CHASE and Status headlined an energetic and dance music themed instalment of SandFest.

The day festival, held at Sandbanks beach for the third time, played host to household names in the drum and bass and dance music scene and was sold out well in advance of the festival date.

The event was held at the same location and using the same facilities as the British Beach Polo held in Sandbanks the day before. After a relatively cloudy morning, the sun burst through at early afternoon leaving perfect weather conditions for drinking and dancing.

There were plenty of refreshment options, with stalls from Chicken and Blues, Fish and Chips, the Braai Box, The Big Bang Pizza and Fired Up BBQ as well as water refill stations.

Several sunbathers who weren’t attending the festival jostled for spots close to the fence along the shore and boats moored just of shore to be within earshot of the music. Disabled access was also provided with boardwalks around most of the site.

K1r3y and Jay Welch kicked the festival off, followed by a short half an hour set from Sweet Female Attitude, who performed her hit garage single “Flowers”.

DJ Luck and MC Neat took over for a two-hour set, with special guest and Sandbanks resident Harry Redknapp coming on stage to accompany them with one of their hit songs. Jaguar Skills, Hannah Wants and Example followed, playing a range of dance classics and modern remixes.

Yxng Bane was the penultimate act, playing a mix of his tracks and hip-hop classics, and a Chase and Status, who performed a DJ set led by one of the duo Chase, closed the event with a repertoire featuring mostly drum and bass and jungle.

The event wasn’t without its hitches. Card machines at the event were temperamental as they struggled with internet connection. Security guards were also called in on a few occasions, with one male security guard suffering a dislocated knee following an altercation in the VIP section.

Overall, the event ran very smoothly and, thanks to a strong presence by police and security guards, disruption was kept to a minimum and a good time was had by all.