Bestival 2015 preview: Saving the Best for last

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Bestival giant disco ball

Bestival giant disco ball

Is it just me, or has this summer really sucked? I mean, we’ve had a few positively scorching days with the sun belting down, but on the whole it’s been rather overcast, dreary and lacklustre with sporadic lashings of torrential rain. It’s not exactly been ideal weather for spending a long weekend in the great outdoors, and to be honest my usual enthusiasm for the festival season has also been somewhat dampened this year. I’m a creature of comfort, and whilst many might love being knee deep in mud, I’m the kind of girl who takes my pillows and duvet along on any camping excursions and generally prefer to reserve getting wet for my daily shower. However, whilst I’ve found myself having second thoughts about some of the events I was planning on attending this year, there is one festival I certainly won’t be missing out on, and that is Bestival.

My inaugural Bestival experience was only last year but I haven’t really stopped raving about it since, describing it to anyone who’ll listen as ‘my happy place’. Taking place on 10th-13th September, it has made a name for itself as the UK festival season finale, offering a wonderfully eclectic array of attractions where the music almost feels like a sideshow to the main event.

The organiser, none other than Radio 1’s leftfield DJ Rob Da Bank, explains that escapism is a big part of the festival; a sentiment which is perfectly encapsulated in the mixture of acts and atmospheres that he and his co-organiser wife Josie Da Bank have curated together. Simply walking around the massive expanse of ground that the festival covers at Robin Hill Country Park on the Isle of Wight, the themed areas can transport you all but physically to another time and place. Whether you want to relax in a hammock on a Jamaican beach listening to feel good reggae beats, get your Bhangra groove on in a vibrant and decadent Indian palace, slow the pace down amongst the peace and love vibes of a hippie commune, or rave your chops off to the biggest DJs in the world on a while an aerial acrobat with a laser butt plug is suspended from a crane way above your head, Bestival has got it covered. With so much to see and do, you’ll even want to sacrifice your hangover recovery lie-ins to pack as much as possible into the four days.

Bestival hippies

Another big part, nay, fundamental pillar of Bestival is its annual theme and fancy dress tradition. This year’s theme is ‘Summer of Love’, and unlike other festivals where dressing up is the exception rather than the rule, at Bestival it is very much the other way round. It’d almost be frowned upon not to get involved, if in fact anything was frowned upon. But it’s not. This festival has a perfectly laid back atmosphere where nobody takes themselves too seriously and pretentiousness is confiscated at security.

If that doesn’t quite explain why I already love Bestival, let me give you the 411 on what’s almost literally making me pee my pants with excitement this year. Headlining the weekend are Missy Elliot, Underworld, Duran Duran, and, my personal favourite, The Chemical Brothers. Did you just wee a little bit too? Yep, I thought so. Just a tiny snippet of my other musical highlights, as if you needed them, include Skrillex, Ella Eyre, Lianne La Havas, Gabriella Aplin and The Jacksons along with DJ sets from Rudimental, Annie Mac, Jaguar Skills, DJ Yoda and Mr Rob Da Bank himself.

Check out the line-up poster below:

Bestival 2015 line-up poster

And because my POF profile would never describe me as a ‘muso’ and would be far more like to say ‘gregarious, animal loving fun seeker’, I am particularly excited about some new themed areas arriving this year, with Mrs Da Bank having created the Slow Motion “festival within a festival”. With yoga classes, llama petting and meditation workshops to calm the mind; massages, reflexology and hot tubs to pamper the body; and hammocks, medicinal marshmallows and fresh juice bars to help dust off the morning hangovers, I absolutely cannot wait to visit this mental and physical wellbeing extravaganza to unwind and forget about the daily grind.

And in keeping with the Summer of Love theme, there is also a new area called The Commune, described on Bestival’s website as ‘a place to meet yourself and others in a different way’. With the mind-opening and barrier-breaking potential of love-in cuddle workshops, UV underwear parties, silent speed dating, a series of workshops in the Talking Stick Tipi on topics including consciousness, connection and freedom, and dance, singing and chanting from Hare Krishnas, I feel Bestival this year could well end up being a mini surrogate gap year to make up for the one I never had.

With a musical and experiential line up like this, even if it rains all weekend long, in the immortal words (or possibly not…) of Icona Pop (anyone?!) I don’t care. Namaste.

Bestival takes place from Thursday 10th to Sunday 13th September 2015 at Robin Hill Park, Isle of Wight. For tickets and more information, see our Bestival guide.