Take a trip to the enchanting One In The Woods festival and discover a hidden utopia of techno, electronica and drum and bass nestled just outside Liverpool’s bustling metropolis.
Set in the heart of the enchanting pines of Orrell Hill Woods and located only a short journey from the city centre Liverpool’s community-minded festival, One In The Woods, is back with a meticulously curated lineup of house, techno, and drum & bass.
From July 28th to 30th, prepare to lose yourself deep in the woods to an immersive soundscape that joins up the dots between some of the finest DJs and producers in the scene. Evolving from its previous two-day format, One In The Woods has blossomed into a bespoke three-day camping experience, boasting its largest-ever lineup yet.
Previous years have seen icons such as Jeff Mills, Ben Sims, Luke Slater, Marky Mark and Dillinja take over the forest stages to deliver memorable sets.
This year features an inspiring array of musical heavyweights, including the likes of lo-fi house aficionado DJ Seinfeld and the genre-defying genius of Joy Orbison. Paul Woolford aka Special Request will bring his barrage of raw house, acid and old-school jungle.
Techno again is well represented in the shape of heavy hitters such as Blasha & Allatt, Freddy K, Rebekah, Dave Clarke, DVS1, FJAAK, Sam Paganini and Paula Temple alongside Berghain regulars Len Faki and Kobosil.
Drum & bass royalty DJ Marky, LTJ Bukem, Goldie and A.M.C will also be tearing up the forest floor along with an array of other talented DJs.
Since its inception in 2021, One In The Woods has continuously raised the bar with its exceptional production, cutting-edge sound, and atmosphere filled with warmth and camaraderie. This cultural celebration unifies the scenes of Drum and Bass and techno thanks to the skillful curation of The One Promotions, a group of experienced friends come promoters who have been instrumental in organising events throughout the region.
In 2023, prepare for an additional arena that upscales the experience, offering the most comprehensive line-up to date, ensuring three days of dance-floor abandon under the immense pines. One of the features of the festival is its idyllic location which serves as the perfect escape from reality. The towering forests create an otherworldly atmosphere, and the friendly atmosphere has drawn in a loyal following.
Beyond the world-class music, a vibrant selection of pop-up merchants and enticing local food vendors await, catering to all tastes, including vegetarian and vegan options. So, prepare to be captivated by the cutting-edge sounds of the electronic underground this summer.
Can you tell us about how the idea for the festival came about and the ethos behind the event?
The Festival grew from a club idea we had back in 2019. 6 friends with the vision of putting on a party bringing world-class pioneering DJs together with the new era of talent in one space.
Another key part of our ethos has been to support the local artists as much as we can. We were due to launch the brand at Camp & Furnace with Jeff Mills Fabio & Grooverider and whole roster of techno & dnb but then covid struck and everything got cancelled. At this point we knew that in order to survive this storm we would need an outdoor space as we knew that the scene would reopen outdoors before the clubs did.
The event seems to unite the drum and bass and techno scenes. How far was this an intentional aspect of the festival programming?
This was an integral part to our plan in the beginning. Half of us love techno and the other half DNB so it felt right. With this in mind we wanted to bring the best in new & heritage acts to our parties, educating people on the history of the sounds as well as of course bringing in the new big hitters of the electronic music world.
I suppose the likes of Atomic Jam in Birmingham was our influence as their parties were where the best of both worlds collided. As we move into year three we now look to showcase everything in-between, house, garage, breaks etc as you can see from the 2023 lineup.
What are some of the challenges faced by independent festival promoters operating post covid? How have you managed to negotiate these where others have failed?
The biggest challenge to the post covid scene as everyone will tell you is cash flow. Consumer buying habits have changed in terms of when they purchase tickets yet suppliers and artists all still like to take their money way in advance, this has affected every small festival in the country, forcing so many to fall.
It’s simple really, we try and work with people who support you in times like this, we have set out to agents and suppliers from the outset a balanced payment plan that work for the festival, but even so, the scene is so fluid and adapting to that is key to survival.
The location and production seem to be an important elements of this festival. How did you go about finding the right place to hold the event and why did you choose the location?
Funny story, when we went in search for that outdoor space we landed on the docks in Liverpool for the relaunch but frustratingly at the time we lost it. After scrambling around for alternative spaces I had a meeting at Southport Pontins and on the way home I passed by the woods, I stopped as it looked like a wicked spot for a rave so I had a proper look around and randomly met the owner, James, it felt like fate really as he’d just had a festival pull out on his land and we had just had a location pull out on ourselves. A match made in dance heaven. Production is always a big part of our shows we always want to improve and this year is no exception as we’ve built some eye catching additions to the stages and infrastructure.
What have been some of your favourite moments or performances so far at the festival?
For me personally, Camo & Krooked, year 1 as I had the chance to host for them and the crowd was on fire. Another big moment was Jeff Mills rocking up with an epic mind-bending performance in the woods as the sun went down, it was epic.
What do you think makes One In The Woods unique and has attracted people back?
It’s a family affair. We’re lucky to have created a vibe that brings the friendliest crowd to the party that I’ve ever seen and I’ve been doing this for over 20 years. At the end of year 1 I thanked and shook every single person’s hand as they left with massive smiles on their faces, it was truly incredible.
The woods itself is a massive and unique attraction, there are loads of events that say they are in the woods, but our festival is truly immersed in the middle of a secluded woodland set in a place that’s under an hour from Manchester and 30 minutes from Liverpool.
What are you most looking forward to this year?
The crowd returning, the new sound we’ve brought in and the roster of absolute A list artists tearing up the woods for another year!
Tickets are available now at: https://www.oneinthewoods.com/
