A dose of techno, a game of air hockey, a flirt with dubstep then go-karting and a quick nap in a chalet bed before hitting the 24-hour dancefloor again may not sound like a normal weekend at the family holiday park Pontin's, but that was exactly what was on the menu in Great Yarmouth for the second three-day Bloc Weekend. The party really didn't pause for breath thanks to a superb range of artists and an even better selection of festival-goers keeping one of the most friendly vibes alive throughout the first major party of the year.
The three entertainment centres of Pontin's were transformed into mini clubs called the Bassbloc, Tecbloc and Smashbloc (the latter set in a traditional-themed pub) for the weekend as all kinds of synthesised sounds lashed welcoming ears through throbbing rigs that literally vibrated the buildings housing them. Yet it was the crowd who stole the show with their unflinching enthusiasm for creating a real sense of community with complete strangers from the off, smiling and waving from the moment of arrival. Festivals have always brought bonding moments, and perhaps the normally family-themed venue was perfect for bringing the best of all-comers. Where else might you get a group of friends recreating Mario Kart in real life or a "best-dressed" Sunday theme being so richly embraced after two days of pure raving?
Of course, no one would be around to create such an atmosphere at a Pontin's without the music and there was an abundance of high-brow and party-time electronic sounds for the revellers to sink their eager teeth into. Early doors acts such as the reformed Red Snapper and Amon Tobin pushed people's party buttons from the off, especially Tobin's virtuoso performance behind the desks squeezing in a wide range genres including drum and bass, dubstep, breakbeat and more considered electronica. Dubstep was well represented this year as Kode9, Spaceape, Ntype, Skream and Oris Jay flew the flag for the increasingly popular genre while the names of Milanese and Luke Vibert were on everyone's lips after rip-roaring performances on Saturday.
The party really didn't pause for breath.
Techno fans were well taken care of too, in particular thanks to blistering sets from Dave Clarke, Joey Beltram and Jerome Hill. They each treated the worshipful crowds to their differing styles: Clarke opted to show his versatility by playing an hour of electro and then thundering out the techno for the second hour while Beltram went for the jugular with a relentlessly pounding assault. Among the main room crowd for the latter was a man with a bongo, drumming away and providing an additional organic war beat for the dancers to make their moves in time with. The excitement was so much that a man dressed in a camouflage bodysuit and a frog mask jumped the barriers to take to the main Bassbloc stage for an impromptu dance, to much arm waving and cheering. It was a real festival moments as he attempted to evade security but eventually hopped off. Hill meanwhile kept the ravers happy well into the early hours of Sunday morning as he showed the 24-hour Smashbloc arena there was no easing off at a time many people would be heading to church for a quiet prayer.
When the dust finally settled on the wild antics of the second night, few were in the mood for an early rise. When Sunday afternoon swung round with the promise of Ceephax's Acid Bingo, the Bassbloc area had been arranged into a bingo hall with tables and chairs where the clear dancefloor had once been. The lure of a free ticket to next year's Bloc Weekend had attracted many to take a seat, grab and pen and start studying the six sets of numbers in front of them on a sheet of paper, however Ceephax was in a different mood. After playing an introductory tune he started calling out numbers to be crossed off but he had hardly been on caller duty five minutes before becoming restless and asking "Has anyone won yet?". A minute later he had abandoned the bingo and called for a different game instead: a dancing contest. Cue music and move crazy dancefloor action! Elsewhere reports came in of Boxcutter demolishing people's ears in the Smashbloc area before an acid house party drew Blow Weekend to a close featuring the ever reliable A Guy Called Gerald, Dexorcist and Phuture 303.
A man dressed in a camouflage bodysuit and a frog mask jumped the barriers to take to the main Bassbloc stage for an impromptu dance.
While there were many highlights to Bloc Weekend, it also suffered at least one major disappointment in Kraftwerk's Karl Bartos — the main headliner of 2008. Yes, it was quaint to see the ageing electronic music pioneer perform the classics of yesteryear; however they felt out of place at such a forward-thinking event to be given such a fanfare Bartos couldn't live up to. He certainly deserves respect for his achievements, but let's leave him to his own business now and concentrate on the new. The Black Dog also failed to really get going, seemingly determined to interrupt their normally smooth and flowing sets with a disjointed tune selection. Still, whenever the music didn't seem to hit the mark, a few games in the arcade would soon get the adrenaline flowing again.
It wasn't just the crowd in high spirits, though. Security were reasonable, helpful and good humoured throughout, some even dancing away to the tunes when they could. Of course, being on site at a Pontin's the chalet facilities helped keep everyone clean with a launderette available and eateries to fuel everyone through. The site staff seemed to enjoy having a very different selection of guests around too.
Something worth noting is bracing winds and pouring rain are normally the two reasons a festival crowd give up, seek shelter and sulk because they can't enjoy their music properly. Well, they did nothing to wash away the spirits at Bloc — holding an event like this indoors seems like a sensible plan as all the people can be accommodated and with British weather becoming the bane of outdoor frolics even in the summer, this was a prime example of how to combat the problems the elements cause. ATP have been doing it for years and London "neo-rave" promotion Bang Face is following Bloc's lead in April. Bloc Weekend has kicked off the festival calendar in style, but has also set all event organisers in 2008 a challenging task to try to at least match its vibrant atmosphere sustained by the people just happy to chat and help all they meet combined with quality acts throughout. If they can't, then there is always Bloc Weekend 2009...
Additional reporting by Freya Ross-Van Lessen. Republished August 2026.
