With festival season in full swing, and August fast approaching, focus now turns to Rob Da Bank’s Bestival. After last years baptism of fire in the festival’s new Dorset home, the Bestival team have rescheduled the event this year to the first weekend in August rather than it’s usual timing as the last festival of the summer in early September. With strong winds and heavy rain leading to cancelled acts and damaged stages in 2017, organisers and punters alike are far more optimistic about this years festival conditions – especially when baring in mind the unstoppable heatwave baking most of Britain. Although Bestival may have lost one USP in moving to midsummer, it gains many others in its uniqueness and creativity with regards to its line up and the festival set up itself.
Following the backlash which greeted the severe lack of female representation on the line-ups of some of the UKs biggest festivals, particularly Reading & Leeds, this year’s Bestival line up is one of the few which demonstrates any gender balance. With three female led headline acts over the four days, UK festival exclusive sets from Jorja Smith, M.I.A., and London Grammar, and equal female representation all the way down the order, Bestival provides a refreshing change of scenery from the male dominated festival norm. What is also refreshing about Bestival’s line up is its variety in terms of genre and generation. This year we see Chaka Khan sharing a stage with Stefflon Don and Thundercat with Grace Jones, and across the 9 stages, over 150 acts cover almost every genre under the sun. Mark Ronson & Diplo’s Silk City project, Mura Masa and Bicep lead the way on the dance front, whilst Shame, The Big Moon and Django Django do it for the indie lot. Jorja Smith, Kelela and LA Salami provide a bit of soul with Not3s, Kojo Funds and Ghetts representing on behalf of the British urban and grime scenes.
The diversity of the running order is pretty remarkable.
Having taken last year to settle into it’s beautiful new surroundings on the Lulworth Estate, just a 14 minute drive from the stunning Durdle Door, and surrounded by lush forest, Bestival ticks all the boxes for festival setting. To move away from the luscious Robin Hill Country Park, a replacement location had to be something quite spectacular and under the shadow of the stunning Lulworth Castle, this was certainly that. The impressive site however is brought to life by Bestival’s quirky, boutique features. Ambientland caters for that late night chill or gives you the opportunity to knock up your won cocktail in crafty corner; Slow Motion provides you all the therapies you need to have the most relaxing weekend of your life; at Cuckoo Clump, grab something to spin at home at Sunday Best Records or get a sweat on in the Spinbox; and in the Colour Field there’s the world’s biggest bouncy castle and the ridiculously cool Temple stage… the best place to just go nuts. There is, quite literally, something for everyone.
Having been twice before, Bestival is easily my favourite UK festival (bar perhaps Glasto), and with student discount available on tickets, annual attendance has become a must. With a sterling line up and a promising weather forecast, this year promises to be better than ever. It’s time to get weird in a field all over again.
Tickets are still available to purchase here: https://bestival.ticketline.co.uk/