Photos from Field Maneuvers, the UK’s best kept secret music festival

“Immaculate vibes” is what the Field Maneuvers (FM) festival organisers looked for when booking acts, and, by all accounts, immaculate vibes is exactly what was delivered. Celebrating its eleventh anniversary this year, FM has garnered a bit of a reputation as the best-kept secret on Britain’s festival circuit, with an intimate capacity of just 1,500 this year (which was also the festival’s largest to date). However, owing to ballooning operation costs, all went into the field this year expecting it to be the last party of its kind.

“Running a small independent festival feels pretty masochistic right now,” explains the FM team. “Over 40 UK festivals didn’t even make it past the start line this summer and we couldn’t see a way forward where we remained true to our anti-corporate ethos.” Fortunately, it turns out that looming cancellation makes for great motivation, with each attendee – festival organisers included – turning up prepared to party like it was quite literally their last. “Our crowd are well aware of the communal value of spending three days,” team FM continues, “Letting loose in a field can feel like a small act of resistance in the wider context of what’s going on in the world right now.”

With photographer Chester McKee’s pictures depicting not a single frown in attendance (apart from the odd blue steel), this commitment to community and the express intention of simply having a good time are written across FM’s cherished yet humble grounds. “Our no frills tagline came from the early days when we had no frills because we couldn’t afford any. Everything we had we poured into our dream line-ups and creating the best possible dancefloor atmosphere we could afford,” the FM team recount, “If we had any extra cash it was spent on lasers, not hot tubs – we love our mates, but we’re not getting into a hot tub with them on day three of a festival.” (The team also noted that the tagline had to be amended to ‘now with a few frills’ this year, owing to the procurement of a darts board for their on-site pub.)

In view of potential cancellation, this year’s line-up saw a reunion of many of the DJs and performers that they met along the way, as well as a handful of fresh arrivals. Particular highlights this year include Deena Abdelwahed’s recontextualisation of traditional Arabic rhythms for the modern dance floor, TAAHLIAH’s frantic pop edits set to avva.studioe's Warhammer visuals and Jane Norman’s gogo performance, as well as Sasha Frovola’s floating art installation that the FM team can only describe as an “intergalactic butt plug”. Through all of these experiences, it was clear that FM goes beyond the imposing stages and swarm-like crowds that are so familiar to festivals today, offering something more intimate and personal.

Although the FM crew remain characteristically humble about their event, it is also this intimacy that truly makes the festival so special. “Our mission as a festival has always been focused on putting on a fun party. Perhaps stupidly, it’s never been about making money, so we don’t care about growing,” they explain, “none of us are DJs, we don’t consider ourselves proper promoters, we don’t have sponsorship, we just stick to our instincts on how to have a good time, which despite our best efforts, don’t seem to have been blunted over the years. We’re all just suckers for a good party really.”

And blunted they haven’t because, after all was said and done, and glitter and mud alike were washed away in the comfort of each Field Maneuverers’ own home, the organisers delivered a hopeful message to attendees. “Stay tuned,” read the post-event email, “because, with your support, we might have found the glimmer of light that could see us keep going in 2025 after all.” Everyone loves a happy ending. 

Peep the gallery above for a full range of McKee’s photos from Field Maneuvers 2024.