Cross the Tracks 2026

London’s Brockwell Park played host to a swelteringly hot edition of jazz festival Cross The Tracks. The site’s musical programme took place over half a dozen stages, whilst elsewhere in the festival you could stumble across DJ workshops and a market of independent local vendors. Featuring an array of stellar artists from talented instrumentalists to skillful rappers, and a friendly atmosphere, the festival continues to make its name as a staple of the city’s abundant calendar of day festivals.

Sheltering from the beating sun, tented stage The Caboose was teeming with festival goers for jazz group Franky Bones Ensemble’s showcase featuring two talented rappers. The six-piece opened with laid-back grooves before inviting Goba Gumbani onstage, who delivered smooth bars over the ensemble’s even-smoother beats. The rapper used to live in the block of flats visible from the stage, so between songs he spoke about how truly surreal an experience it was for him to perform in the park. The second half of the set featured Sonnyjim, most known for his collaboration with MF DOOM ‘Barz Simpson’, which contains a flute sample that was played live by the ensemble’s wind musician. Alongside the band’s jazzy chords and rhythms, a DJ scratched and provided backing vocals beneath Sonnyjim’s flow. 

Over at Mainline (the festival’s main stage), funk legends WAR performed a compilation of throwback hits infused with groovy basslines and pure good vibes. Their set was the perfect soundtrack to a warm, sunny day. Tracks ‘Why Can’t We Be Friends’ and ‘Low Rider’ rounded out a joyous performance from a band of iconic musicians.

The indoor stages were certainly packed due to the shade, so Locomotion was thronging by the time Irish outfit Bricknasty took to the stage. Mysterious singer and guitarist “Fatboy” donned a balaclava and green wooly hat featuring the Irish flag whilst performing with a vocal delivery that came right from the heart. Light guitars gave the mix a soft texture, and audience participation in singing the melody to tracks like ‘vinland’ (before a stunning guitar solo) intertwined the crowd with a brilliant performance.

This beautiful set was followed by Moses Yoofee Trio. Their setup featured a spiralled cymbal to one side of the drum kit which made a satisfying drawn-out hiss, and Yoofee himself sat in the centre of a quadruple keyboard setup. In a speedy flurry of jazz, deep basslines held together intricate drum patterns with gorgeous cymbal licks.

Simultaneously on Mainline, DJs Fabio & Grooverider presented a live set detailing the history of drum and bass with the help of Outlook Orchestra’s string and brass sections. Iconic jungle/drum and bass tracks (such as Adam F’s ‘Circles’ and Shy FX’s ‘Original Nuttah’) were reimagined by the orchestra alongside special guests such as Cleveland Watkiss MBE and Demolition Man. By this point a large crowd had amassed, skanking and dancing in unison along to some of the biggest drum and bass tunes of all time.

At the forefront of a wave of neo-grime, London’s own namesbliss brings a traditional grime flow to the world of jazz rap. Rapping over drums and saxophone in a fusion of genres, he commanded a small yet attentive crowd that was totally absorbed in the music, swaying and dancing to his masterfully delivered vocals. His biggest track to date - ‘Iniesta Flow’ - featured a soft saxophone melody over a lo-fi backing instrumental, complementing the rapper’s own performance.

The youngest crowd of the festival by far gathered to watch rapper Knucks. With a DJ instead of a live band (as the vast majority of rappers at the festival sported), he performed over unadorned backing tracks which were difficult to differentiate from one another. Though a strong live act, Knucks held his crowd in a fatigued stupor until TikTok hits ‘Leon The Professional’ and ‘Los Pollos Hermanos’ which were played at end of the set, at which point a mass exodus to the headliner ensued.

Off the back of a recent arena tour, Little Simz was the last to grace Cross The Tracks 2026. A live band surrounded the UK’s premier female rapper as she opened her set with latest album Lotus’s ‘Thief’. The crowd went wild from the very start, jumping on their feet and chanting every single word. The opening section of Simz’s set successfully blended old and new tracks in an exploration of all eras of her craft, moving between lyrically-focused tracks like ‘Introvert’ and club hits like ‘101 FM’. Eventually the band left the stage and Simz took to DJ decks to perform songs from Drop 7 and new EP Sugar Girl. This featured an appearance from DEELA for ‘Open Arms’ alongside plenty of flashing lights and lasers. As the band returned, Obongjayar took to the stage to perform collaborative hits ‘Lion’ and hit ‘Point and Kill’ alongside Simz. The pair’s vocals are incredibly complementary, and it was a sad moment when he returned to the wings as Little Simz brought her headline show to its crux. Back-to-back renditions of ‘Woman’ and ‘Gorilla’ rounded up the set with a punch, reminding the audience that the rapper has been at the top of her game for the entire duration of her career. An incredible performance rounded off an incredible day of music in Brockwell Park.

Though the heat was hardly bearable, every single artist played to the full extent of their capability and made the high temperature a side thought. Not only was the music world class, the festival’s ambience is one of the greatest across the wide array of day festivals in the city. There’s surely no better way to spend a sunny Bank Holiday than a trip to Brockwell Park.