South Facing Festival

If you’re looking for a funky recap of my epic weekend at South Facing Festival you’ve come to the right place. Let’s dive into the rhythm and good vibes that the South Facing Festival served up.

**Friday Night Fever: Basement Jaxx Takes the Stage!**

Let’s kick things off with Friday night—what a way to start the weekend! The energy was electric as I made my way to the festival grounds, buzzing with excitement for the legendary Basement Jaxx. The moment I stepped into the festival, I was hit with a colorful explosion of visuals, smiling faces, and the tantalizing aroma of food stalls. It was like stepping into a vibrant dream!

As the sun dipped below the horizon, the stage lit up, and so did my heart! Basement Jaxx kicked off their set with all the hits that had us dancing like nobody was watching. I mean, who can resist grooving to “Where’s Your Head At?” The crowd was wild, moving to the infectious beats, and I found myself surrounded by fellow festival-goers sharing the same joy.

The vibes were on point, and pure magic. The playlist had us reminiscing and celebrating life through sound. It was also their first performance in London since 10 years ago! What an epic comeback.

**Sunday Funday: Chic & Nile Rodgers Light Up the Stage!**

Fast forward to Sunday, and I was back on the festival grind, ready to soak in even more incredible tunes. The day had a completely different energy, but just as vibrant! Chic featuring Nile Rodgers took the stage, and wow, what a sight! Even before they started, I could feel the anticipation in the air. Everyone was buzzing, ready to experience a legendary performance.

As soon as they kicked off with “Good Times,” the crowd went wild—it's hard not to sing along! The sheer charisma of Nile Rodgers is something else; that man knows how to get a party started! The sun was shining, and dancing was definitely a vibe. I found myself dancing with new friends I made along the way, proving that music really brings everyone together.

Chic’s set was a glorious mix of disco and funk, and every track had us on our feet, grooving non-stop. It felt like a huge family reunion, and honestly, it doesn’t get better than this! We even had our sunglasses on, living our best lives under the summer sun.

As the weekend wrapped up, I couldn't help but feel grateful for the memories made at South Facing Festival. Both days were uniquely magical, filled with laughter, dancing, and the undeniable power of music. Whether it was reliving the nostalgia of Basement Jaxx or soaking up the iconic grooves of Chic, every moment was a celebration of life.

So if you ever get a chance to experience a festival like this, just go for it! The connection to music, the joy of dancing with friends (new and old), and the vibrant atmosphere are what life's all about. Until next time, keep dancing and living your best life!

Check out my Instagram reel below, and visit the South Facing Festival website here.

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London Lifestyle Awards 2023

Sassy Fashion Rudy at the London Lifestyle Awards

The 30th October 2023 was a night to remember. The London Lifestyle Awards made it’s glamorous return for a night celebrating the best of London and the reason why it’s so great! Held at the prestigious Grosvenor House Hotel, in the heart of Mayfair.

In attendance were nominated businesses, fabulous sponsors, and of course, the who’s who of London.

Guests were treated to a night of entertainment, a delicious Gala dinner, and an after party where we danced the night away in our ballgowns and Tuxedos, giving a well deserved toast to the winners.

There were seventeen categories, each consisting of Top Ten nominated businesses in the running for an award.

And the winners are….

1. Bar of the Year - Madison

2. Lifestyle Hotel of the Year - Mondrian Shoreditch

3. Members Venue of the Year - The Groucho Club

4. Neighbourhood Restaurant of the Year - 28-50 Marylebone

5. Restaurant of the Year - Los Mochis

6. Pub of the Year - The Holly Bush

7. Live Entertainment of the Year - Lio

8. Fitness Facility of the Year - Foundry

9. New Hospitality Business of the Year - The Little Scarlet Door Soho

10. Hair Salon of the Year - Taylor Taylor London

11. Activity Venue of the Year - Fairgame

12. Beauty Facility of the Year - STILL London

13. Coffee Shop of the Year - Bar Italia

14. Lifestyle Street of the Year - Pavillion Road

15. Theatre Show of the Year - Sister Act

16. Spa of the Year - AIRE Ancient Baths

17. Late Night Venue of the Year - B London

Congratulations to all of the winners! You are the epitome of my beloved London.

Jason Gale, Founder of the London Lifestyle Awards & Sassy Fashion Rudy

In the words of Jason Gale, founder of the London Lifestyle Awards “London IS the best city in the world”. As a bonafide Londoner, I couldn’t agree more. London is the land of opportunity, cosmopolitan, and if I say so myself, it’s pretty f**king awesome!

For more information about the London Lifestyle Awards, visit their website here.

Make sure to check out some of my fun and sassy moments captured at the London Lifestyle Awards 2023 on my latest Instagram reel below. If you haven’t already, make sure to follow me on Instagram so you don’t miss out on all of my sassiest updates.

Stay sassy, xoxo

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London Lifestyle Awards 2021

After several rescheduled dates and multiple venue changes, on Monday 13th September 2021, the London Lifestyle Awards finally made its comeback. Held at the beautiful Landmark Hotel in Marylebone, it was red carpet filled with plenty of glam to celebrate London and why it’s the best city in the world.

As a bonafied Londoner I can whole heartedly say that London and everything that it has to offer speaks for itself. It’s the land of opportunity where the sky is the limit.

This year there were nineteen categories that were put to the public vote, in which each category had the ‘Top Ten’ nominees. The categories were as follows:

1. London Restaurant of the Year

2. London Bar of the Year

3. London Coffee Shop of the Year

4. London Best Theatre Show

5. London Live Entertainment of the Year

6. London Late Night Venue of the Year

7. London Independent Retailer of the Year

8. London Pub of the Year

9. London Beauty Facility of the Year

10. London Fitness Facility of the Year

11. London Hair Salon of the Year

12. London Members Club of the Year

13. London Casual Dining Restaurant of the Year

14. London’s Favourite Lifestyle Street

15. London Lifestyle Influencer of the Year

16. Champion of London Award

17. Your London Hero of the Year

18. London Lifestyle Business of the Year Award

19. London Hotel of the Year

To find out more about each of the ‘Top Ten’ nominees and the winners of the night, visit the official London Lifestyle Awards website here.

The awards were sponsored by Alpha Solutions, a diverse company that offers several services across the business and lifestyle sector such as a private members club and their own awards event. They pride themselves on having helped numerous business flourish during challenging times. Find out more about their services here.

For those of you that are following me on Instagram, you would be have kept up with the fun filled evening on my Instagram story. If you missed it, fear not - you can check out my ‘LLA’s’ 2021’ Instagram story highlight to catch up! You’ll even spot some clips of the talented Beverley Knight who gave the attendees a stellar performance to remember. I of course had to slip in some sassy clips of yours truly.

If you aren’t already, make sure you’re following me on Instagram @sassyfashionrudy for the sassiest updates.

Stay sassy, xoxo

Q & A With Boomtown Creative Producer

This festival season I am so excited to be attending Boomtown Fair from 7th - 11th August for the first time! Boomtown is a renowned immersive experience and the annual event of the year not to miss. This summer will welcome their eleventh year, and as a Boomtown newbie I couldn’t resist but to find out all of the juicy details about Boomtown and nd what’s in store for ‘Chapter 11.’ If you haven’t already, get your tickets here and check out Boomtown’s official website for more important information.

I had the pleasure of interviewing their Creative Producer Mair Morel, the brains behind the creative and innovation for Boomtown Fair. Make sure to carry on reading for our sassy and exclusive Q & A. You can watch the Boomtown Story video here to watch more about what it takes to create the famous and unique world that is Boomtown Fair.

What was the inspiration behind the Chapter 11 theme?

This year is all about the environment. Everyone is aware of the climate crisis we are facing and that we must act now to protect our planet. Boomtown is a big event and with a capacity of 66,000 people it’s our responsibility to educate ourselves as organisers, make significant changes operationally and ensure that the public are equipped with the facilities and opportunities to reduce our carbon footprint. Sustainability is at the forefront of every aspect of this years show, and also for the future of Boomtown. If we can inspire people to change their behaviour in a wider context then we are really doing something special.

Boomtown is in its 11th year now! What makes 2019 stand out from previous years creatively?

I don't want to give the game away but each district has something special up their sleeve. The plans for new district AREA 404, as well as the new stages Relic & Nucleus look absolutely amazing, so it will be epic to see them in the flesh! The Immersive Maze has also stepped up this year, encompassing more of the site and has more pathways than ever so make sure you get involved in some game play with our characters!

At the close of Chapter 10, AMI the city’s Artificial Machine Intelligence character left us with the ominous message of "Boomtown has no future unless it considers Environment, Sustainability, and Consequences." We all know the urgency of this message and are making big steps to make the festival more sustainable. Each district, all the characters and venues are involved and I'm looking forward to seeing how our public react.

The line up this year has blown me away! Which artists are you looking forward to watching most this year? Wow, there’s so much happening that’s a tough question! Musically, of the bigger live acts, it’s got to be Lauryn Hill & Salt ‘n’ Pepa; they were my idols when I was younger! Eva Lazarus will be a highlight along with Little Simz, Kelvin 373 & the Born on Road crew. Shy FX’s sets at Boomtown are always legendary too! The theatrical highlights are also something to make sure you catch, especially the spectacle show on the Nucleus stage! The stage will come alive with performers and seriously integrated tech ... it should blow the audience away!

How long have you worked at Boomtown, and what is your favourite thing about working for a festival?

I have been here from the beginning! My role grew with the festival. I started as a walkabout performer, to programmer then to producing my own theatrical elements of the show which included “The high life” high wire show and finally to Creative Producer where I oversee it all!

I absolutely love what I do. To work on planning and implementing a show of this scale and ambition, which inspires moments of pure joy in people, is like nothing else! We are a passionate bunch who want to outdo ourselves year on year. That kind of benchmark is a tough one to set but it’s so satisfying to be a part of delivering a show as jaw dropping, exhilarating and inspiring as Boomtown! It’s a collective effort, the team are the most caring, capable and forward-thinking people I have had the pleasure of working with. I hope a show like Boomtown can blow the audiences socks off whilst also introducing them to a beautiful community of like minded people who all want the best for each other and our world.

What are your day to day responsibilities at Boomtown HQ?

It’s my job to bring the Director's vision to life and deliver that extra layer of magic and interaction that is unique to Boomtown. This includes Boomtown’s ever evolving story, theatrical performances, the fantastical characters in the districts, the Immersive Maze and the main stage spectacle shows. There’s a hugely collaborative element to a show of this scale so we work with many different crews and thousands of performers. I produce creative briefs so that we are all working towards the same vision and narrative . The daily grind is lots of planning, logistics and spreadsheets but it’s so worth it when you see it all come together. That feeling of seeing the event in action is unparalleled!!

Where do you see Boomtown going creatively in the future?

The quality of the theatre across all our districts has improved year on year, even more so since we secured funding from the Arts Council England to run theatrical workshops to develop all the crews involved. I loved the new vibe of Barrio Loco last year and I’m looking forward to watching that develop even more. The new set was beautiful and full of colour, Bassline Circus did an amazing job animating it all with aerial, dance and circus skills on the upper levels and the party vibes were high the whole weekend!

What is one to expect staying at Boomtown Springs?

Boomtown Springs is VIP immersive camping with a massive Boomtown twist at it’s best! It even has its own pool, mansion house, has games on the lawn with some of our infamous characters who roam around the area making sure that everyone there experiences round-the-clock escapism. Guests can either camp or stay in some of the pre-pitched structures, depending on their preferences!

What are your top 3 essentials to bring to a festival?

Your smile, Your dancing shoes and ya best bling!

What advice would you give to a Boomtown first timer like myself?

Get involved in the story! Knock on those doors, interact with the characters, get silly and lose yourself in the crazy world of Boomtown. The main gameplay happens 1pm - 7pm each day so there's plenty of time to get involved before you get into the hard dancing in the evenings. It’s the same for the music. There are so many artists performing. Check out your favourites but explore the districts and discover someone or something new on the way around!