Taking place tomorrow, Friday July 3rd, is a day festival like no other. Designed as a direct antithesis to the summer lineup of major corporate events, often backed by sponsors that love investing in weapons of war, Black Cat Festival is an entirely DIY music festival that prides itself on being anti-colonial and anti-fascist. As we’ve seen, the UK’s slide into a fascist state has happened at terrifying speed, with the far right trying to stage mass riots in several cities including Brighton itself. Migrants and POC are being subject to horrific levels of fear, abuse and danger, on top of already horrendous attacks on the basic human rights of trans people. It’s truly such a dark time to be alive, and an even harder time to make creative work or try and have ‘fun’ in the face of it all. Black Cat Festival is a space that takes that fear, that anger, the sheer rage we all should feel at the state of the world, and says - don’t leave it at the door, bring it inside and use it. Enjoy the music, engage in directly supporting DIY, independent POC and working class musicians, but take it as a call to action - our spaces will not become more diverse by just standing there and waiting for it to happen. Our scenes will not become more welcoming by just thinking about it. Racists on our streets will not go away if we just stand back and wish it. Supported with stalls and workshops from anti-raids groups, mutual aid groups and antifascist organisers, Black Cat is a space where you can really learn how to take direct action into supporting your community.

5.18 caught up with organiser and musician Floralis ahead of tomorrow’s festival to find out more about the process of putting on such an important event as well as what to expect for attendees.

How did Black Cat Festival come about - what are the ideas and intentions behind this event?

I’d been running my own shows in Brighton for quite some time, under my group KVLL COLONISERS. The idea was to make event nights targeted towards POC and anti racist/anti imperialist people, and to specifically bring POC people into the white dominated DIY spaces. I wanted these events to mobilise people, and so I would invite direct action and mutual aid groups to do talks at these events. Typically, this worked to get people involved in movements.

I wanted to do a music festival that would really work as a full day of mobilisation, so I contacted other groups that had put on cool shows locally to see if they'd be up for doing it with me. These were Transcend Borders and Death Before Detransition. 25% of the profits go to Transcend Borders themselves, which is a group I originally founded, who transfer £500 grants to trans refugees and asylum seekers.

How have the preparations been - the lineup is fantastic, was it a fun process designing the soundscape and energy?

It's been exciting but stressful. I think I've really wanted to get the balance right of making sure that this is a radical event of mobilisation, while also being particularly appealing to POC. A lot of radical events, particularly anarchist ones, rely heavily on punk aesthetics, which make a lot of POC feel unwelcome due to the white domination of those spaces. I say this as someone who previously has been in post-hardcore and metal bands and now makes electronic music; punk is more racist than it lets on.

So, was it a fun process? The idea is fun, the work is stressful. But it's work that's worth going through to help change the landscape of the underground. I've also emailed a load of charities to ensure that our free tickets for refugees, asylum seekers and low income migrants have been advertised enough. We've managed to give a load of these away, which is really nice because it can help to fight the social isolation many of them face.

What acts would you recommend people go and see - obviously the entire lineup is fantastic, but are there any super up and coming bands or artists you'd like to spotlight?

Floralis is really good. I recommend seeing her. Otherwise, you should check out my tour partner Love in the Age of Extinction (FKA Dust), who is on first at Volks. They are my bandmate in my up and coming project, Beastly People. Their shows are a mix of art pop and performance art, with their own choreographed movement and programmed lighting. I think they're one of the best acts in the UK and it's a testament to how racist the UK underground is that they haven't been put on at many shows.

How has the experience of putting on a festival been ? Do you think we need to see better access for promoters to do their own DIY events? How important was it for you to use independent local venues?

Yeah, I think there definitely needs to be better access for promoters to do their own DIY events. I think it's really important for there to be greater accessibility information online about most venues in Brighton as well. Above everything though, there needs to be a cultural shift where marginalised people can feel like they can be included in DIY spaces. There's a lot of DIY promoters in Brighton, and very few of them are POC (I think I'm the only one, but I could be wrong). You will hear a lot of white people say, "Well, POC, don't want to be at DIY shows," and then do nothing to make them feel included. So yeah, there needs to be better access for promoters, but also there needs to be better access for marginalised people to become promoters. Not everyone is white, able bodied, transmisogyny exempt, etc.

What energy do you hope to see from attendees this Friday? How should they prepare (for example I know you're selling merch in advance!)

The white people should make a conscious effort to get to know the POC there and chat with them, make sure they don't feel excluded. Also, everyone coming down should come down with their anger, and hopefully, they can use that to get mobilised. Check out the talks from Brighton Antifascists and Anti Raids Brighton. See if you can get involved in something cool!

Anything else you'd like to mention?

Yeah, I've got an album that I released in September called Saboteur Club Anthems Vol. 1. You should check it out! Also, if you're a promoter, think about doing fundraisers for anti racist groups, like Transcend Borders, your local Anti Raids, or anyone affected by the recent racist attacks. We're now in the middle of the rise of fascism; get your head in the game.

Final tickets to Black Cat Festival are available here. There is full accessibility info and general info on the day’s events on the festival instagram.

Black Cat Festival 2026