Festival season is well and truly underway – and gone are the days where they simply involved you loading up on booze and greasy burgers. From wallet and family-friendly to fitness and food-focused, here are some of our top festival picks all over the country, plus tips from radio presenter Edith Bowman on how to make the most of your day(s) there…
The all-rounder: Citadel Festival, London – Sunday 17 July 2016. Tickets £55; citadelfestival.com
If you feel like you can’t manage an entire weekend of being on your feet and camping, then Citadel is the one for you. With a whole host of entertainment, you can still get the proper festival experience – and at with tickets very reasonably priced, it’s well worth the money. Headline acts include Icelandic ethereals Sigur Ros, along with synth king Caribou, soul singer Lianne La Havas and raucous folk from Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats; so there’s something here to please all ears. If you’re less fussed about the music, there’s a comedy tent, Old Vic theatre performances, a roller disco and sports day activities, along with gourmet food and drink offerings from some of London’s finest restauranteurs. Frankly, we have no idea how we’re going to fit it everything in, but we can’t wait to give it a very good try.
The wallet-friendly one: Victorious, Portsmouth – Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 August 2016. Tickets cost £35 for the day (or from just £1 for kids!); victoriousfestival.co.uk
Though this festival is spread over two days, you can only buy tickets for each day singly – so you can choose to go to either both or just the one; and, at only £35 a day (or starting from just £1 for kids!), if you wanted to make a weekend of it, it definitely won’t break the bank. With a ridiculous amount of musical acts over nine stages, including Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, Mark Ronson, Editors, Manic Street Preachers, Will Young and Echo And The Bunnymen, you’re spoilt for choice. Set on the seafront, your ticket also includes entry to The Blue Reef Aquarium, D-Day Museum and Southsea Castle – making Victorious great for little (and big) kids too, and ridiculously good value for money.
The fitness one: Sweatlife, London – Saturday 30 July 2016. Tickets cost £20; thesweatlife.co.uk
Hosted by luxe athletic brand Lululemon, this one-day extravaganza in east London really is a must for anyone into their fitness – or someone just starting out and wanting to discover the activity for them. You can get involved with classes from leading names such as Bandforce, Core Collective, Barry’s Bootcamp, Frame, GymClass, KOBOX and My Pilates Xtend Barre, along with several leading Lululemon ambassadors. There’s a range of delicious food and drink available to sustain you through your efforts too, and as a reward for you day’s efforts, there’s a big party led by Grandmaster Flash in the evening. See you on the dance floor…
The family-friendly one: Latitude, Suffolk – 14-17 July 2016. Weekend camping tickets cost £205 for adults, £140 for teens and £8 for under 12s; latitudefestival.com
Out of all the ‘big name’ festivals out there, this is probably one of the best in combining amazing music with a welcoming atmosphere for the under 18s. The organisers set up different areas for varying ages, so your pre-teens won’t end up sulking after being thrown in with the five-year-olds – for the littler ones there’s everything from making their own instruments, getting hands-on with woodland creatures and an enchanted garden, to becoming a forensic scientist on a fake crime scene, bubble shows and an on-site library. Meanwhile, for those aged 12+, there’s t-shirt screen printing, comic book drawing lessons, DJ classes, having a go at being a news reader and a huge adventure playground to name but a few. Oh, to be young again!
The foodie one: Edinburgh Food Festival, Edinburgh. Entrance free, although special events (such as the Tea Dance) are ticketed; edfoodfest.com
Before the mania of the Fringe Festival hits in August, George Square Gardens hosts an incredible variety of stalls offering delectable treats for the tastebuds – from ice cream and crepes to slow cooked dishes and vegetarian cuisine, there’s bound to be something that’ll soon have you drooling. And for when your stomach is feeling too full and needs a bit of a rest, there’s plenty more to get involved with, including talks and cookery demonstrations, an Afternoon Tea Dance and a Ready, Steady, Chef cooking competition.
Edith’s top festival tips
Decided which event takes your fancy? Whether you’re a newbie or a seasoned raver, take a read of Edith Bowman’s top five survival tips:
1 ‘Although there are obviously bands and artists you want to see, don’t make too many plans. Allow yourself some wander time. This is where I’ve discovered some of my favourite bands by just going blind into tents and to stages to check out things I’ve never heard of.’
2 Travel light – most probably anything you need, you can get there. Take the basics that cover you for all weather; with that I’d suggest layers, a mac, a good pair of boots (they don’t have to be wells!), sunglasses and hat, dry shampoo and most definitely a high factor sunscreen.
3 Pace yourself. I have learnt from experience that you can get a little overexcited by the whole thing of being at a festival with mates, but losing a whole day is never a good look, trust me. You’ve paid good money to be there, so you want to remember it!
4 Challenge yourself and be adventurous. Step outside your comfort zone and go and see or do something maybe non-music related that is something you have never seen or done before. Festivals can be a wonderful place to expand your mind to explore new and exciting art forms.
5 Festivals are wonderful – and if you’re not into the camping thing, then there are plenty other options for accommodation, along with one-day festivals, so you can’t use camping as an excuse not to go!
Edith presents the breakfast show on Virgin Radio, weekdays from 6-10am. Listen online, on mobile, and through the app; virginradio.co.uk.
What festivals are you heading to this year? Let us know by tweeting us @healthymag – we love to hear from you!