11
Sep

Bestival 2014 - Robin Hill, Isle of Wight

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To summarise Bestival in one short phrase is a difficult task, alas it can be done: One Massive Party.

Josie and Rob da Bank’s eleventh Isle of Wight festival seemed to be full of those mad party people, joining together for a weekend of of Desert Island Disco merriment. Beautifully spread across Robin Hill Adventure Park on the East side of the island, revellers come from all edges of the UK to bask in this discotheque glory. 

Bestival isn’t primarily about the music. Its main priority is the atmosphere and experience their party people receive, regardless if you are a Bestival first-timer or it’s your seventh time to the magical island. The organisers put on a vast array of ooh’s and aah’s around the site from this years World Record Breaking 10m disco ball, which was lifted into the air on the Sunday, to what delicacies you will be eating that evening. 

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There are constant wonderments around you that intrigue the senses. It’s like being at a carnival, gig and house party all in one field. 

There is something quite spectacular about the people who attend Bestival. For one, the ages range between everything from toddlers in the Kids Circus, to the ‘Golden Oldies’ raving it up to the 50s music in Caravanserai. It’s not just the fact that the age range is so spectacular; it’s more about the fact that everyone gets involved. 

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Sequin Sunday was new this year to Bestival, where the theme very much explains itself, as well as the traditional ‘Dress Up’ Saturday, where the theme of the festival comes alive. The teenage boys and dads don the tropical hawaiian shirts whilst the girls get on their colours and sparkles to make the whole site much more colourful and glittery, sometimes not just for the Saturday but for the majority of the weekend.

One of the most important things to the people of Bestival is the delicious, mouth-watering food that is really quite special compared to some other festivals around the UK. The team behind Bestival are very much there to make sure that every sense you have is stimulated and the Feast Collective does just that. And more. 

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If the vendors of the exotic street food stalls having a good ol’ boogie to swing music whilst serving you food just doesn’t cut it, then what will? Even bringing in high street favourites, Gourmet Burger Kitchen and Nandos seemed to be a good idea amongst the hungry ravers, taking what they loved best and plonking it in a field. For top notch food the prices were reasonable, roughly about £8 for a BBQ’d pulled pork burger or a bowl of paella. So if you aren’t really all too keen on the line up for Bestival, then the food stalls alone should be a reason to buy a ticket for 2015. 

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The headliners of Bestival 2014 were exquisitely handpicked: Outkast, Foals and Chic featuring Nile Rodgers respectively. On Friday, the crowd saw the last of a three-date tour in the UK from Outkast, taking the people of Bestival through a very extensive back catalogue with only the best hits including ‘Ms. Jackson’, ‘Gasoline Dreams’ and ‘Hey Ya!’ 

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Opening for Outkast were Disclosure, who absolutely blew the park apart, bringing on the following special guests: Eliza Doolittle, Ed Macfarlane and Sam Smith, who performed earlier in the day and mesmerising the crowd with geeky visuals. 

Saturday’s headliners, Foals, bid goodbye to 2013’s Holy Fire with a stunning set, however clearly showing that the Oxford five piece have learnt how to play bigger shows. British electro pop trio, London Grammar set the stage and the sun ready for Foals closing set, bringing beautiful vocals and sensational sounds of the band’s debut album If You Wait to the grounds of Robin Hill. 

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Closing the night on Sunday was the creme de la creme of disco music - Chic featuring Nile Rodgers. However not content with just closing Bestival, Nile Rodgers proposed a challenge for The da Bank’s and so, the 10 metre disco ball was created and lifted into the air just before the start of Chic’s set. Thousands danced underneath the mirror ball to the soundtrack of disco music. 

If mainstream music wasn’t really your thing then you still wouldn’t be left disappointed. With stages spread across the 88 acre park from The Port, which is a full sized boat-come-DJ house, fulfilling you with the latest dance tracks and remixes to The Bandstand, staging local talents in front of sofas and chairs on a hill. 

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There is so much going on at Bestival that it was hard to keep up at times, but people who attended this year would safely confirm that the atmosphere was made up because of this. If parents are debating taking their little ones to Glastonbury then they ought to try the mini version of Bestival first, as even for a twenty year old, Bestival is a lot to take in if you haven’t experienced that style of festival before. 

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One thing is for certain though: you are guaranteed a good, if not a absolutely brilliantly fantastic time, whether that is due to the acts in the line up or just down to the fact that you get to dress up everyday. Bestival is for EVERYONE and even if you experience it just once in your life, you’ll never party as hard as you did on the little Isle Of Wight. 

Rating: 5/5

Molly Stelcel

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