# Hackney police lose bid to stop pop-up rave from viral black cab duo

Published 2026-11-12 by OBSCUUR Records. Source: https://obscuur.io/blogs/news/hackney-police-lose-bid-to-stop-pop-up-rave-from-viral-black-cab-duo

Hackney Council has refused a police request to stop a pop-up street party outside Hackney Wick Station, so the event goes ahead on Saturday 14 November, via [Mixmag](https://mixmag.net/read/hackney-police-lose-bid-to-prevent-pop-up-rave-from-viral-black-cab-duo-news). The organisers are Boys In A Taxi, a TikTok duo who play UKG and dancehall from a converted black cab.

## What happened with the Hackney Wick pop-up rave?

DJ Boyblue and MC Dean C have been turning up around London in recent weeks, setting up impromptu street events with the cab as the sound system. Clips of police officers approaching the pair have been shared widely on TikTok.

This time they went through the formal route. They submitted a Temporary Event Notice to Hackney Council for a two-hour event outside the station, from 8pm to 10pm on Saturday, listing an expected attendance of 400.

## Why did the police object?

According to the report, Hackney Police asked the council to issue a counter notice. Their concern was that an open public space offers no practical way to control numbers, which they said could mean excess noise and a risk to public safety.

At the licensing hearing on 3 November, DJ Boyblue said the duo had already run similar events outside the station every two weeks without notifying the council, as they did not realise permission was needed. He said earlier events finished on time at 10pm and worked as a warm-up before people moved on to a night out. Local residents and businesses submitted statements of support, and councillors welcomed the decision to follow the correct process. On 6 November they rejected the counter notice.

## Why does it matter for club culture?

Street-level parties are where a lot of dance music starts. A small, legal, time-limited event with local backing, approved through a standard licensing process, is a useful example for anyone who wants to put music in the street without the usual friction. It also shows that the paperwork can work in favour of the people throwing the party.

The sound here is UK garage, a close relative of the house and bass-heavy dance music we release, and the same questions of space, licensing and neighbours apply across every genre.

## Where this connects to OBSCUUR

If garage and house are your thing, start with our [Garage](/genres/garage) and [House](/genres/house) pages. For the latest from the label, hear [DJ Mischkonsum – Inner City Echoes](/releases/dj-mischkonsum-inner-city-echoes), and catch our weekly sets on the [live page](/live). Producers with a finished track can send it through [submissions](/submissions).

The full licensing story is worth reading at the source, and Saturday will show how it plays out on the street.