By the time we reached the gates of Mighty Hoopla on Sunday afternoon, the party had already begun. The streets leading up to Brockwell Park were alive with colour and anticipation, glitter being applied liberally in pocket mirrors, outfits expertly coordinated with friends or intentionally chaotic in the best possible way, and the unmistakable buzz of a crowd that knows exactly what kind of day they’re walking into, one rooted in freedom, fun, and a shared sense of something both playful and powerful.

We were all aboard the Vengabus as we started our day at the main stage with the Vengaboys, who proved immediately that this was not going to be a festival that waited until nightfall to hit its stride. Dressed as futuristic-disco sailors and pilots, they delivered an early set that felt more like a headliner’s slot, the crowd already several drinks and dance moves deep, hands in the air and voices raised in unison under the sun, to the beat of ‘We Like To Party’ and ‘We’re Going To Ibiza’. It was gloriously unhinged in the way only the most committed pop lovers will understand, equal parts chaos and choreography, soaked in nostalgia but entirely alive in the moment.

Wandering through the site in search of sustenance, we ended up with bowls of Vietnamese food from one of the many stalls lining the park, the kind of festival meal that hits exactly right when your energy is dipping but you’re not yet ready to sit still. As we ate, Madonna’s ‘Like A Prayer’ poured out from the ‘Live, Laugh, Lidl’ stage nearby, an unofficial anthem station of sorts, where crowds were dancing with full-body abandon, no one self-conscious, and everyone seemingly in on the same collective joke.

Samantha Mumba appeared like a fever dream from the early 2000s, a time capsule moment that somehow became one of the most emotionally generous sets of the day. As soon as the opening notes of ‘Baby Come On Over’ dropped, it was as though everyone around us suddenly remembered every single lyric they hadn’t thought of in a decade. It was communal and euphoric, a karaoke session disguised as a live set, with the crowd shouting every chorus back at her with unwavering devotion.

Lemar followed with a smoothness that contrasted beautifully with the frenzy that came before. He spoke with warmth to the crowd, offering stories about what he’s been working on lately, his presence humble and generous. When technical issues abruptly cut his set short, he didn’t flinch; instead, he launched into the opening lines of ‘If There’s Any Justice’ a cappella, letting the audience carry the rest – a moment that felt entirely in the spirit of Hoopla, spontaneous, human, shared!

We took a moment after that to sit in the shade and watch the world go by, drinks in hand and outfits growing more surreal and spectacular with every passing group. The conversations drifting around us were about Lulu’s live vocals and Heidi Montag’s surreal fifteen-minute appearance in a pink Union Jack bodysuit that managed to turn irony into iconography. There’s a particular joy in being surrounded by people who understand the exact level of camp being served, no explanation needed, just delighted recognition.

As the day slipped into early evening, we made our way to The Bump for Girls Don’t Sync, who delivered a relentless, high-energy set in a sea of red light, bodies bouncing and grinding without pause. We ended the night at the main stage for Kesha, who tore through her set with wild-eyed charisma, delivering Tik Tok like it was the last song on earth. The sun had dipped, the glitter was smudged, and arms were wrapped around strangers and friends alike, all of us looking slightly feral and completely content. It was a closing moment that didn’t need to try hard, it just worked, because the whole day had been building to that kind of joyful abandon.

Mighty Hoopla remains a singular experience in the summer calendar, a festival that understands its audience intimately and holds space for silliness and sincerity at once. It’s a place where you can scream-sing old pop lyrics with strangers, wear something completely ridiculous and feel like a star, cry-laugh during a glitter emergency, and dance until your knees give out, all within one park, one day, one brilliant, sweaty, beautiful blur.

For more info go to www.mightyhoopla.com

Words by Ama Samra

Photography Luke Dyson and Corinne Cumming