Last year Louis Tomlinson announced the Away From Home Festival, a festival created and curated by him which would showcase up-and-coming bands. It took place in London. It was an idea he’d been wanting to do for many years and with the help of his team, he was able to finally bring it to life. And this year it was back bigger, with more bands performing, with a new location in Malaga, Spain.
This year’s Away From Home Festival was done differently from the inaugural event which took place at Crystal Palace Bowl in London last year which was free for 6000 lucky fans who won a ballot to attend and was live-streamed a week after for a small fee, which also included a behind the scenes documentary of how the festival was created. It was entirely self-funded by Louis. For the 2022 festival, tickets were put on sale for fans to buy so they could attend and they sold out the 17,000-capacity Marenostrum Fuengirola in Malaga, Spain.
The lineup for the festival was a showcase of Louis’s love for indie bands and his knack for spotting up-and-coming talent, using his platform to give them a boost.
Doors opened at 4 pm for the fans who were lucky enough to have secured tickets, and an evening of fantastic music began. There was exclusive festival merch for sale as well as a selection of some of Spain’s finest street food to make sure fans didn’t go hungry. There were a few bars too, selling alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks so fans could stay hydrated in the Spanish heat as they enjoyed the atmosphere at the yearly one-day festival.
The music began at 5 pm with legendary Spanish DJ Maadraassoo doing a set. Then came Scottish band Voodo0 who won the chance to perform at the Away From Home Festival when Louis and his team ran a competition. Voodo0 performed a 15-minute set, which was a great introduction to their music and was warmly received by the fans in attendance. Voodo0 are definitely a band to watch.
Throughout the evening while the stage was being set up for each band both DJ Maaadrassoo and Ley DJ kept the vibe going with their own sets.
UK band Stone was up next with their 30-minute set, which has guaranteed they after their appearance at the Away From Home Festival will see an increase in their fanbase and people listening to the music, as such is the Louis Tomlinson effect, his Louies ardently support and champion all the bands he gives platforms to. Something the next band to perform, Sunroom know full well after supporting Louis on numerous dates on his recent world tour and feeling nothing but love from fans attending, as was apparent tonight with many fans at the Away From Home Festival in Spain knowing the words to their songs. Louies definitely know how to do their homework!
Hinds were up next with a 30-minute set followed by The Vaccines who delivered a fantastic 45-minute set to the eager and up-for-it crowd, who with every act showed just why the Away From Home Festival is a very special event that has masses of potential to grow into one of the biggest and best festivals out there.
Then came the moment everyone in attendance had been waiting for, as festival creator and curator Louis Tomlinson took to the stage with screams from the assembled crowd so loud they could probably be heard for miles and a few tears from his Louies who couldn’t believe that they were that the Away From Home festival watching Louis perform his headline set at a festival he created and he and his team put tons of hard work in to, to pull off for a second year. It was a dream come true for many of the fans in attendance, and as ever Louis did not disappoint.
Opening with his second festival with ‘We Made It’, then came firm fan fave, the 1D classic ‘Drag Me Down ‘ and ‘Don’t Let It Break Your Heart’. The set list was the same as he had performed all over the world on his world tour. With the exception of the very welcome addition of the 1D track ‘Night Changes’, which we were not expecting but loved. Catfish and the Bottleman’s ‘7’ was next which has become a firm and much-loved staple in Louis’s set.
‘Fearless’ came next with a shout-out for his fantastic band who travelled the world with him, killing it every single night on stage with LT. And who each get their moment to shine during his show.
“This is one of those days in my career that feels like a fucking dream, I cannot believe it.” He tells the sold-out crowd, thanking all the bands who did a set.
‘Habit’ came next, and let’s face it we don’t want Louis to ever break the habit of having such an open and loving relationship with his Louies.
‘Copy of a Copy of a Copy’ was next which like ‘Changes’ has never officially been released, only being performed Live and was debuted at last year’s Away From Home Festival. But tracks the fans know every lyric to.
‘Little Black Dress’ was followed by Louis’s 1st album title track ‘Walls’, the crowd loudly singing the words back to him as they had done all night, Walls is one of those songs that the fans just belt out giving maximum crowd participation, something Louis always capitalises on and encourages them to sing the lyrics back to him.‘ For every reason why you were my because’.
He finished his set with ‘Kill My Mind’. A song that was created purely for moments like this. A perfect finish to another wonderful headline set and festival.
Louis is an artist who never fails to deliver live. He’s an artist who is equally at home performing in small venues for 1000 people as he is playing to crowds of 17,000. His music lends itself perfectly to festivals like Away From Home. From the 16 year old who went to his first festival to the 30-year-old now headlining a festival, he has created and curated which is in its second year is an absolute triumph and we cannot wait to see what he does for next year’s Away From Home Festival!
You buy Away From Home Festival merch, here!
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