New festival The Recipe announces Grammy-winning R&B star Jazmine Sullivan as headliner

The Recipe, a brand new 15,000-capacity all-inclusive festival, will launch this summer at Gunnersbury Park in London.

The announcement comes as R&B star Jazmine Sullivan is unveiled as the inaugural event’s first headliner, marking the first time in a decade that she will perform in the UK.

Other artists booked to perform include SiR and Grammy-nominated R&B singer Alex Isley, with more to be announced in the coming months. The event will be held on Saturday 6 July, with tickets going on sale in early April.

Sullivan has won two Grammy Awards and is known to millions of fans for hit singles including “Bust Your Windows”, “Insecure” and “Pick Up Your Feelings”.

Her 2021 EP, Heaux Tales, her first project since her critically acclaimed 2015 album Reality Show, won the Album of the Year prize at the 2021 BET Awards, and Best R&B Album at the 64th Grammys.

The Recipe, for which The Independent will serve as the exclusive news partner, follows the success of promoters’ DLT’s success with DLT: Malta, hailed by music publications for “creating a space for Black joy”.

“We wanted to introduce The Recipe because we noticed a consistent inclination to seek festival line-ups and experiences abroad that resonated with us,” festival co-founder Anthony Iban told The Independent.

“Personally, I travelled all the way to Philadelphia for a festival and was captivated by its fusion of food, community, and music in a single venue. Recognizing the absence of such an immersive experience in London, we set out to fill that gap and want the event to become a staple in people’s festival calendar.”

Iban said the festival would offer “stellar performances” from the artists and DJs on its lineup, as well as numerous other attractions across the days.

Ticket-holders will be able to sample “as much as they like” of the diverse assortment of food and drink on offer, unwind at the event’s “relaxation” station and enjoy a variety of fairground attractions.

Reacting to the announcement that Jazmine Sullivan will headline this year’s festival, Iban recalled seeing her headline show at KOKO back in 2014: “Such a memorable experience for me,” he said.

“Now, we’re eagerly anticipating her return to London. She has so much new music she is yet to perform here and her performance promises to be one to remember. She sets the perfect tone to kick off The Recipe.”

Among the food venues confirmed for The Recipe are Santa Nata, which specialises in authentic, traditional Pastel de Nata, and Sweet Dee’s Jerk, which offers Caribbean-inspired bowls, wraps and bagels. Foodies will also be able to try tacos and Mexican small plate dishes from Breddos Tacos.

Tickets for The Recipe will be released at 10am on Friday 5 April via Ticketmaster.