23 Highlights of 2023

Well, here we are again - another year, another highlights roundup! This one’s got (you guessed it) 23 highlights from 2023, served up in neat chronological order because, honestly, chaos is best organised enjoyed in sequence 🫠

1 - Four Tet, Fred Again..+ Skrillex at The Troxy - 7th January 2023

Kicking off my #23highlightsof2023 with a bang — my first booking of the year saw electronic dance pioneers @fourtetkieran, @skrillex, and @fredagainagainagainagainagain drop a last-minute show at @troxylondon.

The venue absolutely RUMBLEd (literally - if you know, you know 👀) when @big_flowdan made a surprise appearance. A few rewinds later, with @edforever working his magic on lights and spinning 🪩s, it turned into a full-blown spectacle.

2 - Hins Cheung at The Royal Albert Hall - 18th March 2023

In March, an unexpected email dropped into my inbox inviting me to cover one of @hinscheung's three sold-out shows at the legendary @royalalberthall, and wow… what an experience that turned out to be.

On the night, I was handed the orchestra's sheet music — complete with pyro cues and, errr… Cantonese lyrics � Somehow, between the sparks and the strings, it all came together perfectly. Proof that music really is something you feel, not just understand.

Before 2023, I'd never photographed a non-English-speaking artist, and last year I ended up with four. So here's to hoping 2024 comes with a little Hong Kong adventure 👀✈️

3 - Above & Beyond - Printworks - 13th April 2023

In April, I had the absolute pleasure of shooting @aboveandbeyond’s two iconic shows inside the Press Halls at @printworkslondon. Their usual widescreen visuals were reimagined to fit the hall’s narrow frame, stretching deep into the space and creating something properly special.

It's rare to get an unobstructed view of the artists from the stage, I've spent many a show moaning about people getting in the way. So my mood was one of gratitude to capture this final embrace of the boys.⁠

4 - Printworks Closing - 1st May 2024

In May, I photographed the closing weekend of @printworkslondon across four unforgettable nights. The energy was unreal - bittersweet, electric, and a little nostalgic all at once. You never really know what you’ve got until it’s gone... (2026 👀)

5 - Mighty Hoopla - 4th June 2023

By June, summer had properly arrived — and so had @mightyhoopla. The sun showed up right on cue for its 9th edition, and honestly, I still can’t get over how huge it’s grown since that very first one. Every year just gets wilder, brighter, and louder in the best possible way.

Hands up if you’re coming to the final weekender… 🙌😭

6 - Anjunadeep Explorations in Dhërmi, Albania - 12th June 2023

Mid-June took me back to the stunning Ionian coast for @anjunadeepexplorations in Dhërmi, Albania. After missing out in 2022, it felt so good to return to this little slice of paradise - six nights tucked between the lush mountains and that unreal turquoise sea.

It’s one of those places where time slows down, music drifts through every corner, and the @anjunadeep crowd somehow feels like one big family. Pure magic, every single time. 🌊✨

7 - Silverworks Island, London - 13th July 2023

Nestled under the flight path of London City Airport, @silverworksisland feels like the UK's answer to DC10's terrace on a much bigger scale. Last July, I got to shoot @solidgroovesuk and @asotlive with sunsets, lasers and twenty thousand ravers.⁠

8 - Blur at Wembley Stadium - 8th July 2023

By July, I was deep in mirrorball season — and the @pixelmappers crew fully delivered at @wembleystadium for @blurofficial. 🪩

9 - Latitude Festival - 23rd July 2023

Next up on the 2023 highlight reel - @latitudefest 🌧️🎪

Now, when I say it rained… I mean it rained. Think full Jurassic Park energy: me in a buggy, slipping around in the mud, channelling Nedry trying to escape with the embryos. But honestly? Still one of the best weekends.

Latitude’s got that perfect mix — music, art, comedy, lakes, forests, pink sheep - it’s basically a photographer’s playground. Chaos, colour, and character everywhere you point the lens.

10 - Secret Cinema presents Grease at The Birmingham NEC - 27th July 2023

Keeping with the theme of British summertime = rain, July brought me to @secretcinema’s outdoor production of Grease in Birmingham. They turned one of the NEC’s car parks into Rydell High, complete with pink jackets, vintage cars, and a crowd singing their hearts out. It was auto-matic, system-matic… hyyyyydro-matic! 💦🎶

It wasn’t all rock’n’roll glamour though. Night one was so wet I had to dry my shoes with a hairdryer and wear the world’s smallest hotel slippers down to the bar. Thankfully, round two was (mostly) dry… emphasis on mostly.

11 - SummerDaze in Malta - 15th August 2023

⁠⁠We’re headed into August with these highlights, bringing us to the Ta’ Qali Picnic Area in Malta for SummerDaze Malta. It's always a pleasure working with my Maltese crew at @boldbishop and @356entertainmentofficial. Every summer they bring together an eclectic lineup of the world’s biggest stars and the tickets are only a tenner, with 2023 bringing in the likes of @blackeyedpeas, @zaralarsson, @iampaulkalkbrenner, @farruko and many more!⁠

Malta really is the summer destination for festivals these days ✈️🪩⁠

12 - Reading Festival - 27th August 2023

By late August, I popped out to Big Tesco and somehow ended up at @officialrandl with a camera in hand. Happens every year. �

Living this close to Reading Festival definitely has its perks — the bass carries down the road, and before you know it, you’re knee-deep in mosh pits instead of meal deals. Just a “quick trip,” I swear. 🎸🛒

13 - Nolly and Johnno Wedding at Chafford Park - 2nd September 2023

It's rare for me to take weddings on, especially during festival season, but occasionally the stars align, and last September I got to shoot the stunning union of @nicolerebeiro and @johnnoburgess at Chafford Park in Tunbridge Wells.⁠

I had such a good time I'm tempted to say yes to a few more weddings in the future... but the bar has been set pretty high!⁠

14 - Fred Again.. at Ally Pally, London - 8th September 2023

@fredagainagainagainagainagain, again. This time for his live show at Ally Pally, and honestly… I think it might take the crown for sweatiest gig I’ve ever shot.

The room was so steamy my lens fogged faster than I could wipe it, and operating my camera felt like trying to text in a sauna. But the energy? Unreal. Everyone just completely lost in it. 🔥⁠

The biggest production ever put into @yourallypally… 👏🏻 @pixelmappers @loose.loose.loose.loose ⁠

15 - [G]-IDLE at Wembley Arena - 9th September 2023

Straight off the back of the Fred Again.. show (yes, the sweaty one), I was right back at it the very next night — this time at @ovoarena for @official_g_i_dle’s London debut.

Their only UK stop on the European tour, and the energy was unreal. Thousands of fans singing every word, lights flashing, confetti flying — the whole place buzzing. ⚡️

Massive thanks to the @powerhouselive_ent and @aeg_presents teams for being so welcoming, and of course to @yuqisong.923, @min.nicha, @yeh.shaa_, @tiny.pretty.j, and @noodle.zip for letting me capture such an incredible night. Hopefully not the last time we see you in London! 🇬🇧💖

16 - Sugababes at The O2, London - 15th September 2023

Round, round, baby round, round… the 🪩👑 (mirrorball king) @edforever returns again in last year’s highlights with the
@sugababes this time keeping the crowd spinning at @theo2london.

17 - Raye at The Royal Albert Hall, London - 26th September 2023

Late September brought one of those pinch-me moments. I was asked by @moombaproductions to capture @raye’s My 21st Century Symphony Live at the @royalalberthall, and wow… what a night.

Three outfit changes. The @heritageorchestra conducted by @wakeuptom. Joined by @flamescollective, @annalapwoodorgan, and @stevebewleys absolutely smashing it on lights. Every single moment felt charged — powerful, emotional, and full of energy.

Shooting around a 20-person film crew was fun (read: mildly chaotic), but totally worth it. You can actually watch the full performance on iPlayer now — and if you look closely, one of my shots ended up as the album cover for the live record, with more photos printed inside the vinyl sleeves and even featured on iPlayer.

Honestly? Seeing my work live in so many places — and having my first ever vinyl album cover for such an incredible artist — was a proper career high. ❤️

18 - Muse at The O2, London - 2nd October 2023

Back in 2022, I shot @muse at the Isle of Wight Festival, but between the off-centre pit spot and a gust of wind that sent all the streamers flying back onto the stage for the rest of the show, it always felt like a “mission incomplete.”

Fast-forward to 2023, and I finally got my redemption arc - shooting them again at @theo2london for @metaform.studio. Every frame hit just right this time. Same spot all night, but worth the exception… mission complete. 🎯

19 - Drumsheds Opening - 7th October 2023

We may have lost @printworkslondon, but we gained a @drumsheds.

Built inside a former @ikeauk, the space is absolutely enormous - so big that we’ve swapped our usual portrait-style room shots for landscape ones just to fit it all in. Who’s been down yet? The scale, the sound, the lights - unreal.

20 - Terence Lam at The O2, London - 22nd October 2023

After working on that beautiful Royal Albert Hall show earlier in the year with @enjoylifeaf, it was great to reunite in October at @theo2london for @terencelam0903’s dazzling London show.

Elegant, cinematic, and full of emotion — easily one of the most visually satisfying sets of the year. 🎹✨

21 - S Club at The O2, London - 27th October 2023

Towards the end of the year I photographed @sclub’s show at @theo2london for @tim_routledge_lighting_design, and it was everything you’d hope for — big, bright, and unapologetically nostalgic.

Nothing like hearing those early-2000s hits echo around The O2 to remind you exactly how old you are. Primary school flashbacks galore. 🪩😂

22 - Rema at The O2, London - 14th November 2023

My penultimate highlight of 2023 — @heisrema’s headline show at @theo2london, shot for @chris_j_why.

I went in completely blind, not sure what to expect, and left absolutely buzzing. The energy was next-level — part rave, part fever dream, part flying-bat emoji come to life. 🦇🔥

23 - Joshua Bassett at O2 Forum Kentish Town, London – 9th May 2023

Wrapping things up with a little twist — head over to my Instagram for a carousel of extra shots from the archives of 2023.

It’s a mix of moments that didn’t quite fit into these posts but easily could’ve each had a highlight of their own. The shows, the chaos, the lights - all of it.

Encore

And that’s a wrap on my #23highlightsof2023 - what a ride.

Each one of these moments has its own little world behind it: late nights, early flights, frantic sound checks, and a whole lot of magic in between.

If you want to dive deeper, there’s a whole carousel-load of photos from each of these shoots over on my Instagram - well worth a scroll if you fancy reliving the chaos (and maybe spotting a few faces you know) in full colour ✨