2026/06/25 – Fatboy Slim – Cannock Chase, Staffordshire
Review & Photos: G. Rossington.
Few artists can transform a woodland into one giant nightclub quite like Fatboy Slim. Bringing the final date of his Woodland Tour to Cannock Chase, Norman Cook delivered an open-air rave that felt equal parts celebration, nostalgia and all-out party. Surrounded by towering trees and bathed in warm summer evening light, thousands danced from the opening moments until long after the final beat had faded.
The setting itself played a huge part in the experience. Celebrating its 25th anniversary, Forest Live, presented by Forestry England and Cuffe and Taylor, has become renowned for pairing world-class artists with some of England’s most beautiful woodland locations. Cannock Chase proved the perfect backdrop, where nature and dance music blended effortlessly into something genuinely unique.
The evening’s support acts laid the foundations perfectly. Dylan Walton, Lizzie Curious and LP Giobbi each built the atmosphere as the sun slowly disappeared behind the trees. Lizzie Curious, in particular, had the crowd in the palm of her hand with a confident, feel-good set packed with instantly recognisable dance anthems. Tracks such as ‘Freed from Desire’ sparked the first huge singalongs of the evening, with hands in the air and smiles stretching across the arena.
LP Giobbi maintained that momentum with an uplifting set full of infectious house grooves and euphoric melodies. One of the biggest cheers before the headline act even began came when she welcomed Fatboy Slim onto the stage for a brief appearance, teasing what was still to come. She rounded off her performance by handing sunflowers to fans along the front barrier—a thoughtful, personal moment that reflected the welcoming atmosphere surrounding the entire event.
As darkness settled over Cannock Chase, anticipation reached its peak. Fatboy Slim made his entrance to ‘Pure Imagination’ from Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, immediately setting a playful tone before launching the crowd into party mode within moments.
Visually, the production was every bit as exhilarating as the music. Giant screens cycled through Fatboy Slim’s trademark pop-culture visuals, flashing iconic faces including David Bowie and Prince, while lasers, smoke and vibrant bursts of colour transformed the woodland into an ever-changing outdoor nightclub. Somehow, in the middle of a forest, the spectacle felt completely at home.
Musically, the set was a masterclass in pacing. Fatboy Slim effortlessly stitched together classics from his own catalogue with inventive edits, mash-ups and nods to dance music’s wider history, constantly keeping the audience guessing. An early tease of ‘The Rockefeller Skank’ prompted an audible roar from the crowd, before its eventual full arrival later in the night triggered one of the biggest explosions of energy of the evening.
What elevates a Fatboy Slim show beyond simply watching a DJ, though, is Norman Cook himself. Throughout the night he was in constant conversation with the audience—pointing towards different sections of the crowd, encouraging singalongs, throwing his arms into the air and clearly feeding off every reaction. He enthusiastically sang along to many of his own vocal samples and famous hooks, grinning throughout as though he was enjoying the party just as much as everyone in front of him. Rather than remaining behind the decks, he made the enormous audience feel surprisingly connected.
The standout moment came when Cook climbed down from the stage and walked along the front barrier, urging the first few rows to crouch to the floor. Within seconds, thousands followed suit. Holding the tension perfectly, he counted the crowd in before everyone erupted into the air together as the drop hit—a simple but brilliantly executed moment of collective release that perfectly captured the joyous spirit of the evening.
Of course, no Fatboy Slim performance would be complete without ‘Praise You’, which became one of the night’s biggest singalongs, proving that some dance tracks transcend genres and generations alike. Elsewhere, inventive reworks of ‘Mr Brightside’ and ‘Born Slippy’ demonstrated Cook’s uncanny ability to blend decades of dance music into one seamless, high-energy journey without ever losing the momentum.
The closing run refused to let the pace dip. ‘Eat, Sleep, Rave, Repeat’ and ‘Right Here, Right Now’ landed as colossal late-set highlights before the evening closed with the now-famous ‘Satisfaction Skank’ finale, capped by The Beatles’ timeless line: “And in the end the love you take is equal to the love you make.” It was an ending that somehow felt both euphoric and strangely uplifting—a fitting conclusion to a night built on togetherness.
Perhaps the most heartwarming sight of all was the audience itself. Families danced alongside lifelong ravers, children perched on shoulders singing lyrics that predated them by decades, while groups of friends lost themselves in the music beneath the trees. It served as a reminder that Fatboy Slim’s music continues to unite generations, creating the kind of shared experiences that few artists can consistently deliver.
With more than two million people having attended Forest Live concerts over the past quarter of a century, Cannock Chase once again demonstrated why the series remains one of Britain’s most distinctive live music experiences. In the hands of an artist like Fatboy Slim—whose infectious enthusiasm, boundless energy and genuine connection with his audience are as important as the music itself—it became far more than just another headline show. It was one enormous celebration, tucked away beneath the trees, and one that those in attendance won’t forget anytime soon.
