“No better crowds in the world”: 10 memories from a decade of AVA Festival

We can almost feel the sweet euphoria of the gates opening at AVA Festival tomorrow- this time for its 10th edition. In 10 years, the Belfast-based festival has become renowned as one of the best in the game, nurturing new Irish talent on the same bill as world-dominating artists while bringing a precise, en-point level of production to each edition.

This year, AVA turns 10 back in its home of Titanic Slipways, just north of Belfast city centre, with a weekend-long celebration from May 31 to June 1 casting a pool of DJs from far and wide. This year’s line-up features AVA lifers and a few new to the game, including BICEP, Nia Archives, Kerri Chandler, Barry Can’t Swim, and plenty more.

Before AVA kicks off this weekend, we reminisce with some of the festival’s nearest and dearest. We ask 10 affiliates including founders, friends, and regularly-returning artists to share their favourite memories from a decade of AVA Festival. Check them out below.

It’s hard to pick one, there are so many. I’d have to say our first AVA Festival back after the COVID lockdown was monumental. We’d rescheduled the festival three times, so when we opened the doors and everyone had their chance to dance again, it was an unforgettable moment. Every set from doors felt like a closer. The atmosphere was palpable.

The crowd and atmosphere at AVA are always the final headliner to add - they’re unparalleled. Artists from around the world want to play the festival, to experience it, and broadcasting the festival really puts a lens on it!

A standout memory from the last few years has got to be the return to AVA after the pandemic, it was just absolute carnage and something I will remember for a very long time. I walked onto the stage at 3:30PM to catch the end of Bobby Analog’s set and the place was already heaving. I was feeling pretty nervous after being out of action for so long, but it was just a pure flow state for me as soon as I played the first track. It was one of those special sets where I just felt really connected to the crowd and every track worked so well. The sun started to come out from behind the clouds and everyone went bananas for Hatiras’ ‘Spaced Invader’, that was a real moment for me!

I mean, over the years there have been plenty of AVA memories. From Dave the Rave Tester's outfits to having my ma behind the decks drinking my rider, to playing Fern Kinney’s ‘Love Me Tonight’ as the sun was coming up at 8:AM at the unofficial crack-on. One particular memory stands out when I was asked to play the Boiler Room stage and my best pal Evan was the host. I messaged him in advance to say no funny games when introducing me, out walks Julian Simmons to introduce me!

Every year AVA levels up, and this year is a big one with the 10th anniversary. For me, it’s about the cross-cultural magic that happens in and around the live event. Like dressing some of our headliners head to toe in clothing from leading Irish fashion designers like Robyn Lynch & Simone Rocha, taking artists for speedboat tours up the Lagan with the local coastguard, or as Danny pointed out, getting an actual Northern Irish hero in Julian Simmons to guest introduce Swoose’s Boiler Room debut in 2021. Julian loved AVA so much that he asked to come back just for fun the following year. We’re always schemin’. Watch this space!

Last year I played a sunshine set by the docks with the Crilli boys. The sun was so low and the rays would just shine through as you looked at the crowd swing in a sort of uniformed chaos. Sounds a bit ‘live laugh love’ when you say it out loud, but we all sang ‘Everybody Loves The Sunshine’ together over some drum ‘n’ bass, and I’ll remember that forever!

Another highlight was when my good mate, IMNOTYOURMATE, truly blew me away that year. Watching how engaged the crowd were with his high energy set was cold. No better crowds in the world.

One real stand out memory for me was AVA 2016 when JMX and I played together on the Becks stage. It was so rammed during our set that people even stood at the entrance of the tent just to soak up some of the atmosphere. I remember cranking up the energy by dropping Cirez D ‘On Off’ (a proper Belfast anthem) and getting goosebumps hearing the roar of the crowd from the back, all the way to the front. I also loved the fact that artists like Sunil Sharpe were invited to play that year, showing a real unification of artists across the island.

AVA has been instrumental for supporting and nourishing local talent in Northern Ireland over the last 10 years. Each year I’ve attended, I’ve seen the community grow more and more and it’s been lovely to be welcomed in with open arms. Roll on the next 10!

Way too many memories from AVA Festival to sum up, but a couple of standouts include KiNK performing at the S13 location when a samba band appeared, it stole the show for me that year. That was also the year I was more involved in the production side of things as I did my uni placement at AVA. I went from assisting the production crew in building the Main stage to playing the opening set on it. Another highlight would have to be my first Boiler Room at the Boucher Rd site in 2021. After the previous year was cancelled due to COVID, it was such a good homecoming and a moment I’ll cherish for ages!

Being able to programme and showcase so many amazing Irish artists over the years has been a true highlight. At its heart, AVA will always be a grassroots, homegrown Irish electronic festival. It's exciting to bring international headliners and debuts to Belfast, but our lineup is consistently 60 - 70% Irish acts year on year, and supporting the Irish scene is always a key focus for us - so much incredible talent on this little island, and we're proud to shout about it!

My first AVA was actually the second year of the festival as I’d missed the first year. For me, the excitement sticks with me as I thought it was amazing to see Belfast’s club scene celebrated in such a big way. For years, Belfast had been overlooked and suddenly there were music heavyweights like Boiler Room showcasing the city’s artists and promoters to the rest of the world under the iconic cranes. It felt like the city had stepped up a gear.

Gemma Ross is Mixmag's Assistant Editor, follow her on Twitter