Festival fever

image from google

Give anyone the option of staying the weekend in a 5* luxury hotel, or spending it in a field surrounded by thousands of people they've never met for four days, it's almost guaranteed that the majority would pick the former. So why then, do thousands of people from around the UK pack their bags and flock to the fields of England to spend the weekend at a festival? The truth is there's an appeal that comes with festivals that isn't just about the music; meeting people you never before would have, striking up unlikely friendships and escaping reality for four days is a huge part of the fascination that accompanies festivals and it’s for this precise reason why attending one, with nothing but your bare essentials, becomes a yearly must for so many.

Granted, the festival scene is not for everyone. Anyone with a fear of mud, dirt and not washing for a weekend should avoid the fields at all costs. Still, it’s important to understand that once you’re there, and accompanied by many a pack of baby wipes and dry shampoo, the necessity to wash is almost thrown to the back of your mind. Fuelled on alcohol and cheap tasting food – because who wants to waste valuable alcohol space by packing food? – you suddenly feel as though if you’re not donning slightly messy hair and have used actual soap and water to wash, that you don’t fit in. And that’s just the way that everyone likes it.

Although sometimes things might not go necessarily to plan, a leaking tent is all part of the experience, right? And who cares? You spend hardly any time in it anyway. 99% of the time you spend your weekend relaxing at the arena with new made friends, drinking warm alcohol that you’ve managed to sneak in by hiding it in your wellies (no one wants to pay £5 for a beer). Despite the weather almost always being typical for a British summer and rarely topping 20 degrees, being in shorts suddenly seems like a good idea. Besides, there are more important things to worry about, number one being having a good time, and the excitement of seeing some of your favourite bands play gets your blood pumping and keeps you warm anyway.

Regardless of your thoughts about camping or the festival experience as a whole, there’s one thing you should know for sure, you’re going to have a good time. Whether you spend a day there, or camp for the entire weekend, you won’t regret it. So pack your bags, get your shorts and wellies at the ready and bring on festival season!