Festivals.

There’s a ‘gigs’ topic on the forum, but are there any festivals to recommend?

Could be food, music, books, anything…

Being around 15 minutes drive from my house – Y-Not in the Peak District is the one for me.

The lineup is always a bit meh. Kaiser Chiefs, Noel Gallagher, Jamie T (looking forward to seeing him) and Snow Patrol headlining.

Thursday – Sunday. Camped a few times, but now take the caravan – game changer,as 9/10 times it rains – heavily. It’s always a great vibe (some scrotes too as always) and being local, always have big groups of mates kicking about. Regardless of the headliners, there are always some great smaller bands and then there’s the campsite socialising/afters etc.

Might try Kendal calling next year, the lineup is always just that bit better. Tramlines is also accessible for me, being in Sheffield with similar lineups, but no camping.

Bearded Theory is also reasonably local and quite fancy it – supposed to be a great family vibe. Will do Download one year (probably). Have zero interest in Glasto

No idea what the festival is like but I bought tickets to Bearded Theory (the name alone would put me off normally) just so I can see Amyl and the Sniffers. Also looking forward to seeing Bob Vylan. Others I’m curious to see despite their age are Jane’s Addiction and Eddie Tudorpole (and he’d better be dressed in armour performing ‘Swords of a Thousand Men’ or I will be disappointed 😀 ).

I’ve been to most Beardeds – maybe missed two. Always was a great vibe but last time they **** up a bit, sold too many tickets, **** up the camper field and the Woodlands stage…first time I saw Bob Vylan was there and they were amazing.

Hopefully they have sorted the issues this year as I fancy Dinosaur Jr and Janes…

I’m waiting for Forwards to announce this year’s line up.  Aphex Twin last year was the most intense musical experience.  It was a full-on assault of the senses.  Not sure how they are going to top that but I’ll still go if it’s someone half decent.

Not a festival person, but as mentioned on the gigs thread, got bought a Friday ticket to All Points East (Victoria Park, London). Lineup looks great.
Field Day before it looks good too, all part of the same fest, I think.

Also came to recommend Forwards in Bristol. I went the year before and Chemical Bros also provided an awesome full on assault – my daughter loved it.

I’m going again this year – just hoping the line up is good

Another fan of Bearded Theory here too. It has a great vibe and nowhere near as “twee middle class foodie lifestyle” as the name would suggest.

After a few years of slightly lackluster Download line-ups, I’ve upped my rock/metal festival game this year and I’m off to Hellfest in northern France.

Last year we did Glasto, Green Man & End Of The Road, Green Man & End Of the Road are both brilliant – Green Man obviously just pipped  EOTR as we’re going back there this year.

Also came to recommend Forwards in Bristol

what’s the other one in Bristol? Simple Things? that’s got Gilla Band and Giant Swan on the same bill. My head explodes at the thought of that. 😱

High Lights in Barking Park looks up my musical boulevard.  Max Cooper, Rival Consoles and Calibre.

(plug mode on/)

Meanwhile at the Jewel of the Severn…

Home

Come along it’s free, especially if your Bristol based, it’s just a hop on the train 🙂

(plug mode off/)

Y Not looks pretty good again, always attracts a couple of bigger bands that surprise me.

No Splendour this year in Nottingham, seems the council have cut costs by sacking the guy/gal that signs it off.

Latitude looks a good lineup in a “retro/would be a laugh” sort of way.

No idea what the festival is like but I bought tickets to Bearded Theory (the name alone would put me off normally)…

Never heard of it, name is awful, not interested.

…just so I can see Amyl and the Sniffers. Also looking forward to seeing Bob Vylan.

Shit. I’m off to the website now…

End of the Road

@MoreCashThanDash

No Splendour this year in Nottingham, seems the council have cut costs by sacking the guy/gal that signs it off.

The story is the council put the festival out to tender to see if the could squeeze a few extra quid from another organiser. They left this process far too late though, didn’t get the bids they hoped and it was too late for the current organiser to book any bands!! 🤦‍♂️

So rather than working with the successful organiser they had, they’re left with no festival at all and no money coming in this year. Festivals notoriously lose money – so to have one that worked was a good place to be. Numpties…

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-68073148

IMBC craft beer festival worth a shout if that’s your thing….. Can be an expensive day out of you judge it purely on the number of drinks per pound, but I like it just for the opportunity to visit Victoria baths

Tickets

As for YNot – I’m done with it. Too many years of shit weather and shit organisation – I’m too old to be camping in a swamp!

As for YNot – I’m done with it. Too many years of shit weather and shit organisation – I’m too old to be camping in a swamp!

Don’t know what ya on about mate 🤣

…the wife’s got a horse – no money for a caravan! 🤣

We could kip in her horse trailer!? 🤔

Belladrum again this year. Although I will be on night shifts in the hospital unit.

I’d love to know how you got tickets for Hellfest, essentially gone in seconds

Really loved bearded theory (if interested you can read my review of it here https://thesoulofaclown.com/2023/05/29/bearded-theory-26-28-may-2023-catton-hall/

id also recommend 2000 trees, Red Rooster and Black Deer as decent small to mid sized festivals.

I went to Supersonic and DesertFest last year and All Points East in 2022.

Supersonic is ace, and I’ll be going again this year.  Small, noisy, independent.

All Points East has a good Indie-Dad line up this year, but I’ll be on a family holiday so can’t go.  For a commercial festival I thought it was nice and chilled, not too big, well organised and an older crowd.

Oh, and Machina Bristronica – which is a modular synth festival in Bristol.  Two days this year, but I’ll probably only go to one.

Greenman and EOTR are very similar to each other, just the right size and attitude/ideology, great beer tents, I’ve done Greenman twice, EOTR once, and I saw a great lineup at all of them, with plenty of acts I’d either heard of, heard on 6Music or were completely new.

Great thing is it’s really easy to get from one performance area to another in minutes, without needing public transport, which Glasto always looks like you’re going to need. Never been, and it would require a free ticket to encourage me to go.

Eden festival near Dumfries for us this year. It’s a fantastic festival with a wide range of stages and things to do. It’s very friendly, well organised and a lot of fun.

I was about to say Eden as well. Mates sons band are playing.

I’ve got tickets to Greenman (with the family) and End of The Road (with mates).  Did both last year and they were great.  The only hassle is that they are so close, you barely recover from GM before EotR comes round.  GM has sold out but EotR has announced the lineup and tickets are still available.

I’d love to know how you got tickets for Hellfest, essentially gone in seconds

After they sold out, a mate found some as part of a package deal – Hotel+Tickets for the festival.

https://www.argonevents.com/events/all-events/hellfest/

Looks like they have 1 space for coach+ticket+camping left.

EotR is less than 15 min walk from my house. Which is obviously amazing but does kind of ruin other festivals for me. Would agree it’s great for finding new stuff, same as green man. Best in that regard for me was ATP, sadly no more. Have also heard good things about Bearded Theory.

Different theme is the Chalke Valley History Festival, which I’ve really enjoyed.

https://www.sec.co.uk/events/detail/rai-con-scotlands-anime-convention