2015

The summer of love Getting there is an adventure in itself. Many choose to drive, followed by taking the obligatory ferry, and arriving feels like a wonderful light at the end of a metaphorical tunnel. This is Bestival – and its beacon shone brightly on the Isle of Wight. The colourful, imaginative uniqueness that sets it apart from other festivals was set to end the music festival season with a bang. The 80,000devotees embraced the Summer of Love theme, and the year on year

Feels just like home Changing from one venue to another over the previous three years, it feels like the festival’s finally found its home. Set over two days, and including the option of camping from the Friday, it was the proper festival experience people were looking for – and being so close to the city centre it was near enough for those who prefer a slightly more luxurious festival experience. It was a celebration of music across the electronic spectrum, and brought the b

Forget about work - let's rave Whistles and glowsticks were mandatory – United Festival took you back in time to the days where people just danced, not caring in the slightest what they looked like. None of this supposed ‘cool’ two step (pssh…!) Another instalment within the renowned Found Series collection, this chapter celebrated 25 years of British rave culture – for 11 hours. There were 8 stages and over 150 acts, all packed in tents – so whatever the weather, it was neve

Summer's not over yet... Found Series provided another instalment of their summer of music festivals, each with it’s own unique identity – but all coming together as one. For Ceremony, this chapter provided a 360 degree view and celebration of dance music. With the end of the summer becoming ever apparent, it was a chance to dress up, act silly and enjoy the freedom the music festival lifestyle inevitably induces. The positioning and set-up of the festival at Finsbury Park, w

A relaxing alternative Sponsored by John Lewis, On Blackheath festival, now in its second year was a friendly festival situated on the gorgeous grassy heath of Blackheath Village, just south of Greenwich. It’s an expensive area and the demographic felt as though it was mainly from South Londoners there to enjoy the family-friendly event, which prides itself with its focus on good food, drink and music. The line-up isn’t radically different to last year with the Manic Street P

Sponsored by John Lewis, On Blackheath festival, now in its second year was a friendly festival situated on the gorgeous grassy heath of Blackheath Village, just south of Greenwich. It’s an expensive area and the demographic felt as though it was mainly from South Londoners there to enjoy the family-friendly event, which prides itself with its focus on good food, drink and music. The line-up isn’t radically different to last year with the Manic Street Preachers and Elbow perf

A proper scorcher.. What you’re coming into is a music festival, with a line-up comprised of popular musical artists; music otherwise known as ‘Pop’. Now, people give this supposed ‘Pop’, conformist culture a bad rep – but this music is popular for a reason right? If you’re the kind of person who’d prefer the avant-garde feel a Glastonbury provides – this may not be your thing. For the rest of us, V Festival is a celebration of mainstream music. V Festival’s 20th anniversary

A supersized fun-fair On arrival Forgotten Fields had the feeling of a wonderful fun-fair – complete with the stalls, games, music, familiar smells and sounds. The massive ferris wheel only further encouraged the illusion. From the creators of Kendal Calling, it was the first year for Forgotten Fields. The festival attracted young families – the boutique, local feel of the festival no doubt induced this. The crowd was varied though, and there was something for everyone. The s

A festival with a view... Imagine what the discussions surrounding the first ever Kendal Calling festival would have sounded like. What could we possibly do to make the stunning rolling hills of the Lake District better? How about a music festival? Correct. Now in 2015, ten years on Kendal Calling celebrated its milestone anniversary. The setting was beautiful. You drive into seemingly nowhere, which surreally adds to the whole experience. You’re introduced to the surprisingl

Let's put on our own festival..? Sure Starting with hugely successful East London parties, then appearing at Glastonbury, Unknown Festival, Exit Festival and Space in Ibiza, what was the next natural step . . . putting on your own festival? Sure, it’s what we’d all do too isn’t it . . . ? Pretty simple really. Not a lot of people knew about this festival, only the close followers of the performers or music-festival-lovers had it on their radar – but it was somewhat of a gem,

A trip back to childhood... Festival Life is a great thing isn’t it? The happiness, the freedom, the access to the vast amounts of sensory delights otherwise absent and unimaginable in your normal routine. This, and more is what defines Secret Garden Party. The grounds of SGP are perfectly sized; you were close enough to everything on offer but it was large enough for you to get lost in the countless beautifully curated and often secluded spaces, being drawn in to the spectru

Starting with hugely successful East London parties, then appearing at Glastonbury, Unknown Festival, Exit Festival and Space in Ibiza, what was the next natural step . . . putting on your own festival? Sure, it’s what we’d all do too isn’t it . . . ? Pretty simple really. Not a lot of people knew about this festival, only the close followers of the performers or music-festival-lovers had it on their radar – but it was somewhat of a gem, and though tickets were hard to get ho

Your very own London musical playground On the London music festival calendar, there is nothing quite like Citadel Festival – grand, chilled, different, this year it had everything required to fool yourself into thinking you didn’t have work the next day. After the bouncing vibes and teenage tomfoolery of Lovebox in Victoria Park over the preceding two days, Citadel brought a twenty-something/family crowd to East London. How they managed to change Lovebox Festival into Citad

The common comes alive to the sound of rock What makes a sunny Saturday on Clapham Common better? Calling Festival is what. The Oasis t-shirts were dug out from the depths of wardrobes and prised on in the anticipation of Noel Gallagher, whilst everyone else was sufficiently dressed in flip flops and shorts to make the most of the sun. The festival grounds itself were not large, but this added to the feeling of a community – rock fans coming together for one day a year. The e

Kan-yay...? There aren’t many festivals that sell out in 25 minutes, let alone one without a line up having being confirmed. Expectation is always high, with people wanting to feel that the £220 they spent on a ticket, and not on the bath that needed fixing, was worth it. There are reasons for this seemingly brash purchase. Glastonbury creates an aura of limitless possibility; what comes with the ticket is the intangible, priceless factor of anticipation. Expect the unexpecte

The South rises... Never trust a weather app was the first thought. On an expectedly cloudy and drab day, the sun reached out through the clouds, giving the crowd of variously styled vest wearers what they desired. The move from East to South London had no effect on the House and Techno revellers that this festival attracts – after all, we all want to act silly and party during the day don’t we? (Well, maybe not some people, but apart from them – EVERYBODY DOES.) The queues w