NEST is the brainchild of two Barcelona collectives Kommuna and MASS, split between a small team of music and nature enthusiasts who have built a community-driven project nested in the hills outside of Barcelona. As the project grows into it’s third edition, the local collective Simple Times join forces with both crews to evolve the project.
Located in the heart of Catalonia, the unique retreat-meets-pilgrimage style gathering sits amongst the rolling hills around one hour from the city. Born from the collective vision of four friends, NEST has emerged as a beacon of community, creativity and connection in the realm of electronic music and art. This year, NEST is back for their third edition on Friday, September 6th through to Sunday, September 8th.
The collaborative nature of the project makes for a unique palate of sound and wellness activities amidst the Catalan countryside. Music meanders through an array of downtempo flavours, hip-hop beats and the more soulful side of house music. There will also be a dedicated healing area hosting various mindfulness activities including yoga, massage and sound healing.
This year NEST is migrating to a new home. Similarly only a one hour bus from Barcelona, the remote spot is based in the historical region of Alt Penedès which hosts an idyllic landscape of leafy pine forests with vineyards, castles and cava cellars. For their third edition, sound will be powered by the infamous Boris Soundsystem from Slovenia, the same systems that sit inside Berlin’s beloved Hoppetosse.
The music remains refreshingly fruity and eclectic, this year inviting the Leeds legend of house music, Tristan Da Cunha to reconnect with the Leeds-come-Barcelona crew MASS and unite with the extended NEST collective.
Joining him in the headliner spot is another legend in his own right, Alexander Robotnick. His classic track ‘Problèmes D’Amour’ has been doing the rounds since 1983 and this is a unique chance to see the italo-disco legend performing a hybrid live set. The legendary Fila Brazillia will also headline, another pioneer of early 90s downtempo making a rare appearance in the festival.
The line-up spans across a colourful range of styles and influences, including the return of the mesmeric Melina Serser. The Uruguayan selector has earned a well-deserved reputation for her devotion to the weird and wonderful end of downtempo and tribal-influenced rhythms.
French-born, Slovenia based Sibil brings her magical bag of records, fresh from another gig at Ukraine’s beloved Closer club, her selections have been stunning dance floors for a while now. Dawidu also brings his ever-surprising box of tricks, whether it’s saucy disco-edits or the strangest strokes of house music, you can be sure to hear something for the first time between these two hypnotising artists.
France-born, Brazil-based Flo Massé completes the guests at NEST III with her infectious grooves. Invites are also extended to an array of talented local DJs from the Barcelona circuit including Driahn & Silvente’s DJ Service project, Jason, as well as sets from the core NEST crew CMYK, Cosm, Pekkuliar and Heather.
The whole curation is very much a micro-festival, hosting a cosy capacity of 300 across the site. Inspired by a vision of open and honest artistic expression, the festival will hostone Main Stage focusing more on dance music, whilst the smaller NEST Stage will offer chill-out vibes and late-night sets.
22 DJs will feature across the weekend, including eight international acts, as well as live painting, massages and much more.
Buy tickets for NEST III here.
More info on NEST
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