So you want to go to a festival? [Festival Fever]

So you want to go to a festival?

Posted on March 5, 2008 2:04 PM
2 comments

Choosing the best festival of the year is a tricky business. Especially when musical tastes vary from the immature to obscure. We can't all be metal heads and some of us gave glow sticks long ago, some people prefer lentils to beer and a few have little nippers in tow. The truth is; a festival is often what you make of it, who you go with and how well you prepare in advance. Take a hefty supply of wet wipes and open mind and you'll have a ball wherever you end up.

Check out Seatwave’s extensive list of festival tickets and information – and start planning those days off (sick days) now.

It's impossible to name the best festivals before they happen. Here's a few based on past experience and speculation. This year, my own preference is towards the little festivals - and the more obscure experiences overseas. Here's a couple of suggestions for those wanting to dabble in 2008.

Cheap festival:
If you like free ice cream Ben and Jerry's Summer Sundae Weekender is hard to beat. It's cheap, it's in central London and it tastes good.

Best freebie:
Buy and sell UK festival tickets.
Buy and sell
You can’t beat the Rise Festival; a great anti-racism message and a free day out, all rolled into one. This year’s event happens at Finsbury Park on Sunday 13th July 2008. African music, theatre, rides and food… oh, the glorious food.

Best for dressing up:
Bestival looks set to be a sun-packed corker - and most people mention this Isle Of Wight gem when queried about their top fest. Rob Da Bank's Bestival won the 'Best Medium Festival' in the 2007 UK Festival Awards and 2008's line-up is headed by My Bloody Valentine. Aphex Twin, The Breeders, CSS, George Clinton And Funkadelic/Parliament, Gary Numan, The Human League, Pendulum, 808 State, and Foals will also be there.

Take a trip:
This is a tough one... Benicassim takes the festival cake and eat it too. What could be better than Spanish beach-side sun, food, a wide variety of music and tanned bodies. Just ask headliners; Babyshambles , My Bloody Valentine and Jose Gonzalez. Sangria anyone? Rock Am Ring is also worth the air miles. The Verve, Queens of the Stone Age and Swedish masters of metal OPETH will be there to provide the entertainment to accompany your sauerkraut.

Mainstream central:
If you don't mind the more commercial festivals, V is full of mainstream headliners. Muse, Amy Winehouse, Kings Of Leon, Stereophonics, Kaiser Chiefs, The Prodigy, The Kooks, The Zutons, The Pigeon Detectives, Lenny Kravitz, Maximo Park, Ian Brown and The Chemical Brothers are all set to appear. Girls Aloud, Newton Faulkner, The Pogues, The Charlatans, The Hoosiers, Reverend And The Makers, The Feeling and Alanis Morissette will also perform. It's like one, big live MTV video show really. Just watch your step when you leave... lthere's usually a sea of noodles underfoot.

The little 'uns:
In a bid to try everything, we'll cover a festival every weekend in 2008. The small fests hold the most promise for a chilled out, eclectic smorgasbord of music and entertainment. Blissfields, Wickerman, Bloom, Beautiful Days, End Of The Road, Green Man, Secret Garden Party, Peace & Love and Uppsala Reggae Festival in Sweden are just a few. We'll meet you by the market stall with the funky hats.

Top tip:
Pry yourself away from the big headline acts, top up your beverage and meander your way through the festival grounds. The best festival moments often happen when you stumble upon a secret gig in a tiny tent, when you befriend a dreadlocked stranger on the side of a hill, spend hours trying to perfect your moves in a Burlesque tent or find love (or maybe lust) beside a mud-soaked stage. The smaller, quirkier festivals are the ones we plan to hit hard in 2008. Whatever field, park or patch of grass you choose this summer, do yourself a favour and ditch the programme. The gems you stumble upon are the ones you'll talk about well after the festival sweat is washed out of your hair.

What festival will you go to this year? Which ones hit your 'G(reat)' spot last year? Tell all in the comments section.

Related links:
Buy and sell UK festival tickets.
Buy and sell international festival tickets.

Comments (2)

Clare
Hey, Please email me a contact email so I am able to send you info on festival line-ups. Thanks.
Posted on March 17, 2008 5:50 PM

Leona (:
I really >>NEED<< to get myself to a concert or festival or something....will love it...love music, camping, the works...just haven't a clue how to go about buying tickets so pleassseeee tell me....email me plesh...thankyou very much :D:D. .x.
Posted on April 1, 2008 9:43 PM