at ALB Festival will be highly anticipated, the event’s organiser Peter Dutch stated: “Sophie is just incredible and is going to completely fit into our ethos of fu and partying and dancing”.

Taking place on September 13 and 14, Ellis-Bextor will have her headline set back to back with exclusive performances full of nostalgic hits from Pixie Lott and RPJ. With more act announcements on the way, attendees of the event’s second day will experience the exquisite sounds of Colchester’s Live 40 Piece Orchestra, alongside celebrating musical legacies with some of the Best Tribute Acts in Britain.

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Pixie Lott’s return to Essex will be legendary not only for attendees but for the singer herself, as it was only last year, she reminisced with BBC Essex on Chelmsford’s V Festival, which discontinued in 2017. She played the gig in 2014 and has urged for its revival ever since.

The nostalgic-pop that seems apparent in ALB’s choice of lineup this year proves to be an unmissable event for music lovers this summer.

Tickers for this year’s ALB Festival are on sale now and can be accessed here.

The disco-pop classic was used in a dance scene in the film’s finale, one of the most memorable moments of the twisted black comedy starring Barry Koeghan, Jacob Elordi and Rosamund Pike.

After Saltburn was released on Amazon Prime on 22 December 2023, ‘Murder on the Dancefloor’ re-emerged in the top 10. It peaked at number two on the charts and stayed there for five weeks. Ellis told the BBC, “It was over Christmas last year, we were at home, and just seeing the numbers going crazy for people interacting with the song on streaming and TikTok.”

Tik Tok helped to give a second wind to Sophie’s hit, with the ‘#MurderOnTheDancefloor’ hashtag garnering 43 million views on the social media platform. The track featured in more than 290,000 TikTok videos – including one from Ellis-Bextor herself recreating the dance scene from the film, racking up 4.3 million views.

@sophieebtiktok Heading into 2024 like… Happy Saltburn New Year! Xx #murderonthedancefloor #sophieellisbextor #saltburnmovie ♬ original sound – Prime Video

Darina Connolly, head of music partnerships UK & Ireland at TikTok, called the nostalgic hit an “undeniable banger”, praising the surge in popularity, adding that “We love that TikTok breathes life into classic tracks and has become a home for fans to share their appreciation for films of the moment like Saltburn.”

Sophie’s comeback didn’t only reward her with chart success and a boom in bookings. She made her US TV debut as the musical guest on The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon and set out on her first ever headline tour of America. She also sung at the BAFTA’s, featured in DJ Peggy Gou’s Glastonbury set, and performed at the Royal Variety Show in front of King Charles. The sensation around the song also led to Ellis-Bextor being signed again by her former label, Universal, with new music on the way soon.

Yesterday, to cap off a thriving 2024, she held her own New Year’s Eve Disco on the BBC, with guest appearances from Jessie Ware, Scissor Sisters frontman Jake Shears, and The Last Dinner Party’s Emily Roberts. You can watch it here on iPlayer.

On TikTok, the track has been used in a trend where people show of their luxurious houses, drawing a parallel to between their own home and the film’s Saltburn House. The use of the track, particularly on TikTok, where the average user is likely to have missed ‘Murder on the Dancefloor’ the first time round, has given the song a new lease on life. Back in 2001, Ellis-Bextor’s ‘Murder on the Dancefloor’ peaked at the #2 spot on the UK’s top 100. Since Saltburn’s release ‘Murder on the Dancefloor’ has climbed its way back up the top 100, finishing in second place last week.

Not only has the track from Ellis-Bextor’s debut album regained popularity domestically, but it has managed to squeeze itself into the US Billboard Top 100, taking the 58th spot. Unlike the track’s original 2001 run, ‘Murder on the Dancefloor’ is seeing popularity on both sides of the Atlantic. Speaking to Vulture about the song’s cultural resurgence, Ellis-Bextor said: “the song is actually providing all the momentum and I can just sit back and be like, “Wow, this is special, is really unique.””

Again, speaking with Vulture, Ellis-Bextor said: “luckily for me, I had already starting working on the new album”. For Ellis-Bextor, the stars have aligned, and her new project will release off the back of her recent success. According to The Mail this project has been signed to Ellis-Bextor’s former label, with a music industry insider having said: “Sophie has become a global star again. Universal, her old record label, have snapped her up and she will be releasing new music later in the year.”

For those wanting to see Ellis-Bextor live, she is performing in a few venues across London, as well as touring throughout Europe in March of this year. Whether you are a new fan, drawn in by one of the catchiest hits of the 2000s, or you are a long-time fan of Sophie Ellis-Bextor, 2024 is proving to be an exciting year for the star.