Skepta announces YG Marley as special guest for Big Smoke Festival – coming to Crystal Palace Park next month
Today, Skepta’s Big Smoke Festival announces YG Marley as a special guest for the festival’s inaugural edition. Marking his first ever UK appearance and a UK exclusive performance for the fast-rising star, YG Marley will join the likes of Skepta, The Streets, Mahalia, JME and more at Crystal Palace Park on Saturday 6 June 2024. The grandson of Bob Marley and son of Rohan Marley and the legendary Lauryn Hill, YG Marley’s performance in Crystal Palace this summer will mark a full-circle moment in his family’s deep musical history, as Bob Marley and the Wailers performed their last ever UK show at Crystal Palace Bowl in 1980.
Earlier this year YG Marley made his Coachella debut, delivering one of the weekend’s most memorable sets, where he was joined by Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean and Busta Rhymes. He also recently appeared on The Tonight Show alongside Lauryn Hill, with the duo performing his tracks “Survival” and “Praise Jah In The Moonlight”. The performance served as a message of resistance and survival as the pair touched on systemic racism, political repression, education and legacy. “Praise Jah In The Moonlight” became a top five hit in the UK and has amassed over 45 million hits on TikTok.
The inaugural Big Smoke Festival takes place on Saturday 6 July, and features two stages personally curated by influential Mercury Prize-winning mogul Skepta. Assembling a star-studded, multi-genre line-up of artists, the festival is set to be an unmissable celebration of the music cultures he passionately drives forward. Skepta himself will headline the Big Smoke stage, with a full-scale festival show and his only UK performance of 2024. He will be joined by The Streets, Mahalia, JME, Lancey, K-Trap, Odumodublvck, The Den featuring Frisco, Flowdan, Sir Spyro, Infamousizak, Manga and Thafirst.
The Más Tiempo Stage will see huge sets from the biggest international names in house, amapiano and beyond with Loco Dice, Uncle Waffles, Syreeta, Kitty Amor and more.