DLT Is Creating A Space For Black Joy
There is no better feeling of reflection than a summer well spent – both at home and abroad. The complete lift on travel restrictions has released with it an onslaught of festivals abroad that had either paused during lockdown or sprung up as a result of it.
One such festival that hit the ground running was DLT Malta, the festival iteration of Black London’s favourite daytime brunch party. Although London-based, the DLT brand has spread far and wide outside of its now annual Malta blowout. Collaborating with US favourites Jerk’n’Jollof and Everyday People, DLT has become synonymous with a safespace for Black joy all over the globe. Their line-up hasn’t hurt their chances of success either, carefully curated by the in-house team who call upon London’s finest selectors including AAA, Selecta Suave and Tayo Iku.
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Following the success of their inaugural festival in Malta in 2022, it’s safe to say the pressure was on for the DLT team. A debut that included performances from the likes of global superstars Wizkid, Shenseea and Rema, paired with a post-lockdown demand for a good time, created what has now become a staple party holiday for the Black diaspora across Europe and beyond. Within weeks of their 2023 festival being over, the demand for the following year’s dates was so great that the team were able to launch a consecutive weekend, launching the first ever ‘double weekender’ of back-to-back festivals for two consecutive weekends to cater to the insatiable demand.
Catching up with two of the four founders Ant and Mike a couple of weeks before the second iteration of DLT Malta in May, (which would go on to be a roaring success, more on that later), Clash spoke to them about the gruelling learning curve they’ve undertaken in the past year and what to expect as the DLT brand continues to expand, with added events across Europe and a pan-African tour for the much anticipated Detty December across Nigeria, Ghana and for the first time in DLT History (and in a nod to Amapiano’s global dominance) – South Africa. Detty December, as it’s commonly referred to in Nigeria and Ghana, or Ke Dezemba in South Africa, refers to the month of festivities and when the diaspora return to their respective home countries, as well as visitors looking to partake in the celebrations – whether it’s music, culture, fashion or entertainment. A boost for local tourism and nightlife, Detty December also provides a fun way for cultural exploration, as some have found it cathartic to connect with their culture in adulthood, through a new lens that didn’t involve being dragged around your family village by your mum and your uncles.
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When the DLT team threw the first iteration of DLT Malta in 2022, spirits and expectations were high – they’d finally managed to pull off what COVID had hindered – a hassle-free, enjoyable experience abroad that brought out the brightest stars – both established and developing – from around the world. Of course, the question then followed, how do you possibly go about topping a line up that included Kaytranada, Kabza De Small, Shenseea and Wizkid?
The team got straight to work. Within days of DLT Malta 2022 ending, packages were up for pre-sale through events platform Pollen, who had partnered with DLT to deliver the festival. All inclusive packages were quickly snapped up by attendees as well as those suffering from serious FOMO from all the social media coverage, and it seemed as though things were hitch-free.
However, only a couple of months after DLT Mata 2022, Pollen went into administration – leaving DLT Malta (and all the other festivals that had partnered with the platform) up in the air. “There were a lot of sleepless nights, it was tough!” Ant laughs. “A lot of the people who attend our events are just like us – so it made it easier to anticipate how they might feel and how we could reassure them after the news about Pollen’s administration got out”. As big as DLT had become, the attendees were at its core, a small community of Black Londoners who would in turn become friends, associates and colleagues that DLT would be accountable to when it came to questions about the Pollen administration. Luckily, the team mobilised and before long, Live Nation stepped in and partnered with DLT to ensure that DLT Malta 2023 would go ahead smoothly.
“We had a meeting with Live Nation on the same day as our flights to Lagos for DLT’s Detty December celebrations,” explains MK, emphasising the rapid pace of the events business. Where other industries may have their ebbs and flows, everybody loves a party, and in DLT’s expansion across the diaspora, there is an excuse to throw a DLT party anywhere in the world at any given time.
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After many sleepless nights, reroutes and delays, DLT Malta 2023 was such a success that 2024 presale packages sold out within minutes, triggering a ‘weekender’ package that would see the same line up replicated for a consecutive week to satisfy demand. Headliners included Nigerian star Asake who headlined the final night alongside South African amapiano heavyweight Focalistic and Mavin Records starlet Ayra Starr. In the same way that 2022’s line-up was curated according to the vibe with a build up on the final night, 2023’s lineup included a performance from Masego and ASir on the initial night, with a stage hosted by Mixtape Madness featuring Afro-R&B crooners JayO and Gabzy on the second night, Dancehall artistes Dexta Daps and Amariaa BB on the third, to the glittering finale on Armier Beach with Asake, Focliastic and Ayra Starr on the final day.
Although focused on delivering a unmistakably ‘DLT’ experience wherever in the world they throw a party, Ant and MK point to the importance of When it comes to DLT in Africa, the team are aware of the nuances of diaspora and are careful not to paint all DLT-goers as a monolith. “This year we realised that there was a disparity between US visitors in GhanA, who got there earlier in the festive period than UK ones – making sure we flew in DJs from NYC such as Khalil, Jae Murphy, Super Smash Brothers, a solid spread of DJs from NY, LA and Boston,” Ant explains.
Ultimately, although the road to DLT’s dominance as a global, trustworthy brand for Black British parties to the world has been at times fraught and bumpy, the sheer strength of the brand’s ethos to creating a space for Black joy, wherever in the world they may be, has carried it through. Carefully cultivating an environment that appreciates good music and skilled DJs, as well as their social media savvy, it’s safe to say that we should all get our space boots ready DLT Mars 2032 at this rate.
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Words: Rahel Aklilu