Revisiting SneakHxr Fest ‘23

2023 saw the return of Kick Game’s second annual SneakHxr Fest, bringing together the brand's incredible community to celebrate International Women’s Day. 

Taking what made 2022’s festivities so special and further expanding on them, Kick Game turned Shoreditch’s own Protein Studio into a fully-fledged festival featuring various vendors, artists and designers, drinks provided by Chivas Regal in addition to coffee from A’wa and confectionaries from Abs Bakes. 

While last year was an incredible event, 2023’s celebrations turned the dial to the maximum, almost tripling the size of the venue with each section configured with its own details providing a range of experiences and activations. The main room accommodated a selection of vendors guiding guests through to a workshop area and secluded wellness section; all of which was host to a selection of activities from grill design by Milk and Honey and zen painting courtesy of SSLAM while Culture Academy was hosting a meditative sound bath session. 

The entire day was highlighted by the lineup of talent and leading figureheads taking to the stage that stood at the heart of the venue. Live DJ sets were being played throughout the day with artists including Izzy Bossy, and JoceWavy, headlined by Tiffany Calver providing the beats in between a set of panels placing leading female voices front and centre. 

Kickstarting the discussions was Claudia Namu discussing the careers and accolades of Alice Dearing, Daryll Neita, Shannon Ryan and Danielle Carter followed up by a discussion centred around leading in business hosted by the co-founder of Wave Mag Alexa Venus with the trio of panel talks finalised by Tiffany Calver in conversation with Nada, Adeola Patronne and Eva Apio on pioneering in the music and media industry. 

Putting leading female figureheads front and centre was at the heart of the festival, giving a platform to the individuals that are creating waves in the industry and leaving their mark for generations to come. “SneakHxr fest was born from the desire to create a space for marginalised groups. This event is very close to home for me as a female in the sneaker industry. It’s important to support and empower women and give talented females the recognition they deserve”, commented Ayat El Zein, Kick Game’s Head of Partnerships. 

Going on to reminisce about the event as a whole, Ayat said: “The atmosphere was electric. The panels were empowering, it was so beautiful to see so many incredible women take part and share their stories. It could not have happened without the combined effort and support of all involved, from the team that worked tirelessly, to the vendors, DJs, and everyone in between. To see the progression from just one year fills me with so much joy and confidence. I can’t wait for the next one!”

Despite it not being a week since the celebrations, plans are already underway for SneakHxr Fest 2024. If you’d like to be involved or attend, click here and let us know. 

For more coverage of the event, head over to our socials. For everything else, keep it Kick Game.