World’s deepest underground rave set for Welsh slate mine
A record‑breaking rave will descend 1,375 ft into Snowdon’s Cwmorthin mine on 15 Oct, featuring Roni Size and cutting‑edge sound‑capture technology.
A world‑record attempt to stage the deepest underground rave ever will take place 1,375 feet beneath the slopes of Snowdon on 15 October.
Organisers have chosen the abandoned Cwmorthin slate mine in Eryri as the venue, converting a remote chamber into a temporary dancefloor for a limited group of ballot winners.
Participants will descend from the surface via the mine’s original miners’ stairways, navigate water‑logged passages and underground ravines, then negotiate scrambles, zip lines and abseils before reaching the final chamber.
The event will see drum‑and‑bass pioneer Roni Size perform a one‑off set, marking a return to the underground roots that defined Bristol’s early rave scene.
Size, whose 1997 Mercury‑prize‑winning album *New Forms* brought jungle to mainstream audiences, said the setting offered a unique chance to “play to the environment, and the crowd”.
“Back in Bristol, we’d put on a party wherever we could, and some of the sounds came from what we called happy accidents, playing a track at the wrong speed, hearing something that sounds new but still works.” Raves could take place in some crazy and unexpected places, on someone’s front lawn, down in tunnels, but what I’ve always done is play to the environment, and the crowd.
The set is a living, breathing thing that reflects the people there with you. That’s the spirit I want to take into Cwmorthin.
By the time we’re 1,375 feet underground, everyone there will already have shared an adventure. And how much more could you reflect the environment, than by pumping a set into the mountain, hearing the sound travelling through the slate, rock and mud, and bringing it back into the mix.
Specialist sound engineers will install vibration transducers that send the music into the surrounding slate, while geophones and hydrophones capture the resulting vibrations travelling through rock, water and mud.
The captured data will be fed back into the performance, creating a feedback loop that blends the acoustic properties of the mine with the DJ’s set.
The event is organised by watch brand G‑SHOCK, which will use the occasion to launch its new £200 MUDMAN watch, though attendance is restricted to those who meet age, fitness and equipment criteria.
Entries for the public ballot closed on 9 October via the Casio website, with successful applicants receiving detailed safety briefings and required gear, including helmets, harnesses and waterproof clothing.
G‑SHOCK Radio will broadcast the set live from Cwmorthin Quarry using Starlink satellite technology, and the full performance will be uploaded to Mixcloud after the event.
Organisers intend to submit video and acoustic evidence to an independent adjudicator to confirm the world‑record claim.
While underground concerts have been staged in former mines before, none have reached the depth planned for this October night, making it the furthest point beneath the earth in the UK that the public can legally access.
Safety teams will monitor air quality, structural stability and participant health throughout the descent and performance, with emergency evacuation routes pre‑mapped in case of incident.
The rave promises a rare convergence of music, geology and technology, offering participants an experience that is as much a scientific experiment as a cultural celebration.