Size really doesn't matter

Hogsozzle is all about the wonderful hog and having fun, simple. Started off by a group of friends, this boutique, independent music festival has continued to grow every year, adding more hogs, more stages, more people and most importantly, a whole lot more fun! This year was a near sell-out, with nearly all 1500 tickets being sold – an unsurprising outcome after we experienced the music festival ourselves. This year there was the epic hog roast, 4 stages of party inducing beats, talks, a helicopter, trapeze artists to name but a few of the activities on offer.  

As we arrived at the site in the beaming sunshine, the first thing we felt was a total sense of community – this is a relatively small music festival and this creates an atmosphere you don’t normally get at the larger ones. As we walked through the thatched entrance, weaving past the skilled graffiti artist, we were welcomed by the smell of succulent hog and the sound of the superbly energetic Tuba Libres. We of course got involved. This year’s theme was the ‘Cosmic Disco’ and everyone well and truly made a top level effort. There were spacemen, solar systems, aliens and even a full on spaceship as part of Hogsozzle’s festival decor.

Situated on a hill, with the main stage at the foot of it – it allowed everyone to see the music wherever you were. There were underground stages which turned from talks in the day to DJ beats at night, chill-out areas throughout including random sofas dotted around (which was a nice touch), an activity area with table tennis and table football, alongside a mega wooden shack for a bar. The campsite had ample space and the atmosphere here was as good as within the music festival itself, we even managed to catch some of the F.A Cup final in someone’s tepee.

So, the food – this was hands down some of the best hog we’ve tasted EVER, genuinely. With the ticket you get the hog roast included and you get a very decent feed for this. Hog roast sandwich, beans and salad. We’d have happily paid for the hog roast, but to have it included was something you rarely get as part of the ticket - there was also a selection of other food options too if you got peckish.

Fully fed, we headed into the night-time. As the sun set on the site it got recognisably busier, with everyone from the campsite coming to join the party – forming a sea of amazing fancy dress and a whole lot of fairy lights. As the music continued to pump out, the DJ sets were also in full flow, being able to change from the stomping swing and electro beats of Electric Swing Circus to garage classics within seconds was a real plus point, experiencing all the sights and sounds within a stone’s throw.

Being our first time at Hogsozzle we didn’t quite know what to expect. It’s rare to see a music festival that’s kept its fledgling charm from the days when it was just the humble hog in a garden with a solitary sound system. This is one of our favourite music festivals we’ve been to, and we’d highly recommend you get involved in the ridiculousness next year! Look out for early bird tickets coming soon.

Photography courtesy of Nimble Events.