Last weekend, Stratford’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park was occupied by a 50-tonne fire breathing spider and the 360-degree experimental sensory laboratory called The Reactor. No, it’s not the start of a dystopian film: The Reactor is an immersive dance floor and the huge spider means that Glastonbury’s famous anarchic arachnid had descended on London. Celebrating Arcadia’s 10th anniversary, the crew brought theatre, circus and, of course, some madly brilliant live sets to the bank holiday weekend. Here’s what went down.
1I got sunshine
Punters were blessed with glorious weather over the two day event. The perfect accompaniment to a weekend of killer sets from Rudimental, Preditah and Dusky.
2On fire
Of course, no Arcadia event would be complete without their iconic 50-tonne spider. Built out of repurposed military hardware, it explores the relationship between “technology and human intent” by turning tech used for destruction into “unifying experience”. Basically, everyone had the best dance of their life accompanied by a stellar line-up of DJs.
3It’s show time
Arcadia’s signature show, Metamorphosis, was as breathtaking as ever; boasting circus performers swinging above the crowds performing tricks and fully immersive theatre.
4Light it up
The weekender also marked the launch of Arcadia’s brand new 360-degree immersive dancefloor experience called The Reactor with mad sets from Eats Everything and Boyz Noize.
5Flashing lights
The Reactor was buzzing throughout the weekend, with the hexagonal space being turned into a huge geometric matrix with their wicked light show.