Tag: UK festival guide

The Ultimate Music Blitz: A Summer of Festivals 2015

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Imagine if you had a private jet, your choice of tickets, and a completely free schedule for June, July, and August of this year. Well, we’ve waved our magic wand, and here’s our dream lineup of festivals for you this summer:

Bonnaroo, Tennessee June 11 – 14

We’d start festival season stateside and take in the Tennessee music, arts, and culture bonanza that is Bonnaroo. Of the 150 musical acts, we’ll be up front for My Morning Jacket, Robert Plant and the Sensational Space Shifters, Deadmau5, and Slayer. Free yoga classes and the Broo’ers microbrewery festival will certainly add to the laid-back vibe.

Firefly Festival, Delaware June 18 – 21

Escape to the country for the Firefly Festival in Dover, Delaware. We like the Hammock Hangout, the Brewery craft beer bar, the Market outdoor bazaar, and, of course, the music. This year’s headliners include the Killers, Kings of Leon, Morrissey, and Snoop Dogg.

Glastonbury, Somerset 24 -28 June

The original and still the best, Glastonbury hits the grand old age of 45 this year. Fatboy Slim has confirmed he’ll play for an incredible 15th time, joining acts like The Chemical Brothers, Super Furry Animals, and Hot Chip, as well as headliners Kanye West, The Who, and the Foo Fighters.

ATP Fest Iceland, July 2 – 4

Want to cool down this July? You won’t get cooler than this festival in Ásbrú, Keflavík. Don’t miss Iggy Pop, Belle and Sebastian, Public Enemy, Swans, Mudhoney, or Chelsea Wolfe.

Bilbao BBK, Spain, July 9 – July 11

Even if the music wasn’t fantastic, we’d go for the setting of Bilbao BBK, high in the mountains overlooking the city of Bilbao and some of the best surf in Europe. Hang around for Muse, Mumford & Sons, The Jesus & Mary Chain, and Disclosure.

 

Festival Internacional de Benicassim (FIB), Spain July 16-19

Stay in Spain and catch another great festival as well as the sunshine: FIB attracts 50,000 festivalgoers to Barcelona for four days in July. We’ll be making a beeline for M.I.A., Lily Allen, Of Montreal, and Ellie Goulding.

 

Lollapalooza, Chicago July 31- August 2

We’re back stateside for the end of July. The brainchild of Jane’s Addiction frontman Perry Farrell, Lollapalooza offers a something-to-please-everybody lineup, featuring Paul McCartney, Metallica, Florence & the Machine, and Sam Smith.

 

Wickerman, Scotland July 24 – 25

One of the U.K.’s best-loved indie fests, Wickerman greets its 13th year with 10 stages of talent., a cinema, circus, and funfair.  The main spectacle is the burning of a massive 40-foot wickerman, with musical highlights including Example,  Julian Cope, Jimmy Cliff, and Hector Bizerk.

 

Forgotten Fields, Tunbridge Wells, August 7 – 9

Something of a boutique affair, Forgotten Fields has a capacity of 4,000, so faces will soon become familiar over the weekend. The music choice is anything but limited, however, with Basement Jaxx, Super Furry Animals, De La Soul, Augustines and British Sea Power among the must-sees.

 

Summer Sonic Festival, Japan August 15-16

Performers love Japan, and when you see the fan frenzy they attract here,  you’ll soon see why. Summer Sonic Festival takes place in Osaka and Tokyo in mid-August, marking the main event in the Japanese music fan’s calendar. The Prodigy, Pharrell Williams, and the Manic Street Preachers are among the standouts.

 

Reading & Leeds Festivals, U.K. 28-30 AUGUST

Let’s end your summer of festival fun on a high note: Reading and Leeds play host to some of the most enthusiastic crowds of the festival season, as fans prepare to leave the summer with a bang. Metallica, The Libertines, and Limp Bizkit are the headliners.

Festival 101: The Essentials

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Our UK Summer sure has crept up quickly and that of course means only one thing…festivals!

 
Yes plenty of indoor UK festivals and all-day gigs are cropping up left right and centre but the ones you really have to prepare for are those outdoor-weekenders – after all you could be spending up to 5 days away from home and in a (potentially) muddy field.

If you’re a festival first-timer, you’re going to need a bit of a briefing! Of course, UK festivals are all about fun, but packing up some essential gear can make all the difference between having fun and having a really miserable weekend – it’s your holiday after all!

Most things are available for you to purchase on your travels or when you get to the festival grounds, but there are a few of the essentials that money can’t necessarily buy  – we’ve compiled a list of those all-important valuables or essentials that you can’t leave the house without – so take note festival first-timers!

 

Directions:

 

First things first, you need to get there! It’s best to always have a printed copy of your directions, train times, bus transfers etc just in case there is any trouble with mobile devices and connectivity. The same goes for addresses or postcodes if you have a GPS device complete with a designated driver!
Festival grounds can sometimes be tricky to find too – the festival organisers will usually sign-post the roads nearby to steer you in the right direction. Local landmarks should be included in the website directions, so make sure to hold on to these.

 

Line-up:

 

Avoid the nightmare of missing your favourite bands by printing the line-up times or saving a copy to your phone before you go. You can always buy programmes when you get there but just be aware that they’re not a bargain.

 

Ticket:

 

Obviously! But it’s so easily done! Don’t forget you tickets!

 

Money:

 

To avoid hefty charges at the festival cash-points, take some money with you. Limit the number of cards you take, but do take them in case of emergencies – make sure they are kept in a secure place like a festival locker. Keep a bit of your money about your person but avoid taking it all into arenas with you so that if it goes missing or gets stolen, you still have a back-up.

 

Keys:

 

Your house and car keys will need to be put away in festival lockers too. Avoid taking them out with you – you shouldn’t need them much unless you need to make a couple of trips back to the carpark. If you are going to a festival with your house-mates, make sure you take more than one set of keys with you in case of an emergency.

 

ID:

 

If you plan to buy alcohol on your travels or at the festival, make sure you have the correct ID – a driver’s license or passport. Otherwise you’ll be in for a pretty dry weekend!

These are just the basic essentials for a typical UK festival – it’s always well worth doing a bit of research for your particular festival whether indoor or outdoor, one day or 5! Get prepared to ensure you have the best festival experience possible.