Waterworks levels up: London’s cult dance fest goes two days deep in 2026

The underground favourite expands for its biggest edition yet

London’s most tastefully feral dance festival, Waterworks, is back, and this time it’s going bigger than ever before.

After five years of quietly becoming a “you had to be there” fixture in the capital’s clubbing calendar, Waterworks is expanding to two full days for 2026. The sixth edition lands at Gunnersbury Park on 12–13 September, bringing a whopping 83 sets across five stages and a lineup that reads like your coolest mate’s record collection come to life.

Waterworks has always been built on curation over clout. This isn’t about parachuting in arena-sized headliners, it’s about showcasing the full ecosystem of UK club culture: house, techno, bass, breaks, dubstep, grime, D&B, and all the slippery, forward-thinking bits in between. It’s intimate, intentional, and, crucially, full of surprises.

Saturday sees the festival flex its heavyweight credentials with Bradley Zero b2b Erol Alkan, Christian AB b2b Craig Richards, Eris Drew, Midland and Modeselektor. Live sets from Octo Octa, Decius, Alex Kassian, and Reptant promise moments of magic.

Sunday dives deeper into the roots of UK soundsystems and underground culture. Stage partners including Outlook Festival, Keep Hush, DaMetalMessiah and Rupture bring a rigorously curated programme that spans grime, D&B, and deep bass music. Expect LTJ Bukem, DJ Storm, Tim Reaper, Ruff Sqwad, Special Request b2b Sully, alongside forward-thinking artists like Oppidan, Call Super b2b Objekt and Ross From Friends. Both days reward stamina, curiosity, and a comfy pair of trainers.

Co-founder Simon Denby says expanding to two days allows them to “dig deeper” into London’s ever-mutating sonic palette, shining a light on both scene veterans and the new voices pushing the sound forward. “Waterworks has always been a love letter to London’s multi-faceted underground,” he adds.

Attention to sound, stage design, and production remains central. Each space is carefully considered, from the layout to the soundsystem, ensuring that every set hits with clarity, depth, and atmosphere. It’s a festival that rewards getting lost in the music without feeling intimidating or like a maze.

Tickets go on sale Friday, the 27th of February at 10am, with Saturday from £42.50, Sunday from £25 and weekend tickets at £75 (plus fees).

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