CRE8: The ultimate event for DJs and producers arrives up north

Wakefield, West Yorkshire – once dubbed the ‘Merrie City’ in the Middle Ages for its festivals and street plays, the birthplace of Barbara Hepworth and The Cribs, and now the host city for the inaugural 2026 CRE8. A day in which DJs and producers come together in a place for people in music to sharpen skills, expand into the industry via networking, and learn how to grow a personal brand. This creator’s dream is a powerful coming together from the Headliner Group, PLASA, TikTok LIVE (with the full event streamed live on the platform), and the stunning Tileyard North, the UK’s largest creative community venue outside of London. Exciting artists such as TeeDee, Lily C-D, Bobby Harvey, and Ace Clvrk were on site, creating new tracks live, running insightful workshops, and performing blistering DJ sets.

There have been complaints for years that the UK music industry has been far too London-centric. This seems to be shifting, though: the 2026 Mercury Prize, which ultimately went to Geordie Sam Fender, was held in Newcastle; and this year’s BRIT Awards took place at the Co-Op Arena in Manchester.

Headliner was proud to buck this trend by making Wakefield the home of CRE8 for the first time. The Yorkshire city is rich in cultural history, and long before TeeDee was waking up ‘Wakey’ with sub-bass, there were once official virtuoso town musicians known as the ‘Waits’ patrolling the streets. Local historians believe that the popular singing rhyme, Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush originated with female prisoners at the local Wakefield prison. There is even a rhubarb festival which celebrates Wakefield’s 150-year history of growing the pink vegetable. Get that crumble ready!

CRE8 kicks off on a foggy Saturday morning in March, in Tileyard North, a stunningly converted building that reflects Wakefield's industrial mill past. First up on the talk front is The Artist-Agent Conversation for the 10.30 am early birds. Successful artist and DJ, Sally Rodgers, quickly shows how valuable having a booking agent can be, remarking that, “I never had a good poker face for negotiating fees, I’m too gobby!” And, when her agent Matthew Johnson set her first high fee for her sets, her initial response was, “If you’re sure, but I’ll probably never gig again!” As well as making sure the DJs and artists he works with get paid properly, Johnson talks about other key parts of his agent role, for example, “Making sure the press pack and artist photos feel zingy and up to date”.

This is shortly followed by The Promo Panel, featuring insight from Ben Brindle, head of promo at Helix, and Jay Ahmed, head of promo at Your Army. Brindle makes the vital point that “Success is different; for some it might be a Friday night radio play, for another it might be their first ever New Music Friday on Spotify.” When asked about traditional versus the more contemporary versions of music promo, he says, “I will always fly the traditional promo flag; it still has a place. Press, radio, and TV can be such a concrete part of everything. But you have to be reactive.” Ahmed gives an excellent example of turning a viral moment into a release: “Femi from Ezra Collective spoke over the top of a Fred Again track at Ally Pally — they then released it the next day, and it did huge numbers.”

While these moustache-stroking talks take place, upstairs in The Mill is a different prospect for those seeking a break from the chin-wagging and instead seeking big beats. There are bone-shuddering back-to-back sets from Manchester star Lily C-D and fellow Mancunian Jentzen, as well as soon-to-be superstar DJ Emma 2000, the Skepta and Central Cee supporting-Nøah, and a return from Sally Rodgers, this time letting the decks do the talking. All that before a headline set on the main stage from drum and bass legends, Brookes Brothers, one of D&B’s most successful duos.

Next is the Management Panel, featuring industry veterans Annie Josephine, Jasmine Igoe, Lee Haslam, and Kurt Hurst. This talk is rammed with essential advice, including: “You want a manager to come to you, not vice versa, otherwise you’re on the back foot.” Trust between manager and artist is emphasised with, “If there’s no trust between us, that’s a red flag.” And for those interested in becoming artist managers, they are left with, “You’re going to be spinning a lot of plates, so attention to detail is very important. You’re an extension of the artist.”

There’s plenty of excitement upstairs, as Crossfader DJs run workshops exploring the art of DJing, with cameras and a backdrop screen ensuring the audience of budding selectors get to see every single move these seasoned artists make. Best of all, they aren’t gatekeeping the decks; DJs get to make their way up to the front and have a go themselves.

Back downstairs, as we pass the lunchtime mark, it’s the turn of the record labels to take the stage. It’s another panel packed with quotes to live by - for example, Omar Khan of Hyperactive World says, “We’re an artist-first brand. We’re less focused on release frequency and instead getting the record right and then putting it out.” Phil Sagar from Armada adds, “The music industry has changed, but the core principles remain the same: is the song relevant? Who’s playing it? We always stick to that, however much the industry changes.” 

Two standout moments of the day are a live workshop with Sheffield’s TeeDee, a DJ/producer who has worked with the likes of Bugzy Malone. A bewitched audience watches on as he creates a track completely from scratch in Ableton Live. He’s followed by Bobby Harvey, who gives a rare glimpse into his Logic sessions as he talks the crowd through how he created his recent hit, Waterfalls (with James Hype and Sam Harper) using a bare bones setup in Ibiza.

One of the most exciting tech moments of the day is the Immersive Audio panel, hosted by Headliner’s own CEO, Paul Watson. He asks big questions such as, “The streaming services have been floating the idea of embracing spatial audio for years. Is it just talk?” Veteran engineer, Simon Todkill, replies, “It’s been on the cards for years, with Dolby Atmos, etc. It’s evolving, and the earlier in the recording process we can start using it, the more widespread it will become.”

Headliner’s head of bookings, Henry Day, had this to say about the day’s success: “CRE8 was about real access, connecting industry leaders with the next generation. Seeing emerging artists ask questions, make connections and take something away is why we built it. It only worked thanks to everyone involved: panellists, artists, crew, and venue staff, all aligned to support new talent.”

The tech driving the CRE8 Mainstage

Headliner’s in-house engineer, Rick Dickerson, ran us through the all-important tech setup for the inaugural event. “Our first CRE8 featured top-tier equipment partners,” he begins.

The stage, supplied by Steve Williams of Viking Productions, was anchored by the flagship LD Systems MAILA Rig, brought by Lee Harper and Oliver Webb.

“We opted for the self-powered version for speed; I only had to plug in a couple of 16A CEEform connectors and run a single XLR aside,” Dickerson explains. “The system comprised two 2x15 sub cabs and column units, each sporting four 6.5-inch drivers and four high-end MAILA SAT passive satellites. These boxes lock together to hide power contacts, producing a classic 100° horizontal and 8° vertical dispersion pattern.”

Despite the small footprint, the MAILA performed exceptionally; even 70m from the back wall, the speech from our panellists was crystal clear.

“We utilised a booth from Paladin Innovations housing three CDJ3000s and a V10 mixer, with monitoring provided by LD Systems Stinger G3-10 coaxial monitors and a G3-8 centre fill,” Dickerson elaborates. “FOH control was handled by an Allen & Heath SQ5 and eight channels of Shure Axient digital wireless receivers. The setup worked superbly for everything from spoken word to high-SPL dance sets from DJ EMMA 2000 and Brookes Brothers, sounding warm, detailed, and distortion-free throughout.”

QSC powered the Crossfader workshops, a compact and powerful rig the team knew would excel in this room. “We used the QSC K12.2 system, which provided such a full sound that we removed our additional KS118 sub,” says Dickerson. “Booth monitoring was handled by a pair of K8.2s on stands. Jamie Hartley from Crossfader ran two DJ workshops here, using three CDJ3000s and an A9 mixer on an 8’ x 2’ riser, with camera feeds to large TV screens for the students. QSC also supplied a TouchMix digital desk to handle the DJ mixer and four channels of Shure Axient wireless.

“LD Systems did us proud once more in the courtyard,” Dickerson enthuses. “The DJ booth was a custom VW camper van front from Paladin Innovations, complete with illuminated headlights, housing three CDJ2000s and an A9 mixer. We flanked the van with stacks of LD Systems ICOA point-source speakers – an ICOA Sub 18As paired with 12A BT tops. This attention-grabbing system pointed the way to our main entrance, with an ‘open DJ policy’ that invited guests to plug in their own USBs and give it a whirl. The ICOA 12A’s coaxial design and rotating CD horn made it a versatile performer, proving a great advert for our partners and the CRE8 event as a whole.”

Dan BB shares his glowing review of the sound system on the day: “The LD System handled high-energy drum’n’bass without breaking a sweat. Clean, loud and controlled.” 

Visual Design for CRE8

Headliner also caught up with digital and surface designer Emma Briggs about creating motion graphics and visuals worthy of the event, venue, and the TikTok LIVE broadcast.

“My role involved working alongside PLASA and Headliner to ensure all relevant TV and animated graphics were created, maintaining a consistent visual identity across the event,” says Briggs.

“I was responsible for designing and operating the lighting in both the main event space and the upstairs area, ensuring clear and balanced illumination for the speakers during panel discussions before transitioning to a more dynamic, DJ-style atmosphere for the evening sets. During the live event, I managed the visuals on the main stage LED screen, operated two PTZ cameras, and vision mixed the feeds together with presentation content for the TikTok LIVE broadcast.”

To support the broadcast, the team used a feed from ProPresenter alongside the two PTZ cameras, vision mixed using a Sprolink switcher with a dedicated PTZ controller for precise shots. The Sprolink also received a clean audio feed from the SQ5 mixer, which proved straightforward to configure and manage. Graphics and holding screens were run through ProPresenter; its layered system allowed text elements to be easily edited after backgrounds were uploaded, which was particularly useful for implementing quick changes to panel titles or speaker information without needing to redesign entire slides.

The final visual output from the Sprolink was sent both to the LED screen at the back of the stage and simultaneously to TikTok LIVE. “This duplicated output workflow allowed the same program feed to serve both the in-room audience and the online viewers without requiring additional routing or systems,” Briggs explains. “The integration of ProPresenter, the PTZ system, and the Sprolink allowed for a streamlined workflow, though additional camera angles and improved pre-event testing time could further enhance the visual interest and refinement of transitions for future events.”

Thoughts from the voices of CRE8

After his incredible session creating a track live, Teedee says, “An event like Cre8 pulls back the curtain on how the people in this industry work. Not just producers but promoters, managers, and label owners. It just goes to show it's not as complicated or as smoky as people may think.”

Following lending her voice on the management panel, Annie Josephine says, “I believe it’s good to create this kind of interactive space, because it can be difficult to get a foot in the industry, and it’s good we can share a bit of that and open up the door to give some advice. I didn’t get a lot of help when I started out, so it's nice to be able to give a bit back.”

Following the label panel, Coryn Brunavs was also full of enthusiasm: “It was nice to meet different people doing the same things with different labels and hear how things work slightly differently. So it was really fascinating for me. Learning about the multiple jobs there are in the music industry and what people actually do is really important and vital.”

After the peak behind the curtain of creating his hit, Waterfalls, Bobby Harvey is also delighted with how CRE8 turned out. “I've spent over 10 years coming to events like this, and without it, I wouldn’t be here now talking about how I got to where I am. If I hadn’t been asked to come and speak here, I would have come anyway. It’s such a great place to meet artists and industry professionals face to face. As soon as I walked in here, seeing it in person, I could imagine this continuing and being great.”

Gary Spittle is also on a high following the immersive panel. He feels that, “We were expecting to see quite a broad range of people and we exceeded our expectations. We had everything from students who are still at college wanting to learn about music and technology to some of the country’s best DJs and music producers. It’s been fantastic.

“To be involved with a groundbreaking event, we wanted to learn from people who will actually be using our technology and also be part of this great environment here at Tileyard. It’s a great place for everyone to come together at different levels. You have some of the really big brands rubbing shoulders with really small brands and startups like us. We need more events like this, because it's very accessible for smaller companies.”

After dropping gems of knowledge at the social media panel, Grahame Farmer shares the final word: “There’s so much going on down south already, and a lot of people can’t make it anyway because it’s too far to travel or too expensive. So having an event like CRE8 up north is so important.”

As CRE8 draws to a close, there’s a very palpable sense that the gathered artists, DJs, and producers are going away having learned invaluable things for their crafts and careers, and with their cups full. Let’s all dust off the decks and do it again next year – roll on CRE8 2027.