WHEN it comes to UK electronic music festivals, events like Creamfields, Global Gathering and South West Four lead the way.

Their dominance of dance, however, could be about to change. That’s if Jimmy Lee has his way.

The 26-year-old, along with his DJ partner John Slater and business partner Paul King, is hoping to redefine the landscape of summer dance festivals with a new event... right here in Essex.

On Sunday, the inaugural Dance Crusade is aiming to attract upwards of 6,000 revellers to Orsett Showground, in Rectory Road, Grays.

And despite being the debut year, the outdoor event is already punching above its weight with the names of Judge Jules, Richard Durand, Marcel Woods and Tall Paul sitting amongst the line-up.

They will be joined by many other DJs across a handful of stages. The arenes include Ministry of Sound’s resident Friday club night the Gallery, and one hosted by the global house brand Hed Kandi.

“I think it’s the best ever DJ line-up seen in Essex,” says Jimmy, from Orsett.

“The Gallery and Hed Kandi Arenas have line-ups that would feature in any big DJ festival around the country. Having them both states the intent of the festival – it’s going to be long lasting.”

Established club nights Raindance and Epidemik team up with their own arena, offering a roster which features the Rat Pack Live, Slipmatt and Brandon Block. Two of the biggest promoters in Essex will also collide in the Too Damn Glam Vs Motherfunkers Arena, to serve up names like Kid Massive, Mark Storie and Pique.

The idea for the one-day festival stems from Jimmy and 26-year-old John’s experience of DJing.

The pair found they had to travel to London to play and hear the music they wanted.

“It’s about bringing that music scene here,” says Jimmy.

The pair started hosting their own festival at the Bull pub, in Church Road, Corringham, which attracted 1,000 dance fans.

Ready to take it to the next stage, they brought in Paul King, 30, from Chelmsford, as assistant manager, and began planning Dance Crusade.

Jimmy says: “We have got full circus tents, and big lighting and music systems. It’s going to be a high market affair.”

Part of this comes in the form of a VIP area, but regular festival-goers will still get access to chill-out areas, a fun fair and various food stalls throughout the day.

The trio are hoping the festival can one day rival those staged by major club brands like Cream and Gategrasher.