Always earmarked in London’s cultural calendar as the beginning of festival season, GALA is returning to Peckham Rye Park this year for its tenth anniversary celebrations. Filling the line-up with some of the best acts in techno, house and funk, names to note on the bill this year include Floating Points, Caribou, Ben UFO and Bradley Zero. A veteran of the day festival, Leeds-born, London-based DJ Bradley Zero is set to close out the proceedings on Sunday with his unique blend of electronica, jazz and soul. As the founder of Rhythm Section International and Peckham’s hi-fi bar music venue Jumbi, the South London borough holds a special place in the DJ’s heart. Gearing up for a slew of festivals across Europe this summer and a residency at New York’s Public Records, in celebration of Bradley’s return to celebrate a decade of GALA, we caught up with him ahead of the event. 

Ella Joyce: You’ve been a regular at GALA festival for several years now. What is it that makes it such a special one in the festival calendar?
Bradley Zero: I’ve been on board since they moved to Peckham. Being around the corner from my house, this feels like a homecoming gig every year. It’s the unofficial start of summer for me, and the fact that I can walk there and back makes it super special.

EJ: This year is the festival’s tenth anniversary, what can we expect from your set?
BZ: The evening Patio stage set is a special one. It’s a big crowd with a special, small-room energy. For me, it’s about finding that balance between grooving along and having some big sing-along moments. I have a few tricks up my sleeve.

EJ: When you aren’t performing, which other artists are you looking forward to seeing on the GALA lineup?
BZ: For me, it’s all about hearing the Floating Points Sunflower Soundsystem this year, I’m especially looking forward to hearing the Cosmic Slop team work their magic on it. And of course, Theo Parrish.

EJ: How would you describe your DJ sets to someone who’s never seen you play before?
BZ: Unexpected!

EJ: If you had to curate your dream festival line-up, who would be the three names at the top of the bill?
BZ: DJ Harvey, Moxie and Wax’o Paradiso.

EJ: What does the rest of 2025 have in store for you?
BZ: Bouncing around Europe for summer gigs and festivals, holding down my NYC residency at Public Records and hitting some new cities in North America for the first time. We’ll be celebrating the third Anniversary of Jumbi on July 26th, and fourteen years of Dancing Celebration this November at Colour Factory for Rhythm Section. I’m also very excited to be in Ibiza three more times this summer.

GALA will take place at Pekcham Rye Park from May 23rd to 25th, more info here.