One park, two festivals – which one will you choose this weekend: the dance music spectacular that is The Social or the exotic mix of the Maidstone Mela?

The biggest names in dance music past and present will share the decks with local talent at The Social.

The one-day festival will boast three arenas and promises to ‘bring a taste of Ibiza to the South East’.

When organiser and local lad Nic Fanciulli, a superstar DJ in his own right, was putting his line-up together, he looked no further than an old friend for his headline act.

Therefore the godfather of techno, Carl Cox, will be appearing at the event in Maidstone’s Mote Park on Saturday, September 13. The pair used to DJ together at the former Atomics nightclub in Maidstone in the 1990s.

“Nic will make sure he has the best production, the best lighting and the best music,” said Carl, who relishes the chance to visit Kent from his current home of Australia.

“Kent is such a beautiful place. Whenever I get the chance, I ride my motorbike to see Nic and we’ll go for a curry or to The Swan [in West Malling],” he added.

Carl will be joined by newer names on the UK dance scene including Ben Pearce, Route 94, and Gorgon City.

But Nic, 35, who grew up in Maidstone and now lives in West Malling, is also giving a platform to other Kent talent, including Rob Cockerton who is a resident at The Source bar in Maidstone.

Nic said: “Local acts are an integral part of any show we do. We’ve got people coming to The Social from all over the country and it’s a great opportunity to show the talent Maidstone has to offer.”

The Social is at Maidstone’s Mote Park on Saturday, September 13, from 11am to 11pm. Visit www.thesocialfestival.com. Tickets cost from £45.

The event is for over 18s only.

NEW BLOOD

Among the biggest DJ names at The Social is Mancunian Ben Pearce, synonymous with his breakout hit What I Might Do, a deep house anthem that dominated club floors across the world in 2012.

This brought instant support from the likes of Pete Tong and Annie Mac, who played the track repeatedly on BBC Radio One and the track went on to go Platinum in Europe.

He’s also known for his remixing, having worked with the likes of Le Youth and Redlight.

The sweet sound of unity will ring out across Mote Park as cultural diversity in all its glory is celebrated.

Soul singer Ruby Turner, will headline the festival of song, dance and food as Maidstone Mela takes over the park on Sunday, September 14, hot on the heels of the previous day’s dance music event, The Social.

The Mela actually kicks in to life on Friday, September 12, with a carnival parade of musicians and more than 400 children from County Hall via Fremlin Walk to Brenchley Gardens. The procession will start at 1.35pm and end in the gardens at about 2pm.

But, after a day’s break, the main event will be stored up for Sunday, when the party reconvenes at Mote Park at 12.30pm.

Diverse acts appearing with Ruby Turner, who is a regular guest on Jools Holland’s TV show Later, will include Bollywood Blast, Gypsy Stars, Four by Four Bhangra, and Uzambezi Arts.

The live music and dancing will continue until 7pm with the international food and craft stalls trading through the day.

The event’s artistic director Gurvinder Sandher said: “I am very pleased with the breadth of acts we have for this year’s Mela, everything from calypso, Bollywood, Irish dance to traditional Nepalese and Roma music.

“I am confident the Afro-bhangra fusion will prove to be popular, and what a great treat to see the legendary Ruby Turner performing live.”

Maidstone Mela is a free event at Mote Park on Sunday, September 14, with music running from 12.30pm. More details at www.maidstonemela.com.

Ruby Turner will be on stage at 5.30pm.