You’ve spent your entire loan on wasted nights out at the beginning of the term and now you’ve realized you can’t afford that ticket to V Festival or Reading. But who wants the hassle of over-priced drinks, excitable younger teens and those overcrowded toilets? If you’re strapped for cash or fancy something a little different this year, I suggest you get your festival fix elsewhere this year. Something a little smaller with the same festival vibe but without the irritabilities of the larger festivals.
There’s a lot of speculation about this first one, ticket prices haven’t been announced and neither has the line up. But, if 2011 (they took a break last year) is anything to go by, you should keep your eyes peeled on Oxegen festival in County Kildare in Ireland. Usually paired alongside T in the Park, Oxegen’s 2011 line-up included Arctic Monkeys, Foo Fighters, Beyoncé, Coldplay, The Vaccines, Bruno Mars, deadmau5 and rumours for 2013 include Kings of Leon, Emile Sande, Two Door Cinema Club, Beady Eye and Beyoncé, again. I’m going to hedge my bets and say that this one’s going to be closer to the price range of the larger festivals, but definitely worth it to sink some Guinness’s with the Irish whilst listening to a diverse range of music.
If you can’t quite manage the plane fare to Ireland, we’ve got some pretty good competitors here at home. Take your friends and head to Devon for a weekend at Oceanfest. Breakthrough band Bastille are headlining and are joined across the weekend by Gabrielle Aplin, Willy Mason, Zervas and Pepper and lots more. That isn’t the best part. The price I hear you ask? £45. Yes, £45 for a weekend full of music goodness located right near the beach.
Moving further up the country, Kendall Calling in Cumbria has a lot to offer. Situated in the beautiful Lake District your ears could be serenaded by sounds from The Charlatans, Mystery Jets, Kodaline, The 1975 or Theme Park. It’s a good line up. There’s a lot of up and coming bands that are set to be big later in the year. If that’s not enough for you, picture this – a house party at a festival. That’s right, beds to jump on, sofas to socialize on and wardrobes to hide in whilst jumping around to top DJ’s from all genres, as well as sets from Dave Haslam and Will Tramp – I’m excited. £122.50 including booking fee makes Kendall Calling cheaper than the bigger festival monsters, but it’s a sure rival.
Now if all that traveling is still a little on the pricey side for you, Canterbury is home to its own small, underrated festival – Lounge on the Farm. Nominated again for Best Small Festival at the 2013 UK Festival Awards, 2013’s line-up boasts such acts as Seasick Steve, Soul 99 Soul, Lucy Rose, Beans On Toast and DJ Format. Rivaling Latitude with its assorted range of entertainment, from music to cabaret to comedy, for just £100 for the weekend, Lounge on the Farm could just be a winner this year.
