our STORY

25 Years of Margate Soul Weekender – My Story
Before Margate Soul Weekender became a celebration known across the country, it was a response, born from rejection, resilience, and a deep love for music. I remember that first day vividly. We took music to the streets not because it was part of some grand plan, but because they wouldn’t come into our building. Not because of the sound, but because of the colour of our skin. That moment cut deep, but it also lit a fire. If they wouldn’t come to us, we would take the soul to them. And in doing so, we reclaimed the streets, the sound, and our right to belong.

What began as defiance evolved into a legacy, a space where everyone, regardless of who they are or where they come from, could feel the same rhythm that once carried me through my youth. Music gave me hope, purpose, and a way to express what words often couldn’t. Over the years, the festival became more than an event, it became a reflection of us: the dreamers, the outsiders, the believers who refused to be silenced.

As I look back over 25 years, I see not just a timeline of stages and line-ups, but a story of growth, my own and our Margate community’s. There were nights of uncertainty, years of rebuilding, and countless moments of pure joy watching people dance freely by the sea. Through it all, the soul remained the constant heartbeat.

This is my story, Eli’s story, about how music became my language, how Margate became my canvas, and how the spirit of soul turned pain into pride. It’s a journey of love, loss, resistance, and redemption, and it continues to remind me that sometimes, the most powerful movements begin with a closed door and a song that refuses to stop playing.