Cloud X is the epitome of what home-grown festivals should look like. Boasting a reputation for being one of London’s leading independent outings, it has become a breeding ground for the best in R&B, rap and soul. What began as two friends, David Dabieh and Ben Cross, running illegal raves as teenagers has ascended into a label that throws events, nourishes artists, and shuts down London once a year with their annual festival. 


This year, Cloud X went down at the East London nest-egg and famed party spot, The Cause. A mixture of DJs spinning the freshest summer-tinged tunes, such as Jojo Deevoy, Izzy Bossy, Shifa Ligero and Crazy Cousinz, lead into a smattering of live sets from Santino Le Saint and friends, followed by the legendary Ghetts.

Below, you can take a look at the celebratory scenes, captured by @documentariann, and read a Wonderland exclusive interview with the two founders of Cloud X, David and Ben.

Where did the initial idea for Cloud X come from?
David: It was never really an idea. It created itself. We were just enjoying finding innovative artists, directors, designers, creatives of all kinds and it felt exciting to bring them together with music. We threw underground raves in our local area of Brixton, long before people were comfortable going out there, because the venues were cheap and easy to work with
Ben: Facts. Now though, when I look back on our journey,  I think we instinctively & informally touched upon something, which is that the UK had so few independent creative homes for music that felt exciting  – and certainly no independent home run by friends that combined great music with community, storytelling & mythology.


How did you go about bringing it to life? 
David: With a DIY spirit of “we’ll figure it out”. For example, if we wanted to throw a party, we’d literally walk around South London and knock on the doors of peculiar locations and find out how we could rent it! If we wanted to find food vendors, we’d go to our favourite food spots or try recommendations then ask the one’s we loved whether they’d like to come chef up. This is how we found the Guadaloupean chefs at ‘Bokit’la’ and they’ve been at every event of ours since 2016. We just experience things and then try and connect the dots in a way that makes sense.
Ben: Definitely, and in many ways that’s what creativity & culture is all about. Just crack on with it

What is the Cloud X ethos?
David: Independence. Open-mindedness. Togetherness. Collaboration. London but everywhere!
Ben: Completely agree. I’d add that when we started Cloud X as kids we just wanted to create a space for our friends to have fun in. That vibe has continued into our ethos today, which is all about community & joy. 

How has south London particularly impacted Cloud X?
David: South London runs through the DNA of Cloud X. We were born here, our HQ is based here, and the majority of our live events in London are situated here. The community we grew up with have been consistent in supporting our mission and we’re so grateful for it.
Ben: Cloud X wouldn’t exist without South London. And to be honest South London wouldn’t be South London without Cloud X & all the other amazing cultural homes – not just in music but across the arts – that flourish here. 

To you, what’s been the most iconic ever set at Cloud X?
David: Saint Levant at Cloud X Festival 2023. I think it was the first Palestinian headline set at a major UK Festival and it was special. A lot of our community had never heard of him but he created something completely magical and new, and evidenced the cultural signficance of being a world citizen with creative prowess. SPECIAL.
Ben: I still think back to Dave’s set in 2016.  It was his first festival set – at the time he was a brand new artist that we were so excited to platform. To see what he’s now achieved & to know that we were part of that journey speaks to not only his brilliance but the importance & joy of the work we do at Cloud X. 

Talk us through some of the company’s endeavours outside of the festival itself?
David: We are a whole ecosystem of music and creativity. Our headquarters is in Brixton, just by the prison – the Cloud X Institute. This 3-story creative home in Brixton is complete with recording studios, photography and film suites and co-working space. We have our record label which has released artists such as: Santino Le Saint, Kwaku Asante, Lancey Foux, Col3trane, 070 Shake, Kasien and more.
Ben: On the note of our label,  I’m super excited for David’s project “us, uninterrupted” under his artist name Dabieh. The rollout begun with his debut single Eyephone in June, a beautiful tune about human connection in a digital age & he’s followed it up with South London, which is a love song to our home.  I mention it not just because it’s great music & it’s made by David, but also because understanding that both myself & David make music & tell stories is crucial to understanding Cloud X as a musical home run by & for creatives. 

As a leading festival in R&B, soul and alt rap, what provoked you to choose these styles of music to spearhead the event?
David: We started in this space back in 2016 because there were no platforms or infrastructures to support these artists. A lot of them come from marginalised and often overlooked communties, and it felt urgent and also exciting to create space for discovery and also growth. 
Ben: Completely agree

Talk us through this year’s line up… who were you most excited to see? Who is someone under the radar?
Ben: Ghetts was phenomenal of course, he’s one of the greatest in his space in the UK. I’d also like to shout out Tim Garcia, who’s not only an incredible DJ & person but has seemingly an infinite pool of musical knowledge & life wisdom. 

What’s your festival survival guide?
Ben: You don’t need a survival guide. Festivals are all about joy not surviving. But don’t forget your dancing shoes. 

What does the future hold for Cloud X?
David: We will continue our mission to help people simply be themselves and create a world that is kind and more open. We are expanding this mission to New York, Tokyo and Accra. We can’t wait to show you what that means.
Ben: David’s just given far too much of our plans away so, as the Americans say, I plead the fifth.