View source for Fantazia (rave music promoter)

{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2023}}
'''Fantazia''' was a [[rave music]] promoter and organiser based in the [[United Kingdom]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fantazia.org.uk/Biography/history.htm|title=Fantazia Music Old skool & House history|work=Fantazia.org.uk|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070202012432/http://www.fantazia.org.uk/Biography/history.htm|archive-date=2007-02-02}}</ref> It was founded in 1991 by [[James Perkins (businessman)|James Perkins]], Gideon Dawson & Chris Griffin,<ref name="djmag">{{cite web|url=https://djmag.com/longreads/let-us-be-your-fantasy-how-fantazia-brought-uk-rave-masses|title=Let us be your fantasy: How Fantazia brought UK rave to the masses|work=[[DJMag]]|date=21 January 2020}}</ref> and held a number of seminal raves at the height of the [[breakbeat hardcore]] scene in the early 1990s.
[[File:Fantazia Summertime Rave.jpg|thumb|Fantazia Summertime rave, May 1992]]
Fantazia first held a rave at Coventry's [[The Eclipse (club)|Eclipse]] nightclub, but would soon become best known for its large outdoor events.
* ''Fantazia New Year Eve'' (31 December 1991 – 1 January 1992) at [[Westpoint Arena|Westpoint Exhibition Centre]], near [[Exeter]] (10,000 people).
* ''Second Sight'' (21 - 22 February 1992) at Westpoint Centre, Exeter (8,000 people).
* ''Summertime'' (15 - 16 May 1992) at Matchams Park Stadium, [[Bournemouth]] (16,000 people).
* ''One Step Beyond'' (25 - 26 July 1992) at [[Donington Park]] (28,000 people).
* ''The Showcase'' (27 - 28 November 1992) at The Royal Bath & West Show ground, Shepton Mallet.
* ''Fantazia New Years Eve'' (31 December 1992 – 1 January 1993) at [[Littlecote House]] (near [[Hungerford]], [[Berkshire|Berks]]) (16,000 people).
* ''Fantazia 2nd Birthday Celebration'' (23 April 1993) at [[Sanctuary Music Arena|The Sanctuary]], Milton Keynes (6,000 people)
* ''The Big Bang'' (27 November 1993) at [[SEC Centre|SECC Centre]], Glasgow (12,000 people)
By 1993, Fantazia hosted club night tours across the UK. Its biggest event that year was ''The Big Bang'' at Glasgow's [[Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre|SECC Centre]] in November, which set a record at the time as the largest ever indoor rave. <ref>{{Cite web |title=Fantazia The Big Bang 2 - 28th September 2013 |url=http://www.ukraves.co.uk/news_and_events/fantazia-the-big-bang-2-28th-september-2013.htm |access-date=2023-04-11 |website=www.ukraves.co.uk}}</ref>
In addition to raves, Fantazia also released a number of compilation albums, including "The First Taste" (1992), "Twice As Nice" (1993), and then moving into [[house music|house]] compilations with the "House Collection" series (1994–1997).
In October 1997, Fantazia returned with ''Fantazia: The Return of a Legend'', at the [[G-Mex]] in [[Manchester]].<ref name="djmag"></ref>
On 14 April 2019 Gideon Dawson was found dead in his Cheltenham home after suffering an overdose of cocaine and prescription drugs.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://mixmag.net/read/rave-legend-fantazia-co-founder-gideon-dawson-died-from-a-drug-overdose-news|title=Rave legend and Fantazia co-founder Gideon Dawson died from a drug overdose|work=[[MixMag]]|date=23 October 2019}}</ref>
==See also==
*[[List of electronic music festivals]]
*[[Breakbeat hardcore]]
==References==
{{Reflist}}
== External links ==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20071005180213/http://www.fantazia.org.uk/ Archived Fantazia Website] at [[Wayback Machine]]
* [https://www.discogs.com/label/6202-Fantazia Fantazia] at [[Discogs.com]]
{{Electronic music festival}}
{{authority control}}
[[Category:Music festivals established in 1991]]
[[Category:Dance companies in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Rave culture in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Electronic music festivals in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Electronic music event management companies]]
[[Category:Rave]]
[[Category:1991 establishments in the United Kingdom]]