As one of the most famous radio personalities in the UK, Danny Howard has spent his life around music. This Friday, the British DJ will be partying in Dubai as a headlining act for Zero Gravity’s inaugural DXBeach festival.
Howard will join superstar producer Mark Ronson, Australian dance act Sneaky Sound System, House music hero Nightmares On Wax and vocalist Jess Glynne on April 24 for the highly anticipated 15-hour music festival. With more than 5,000 guests expected to attend the al fresco event, electronic music fans are gearing up to celebrate the end of the party season with the sands at their feet.
Making his return to town for another energetic performance, Howard has become a familiar face on the global clubbing circuit for his dance music anthems. With 1.8 million people now tuning in to his show on BBC Radio 1 every weekend, fans can expect an explosive set from the Blackpool native.
“The crowds have always been good, great people and nice energy,” Howard said ahead of his Dubai gig. “It’s always good to come back, especially where it’s nice and sunny.”
The musician’s rise to fame began after winning the BBC Radio 1 Superstar DJ competition back in 2011 following a less than stellar academic year at university.
“I actually failed my second year, which is not good,” he said. “But I had a lot of extra time so I locked myself in my room and taught myself how to DJ.”
“My first gig was in the student union and I remember it very well. It was the first time experiencing DJing in a live environment so it was quite weird.”
Flash forward a few manic years and Howard is now contributing a monthly podcast pumped into the cabins of hundreds of British Airways flights all over the world and a monthly column in one of the world’s biggest music publications, DJ Mag. His latest track, Bullets, is also climbing the charts on Beatport.
“Five years ago I was DJing locally in my hometown,” he said. “I would never have imagined getting to where I am now.” - [email protected]
DXBeach takes place on April 24 at Zero Gravity. Tickets start at Dhs250, available on www.platinumlist.ae/.
