Alternatives

[polgara]

Just considering our group's options in case we aren't all successful in getting to Glastonbury this year - are there any other festivals that meet the following criteria:

 

1. Non arena based (or is Glastonbury the only one?)

2. Sizeable cabaret, circus type area

3. Real ale (its a must!)

 

Thinking about Beatherder/Kendal Calling but may depend on the acts booked (unless ours is anyway!)

[Comfy Bean]

Was going to say kendal calling. Will be our trip south next year. Been a few times, gets better each year.

[hurst]

Kendal is arena based.

[StLewi]

Boomtown is probably the closest you'll get to a Glasto-esque vibe. It's brilliant. 

Edited October 5, 2015 by StLewi

[russycarps]

Is solfest still going? when I went (ages ago) you could camp next to your car and there were no booze restrictions. Good fun that.

[DeadAmos]

Yes Solfest is still going , this year you could still camp next to your car and take your own drinks

in to the stages, they have just/ or are about to release some early bird tickets for next year

Edited October 5, 2015 by DeadAmos

[stuartbert two hats]

I don't think Bearded Theory has circus, but I think it's a bring your own booze, drink anywhere type affair. And they say they have lots of ales.

Anyone been?

Edited October 5, 2015 by stuartbert two hats

[Chris Lfc]

I know a few have tried Sziget when they wasn't able to get tickets ( that was my second option too ) they all said it was great so maybe check some information about that out?

[Pinhead]

Bearded has a bit of outside circus, but not much in that direction really.

[eFestivals]

Boomtown is probably the closest you'll get to a Glasto-esque. It's brilliant. 

 

with rubbish ale and nothing at all of cabaret/circus.

[big__phil]

Shambala. Good music, great for kids, beautiful setting, very friendly atmosphere, and loads of stuff to wonder upon and discover.

[Mezhyp1]

I know a few have tried Sziget when they wasn't able to get tickets ( that was my second option too ) they all said it was great so maybe check some information about that out?

Certainly not the place to go in you are in search of a fine ale mind you

[sloseph]

Beatherder is a good shout although there is an arena campsite divide but you can take you're drink in with you as long as it's not glass

 

or there was when I was going but I've not been since 2010

[russycarps]

Certainly not the place to go in you are in search of a fine ale mind you

 

 

we were drinking pints of white wine there, it was only about £1.50! (was a few years back mind)

[Chris Lfc]

Certainly not the place to go in you are in search of a fine ale mind you

 

Maybe not at the festival site but with the city pass surely there's some pubs around there? although I could be mistaken.

[Yokel Again]

End of the Road is excellent, but not much in the way of circus / cabaret. Ticks the other two boxes.

[The Trickster]

Amazingly, considering it is situated so locally to me, I have never been to Latitude Festival. I think I heard Michael Eavis once say that if he was going to attend a festival that wasn't Glastonbury it'd be Latitude. Mini Glasto really, will a very similar ethos and vibe.

Edited October 5, 2015 by The Trickster

[stuartbert two hats]

Amazingly, considering it is situated so locally to me, I have never been to Latitude Festival. I think I heard Michael Eavis once say that if he was going to attend a festival that wasn't Glastonbury it'd be Latitude. Mini Glasto really, will a very similar ethos and vibe.

Yeah, didn't he say that last fallow year?

[Zoo Music Girl]

I'm thinking alternatives now... Green Man, End of Road and Latitude are frontrunners so would like opinions on those. I know you won't be able to carry your own booze around though.

Otherwise I'm already going to ATP in April. And hopefully Supernormal again as I loved it this year. It's tiny and the music is very non mainstream but you can carry your own booze about and the atmosphere is ace.

[Zoo Music Girl]

Splitter!!!

It'll happen to you one of these days and then you might see where I'm coming from!

[Yokel Again]

End of the Road is really great - take a look in that forum for some idea on what its like. 

[russycarps]

Amazingly, considering it is situated so locally to me, I have never been to Latitude Festival. I think I heard Michael Eavis once say that if he was going to attend a festival that wasn't Glastonbury it'd be Latitude. Mini Glasto really, will a very similar ethos and vibe.

 

 

I went this year, just for saturday night. It's very pretty but I didnt find the vibe particularly similar to glastonbury. It is a much more sanitised version of the festival. I felt a bit out of place being pissed up, and we chose not to drop the acid we had with us as it just wasnt that sort of place at all.

 

I smuggled a bottle of vodka in but once that ran out the queues to the bar were horrible. We really are spoilt at glastonbury in many ways we take for granted.

 

It's definitely not bad, but I'd only go again strictly depending on the line up.

[Spliffman]

Just considering our group's options in case we aren't all successful in getting to Glastonbury this year - are there any other festivals that meet the following criteria:

 

1. Non arena based (or is Glastonbury the only one?)

2. Sizeable cabaret, circus type area

3. Real ale (its a must!)

 

Thinking about Beatherder/Kendal Calling but may depend on the acts booked (unless ours is anyway!)

 

Beautiful Days is the festival that you're looking for. 

 

Also, Bearded Theory imho the best festival in the country.

[Mardy]

I love End of the road, and would recommend it, but it's not really the same sort of thing. It's got the real ale you mention, but it's still sort of an arena (albeit a laid back one), but not the caberet/circus stuff really.

[GlastoSimon]

I went this year, just for saturday night. It's very pretty but I didnt find the vibe particularly similar to glastonbury. It is a much more sanitised version of the festival. I felt a bit out of place being pissed up, and we chose not to drop the acid we had with us as it just wasnt that sort of place at all.

 

How strange... I'd have thought most fests were 'that sort of place'... perhaps not

 

Anyway... didn't get a ticket yesterday, and I'm half optimistic about the resale, half looking at other options. 

 

Lots of the places I've considered in the past (2012 fallow for example) have been mentioned. End of the Road, Bestival, Latitude, Boomtown, Green Man etc. BUT there all seems to be something wrong/not quite there with each one. Lack of 'alternative entertainment', arena style, bad atmosphere, no real choice at the bars etc. Which only goes to confirm my suspicions that none of them will live up to it. Sure I'll have a good time, but it's not quite Glastonbury. That's why I've only ever gone since I started going in 2010, can't afford two fests in the summer despite always wanting to explore elsewhere. 

 

So my other choice is, do I go somewhere completely different if I miss out in the re-sale? Primavera or somewhere like that? It'd be weirdly different, but it'd probably cost a similar amount and I wouldn't feel like I was trying to imitate or replace Glastonbury by going.