lazzareo

some good deals at millets - half price with extra 20% off in June https://www.millets.co.uk/tents-camping/osa:view-sale-items/

I know...my main concern is the kids and taking suncream, sunglasses, cap, something warm for the evening etc etc...

Anyone purchased the VIP pass? Just wondered whether you think it's worth the extra £30! I suspect not but would like to know what you think.

*******BAGS******** These bag rules they've brought in!!! Any ideas on what would work??? We're a family of 4 with 2 kids so we need something but all my usual festival gear is just too big so looking for some ideas. Large bags are not allowed to be taken into the festival. There is no cloakroom. Small bags, one per ticket holder, are allowed into the events with the dimensions W21cm x H30cm x D8cm(the size of A4 paper). We appreciate your cooperation and patience when entering the events.

Just received them in the post 5 mins ago.

Stereophonics opening Coventry at 1pm

Gigs in Manchester (Arcade Fire, Foo Fighters, Blossoms, DMA's) All Points East (The National, Future Islands & War On Drugs + others) BBC Biggest Weekend in Coventry (Liam Gallagher, Sterophonics, Snow Patrol + others) Shell Islands 60th birthday party weekend

Some great line-up additions to All Points East! Really looking forward to this day :-) THE NATIONAL Plus Very Special Guests The War On Drugs Future Islands Warpaint Cat Power Public Service Broadcasting Broken Social Scene Spoon Amber Run This Is The Kit The Districts Rostam

live set on Sky Arts right now!

I believe they played The Geese Of Beverly Road tonight!!!

Empire Line and Walk It Back are Top 2 for me although its The National at their best. A track might start as a 7/10 and 2 weeks later it's 9/10 or 10/10. The Top 12 will keep changing for me and can't wait for Sat!!!

From another forum this pretty much sums it up in terms of disorganised chaos. The mud wasn't the problem and these are not my words: ----------------------------------------- "Okay, as seasoned festival goers we're not put off by a bit of mud, festival toilets, or some degree of disorganisation. Our first contact with staff on the campervan wrist band shed was positive. Very friendly and bubbly. However, doubts started to seep in once we had set up and headed towards the arena. Firstly, where was it? No signs whatsoever, so we started walking up a lane in the pouring rain, which had we continued would have led nowhere. We doubled back to the last gate we had seen, back of the Quarry I think, and got some vague directions from the 'officials' there. The gate we had gone through to get to this lane had now been closed, which necessitated a further hike back almost to where we had started, and up through the tented camping. Thus far we were not deterred, eventually found the main arenas and set about finding a program, given they normally tell you where and when everything is. Why these were not on sale at entry, or where wrist bands were given out goodness knows, and it took us some time in the pouring rain to find the cabin selling them. Great, now armed with a timetable off we went to find some bands .... then quickly realised none of the tents were labelled and there were no signposts, so we had to ask fellow punters which venue we had walked into, then orientate ourselves to the map on the lanyard ... which then fell apart and into the mud as it was not waterproof!!!! So, we worked where everything was, headed down to the main stage to see Clean Bandit, only to be almost swamped by people heading away from the stage ... saying they had just finished, like nearly an hour early, something that just never happens at festivals! After something to eat back at the van we headed back over to the Quarry to see Frank Turner. Sound quality was abysmal to start with but then improved .... it did seem very full in that tent though, we wondered why? Much as we love Frank, we will see him at Beautiful Days, so we left before the end to catch some of the Vaccines. Yeh, to be confronted by an empty stage and main arena. Okay, so the weather was bad, but how hard would it have been to have made an announcement on social media, or even had some staff walking around in sandwich boards or with placards with the change of times announcement .... nah nothing. Saturday we were still feeling open minded about the whole thing, and wandered down to the main stage to watch another band, which we missed as the timings had changed again. It was then we noticed the only announcement, a revised schedule on the the big screens, which I pictured and posted on the Y Not Festival FB page to help others, as they had not bothered to do so themselves at Y Not. Still we soldiered on through the mud, saw Beans on Toast and some others. Things got a bit lairy where we stood for Jake Bugg, security almost invisible, but we found a great spot for the Stereophonics, which was a brilliant set, and cannot complain about the view or sound quality, even if security was again somewhat lacking. Having said that the rather drunk lady that encroached into the sound desk area and remained there unchallenged for some 10 minutes was quite entertaining. We traipsed back through the mud that night still feeling okay about the whole thing and looking forwards to Maximo Park in particular on the Sunday. So, Sunday morning peering out of the van curtains at like 8am I notice hoards of people clearly leaving and think it a bit odd. We take a look at the Y Not website and FB page and see nothing untoward, so brew a pot of tea and find some cookies. Its not until an hour later we finally see an announcement, via other social media that the whole thing has been cancelled. We figure there is no point rushing, so a couple of hours later when we finally venture out of the van I talk to our neighbour, who it turns out is still not aware the whole thing has been cancelled. This latter point highlights our initial gripe, a total lack of communication from the organisers, from the lack of signage on entering the site and main arena, to letting us know about the changes of times, to letting us know the whole thing was called off. It also has to be said that there does appear to have been a total lack of planning for the conditions, and whilst the lack of security had its advantages, those were outweighed by the feeling that a potential catastrophe could occur, and reading some posts nearly did. Whilst we enjoyed the bands we saw, and were not put off by the rain or mud, we do feel badly let down by the organisers, and for missing numerous bands we had looked forwards to seeing since purchasing our tickets in February. Whilst not necessarily expecting a full refund, we would welcome an amount proportionate to our loss of enjoyment, which has to be at least around the 50% mark, but possibly a lot more. I had thought Y Not had a good reputation, and whether that is the case or not is now immaterial as I think it unlikely we would ever brave this festival or any run by the same company, as this one was so clearly shambolic!!!!! Whilst our experience was clearly not as bad as that of many others, we do really feel for those that had a totally crap time, particularly those robbed or whose tents were engulfed in mud. So for us, the Y Not is now a memory never to be repeated, next stop is Farmer Phil's the Beautiful Days both of which I am sure will live up to expectations.:-)"

That's a good point...ours will be 11 & 9 next year and we enjoy a mix of bands and activities but more akin to what we did at Beautiful Days a couple of years back where they make things from wood such as mallets etc...

What are peoples views on the best family friendly festivals in the UK? I am looking for ideas for 2018 after this weekends Y Not shambles so looking to avoid any owned by Global.

Same question from me for a festival that's good for families?