Alternatives

[SLEEPYMOPS]

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

My sister knows the people who run beatherder. She got to dance on stage with Nile Rodgers a few years back and think she was on stage with basement jaxx this year.

[Anderson19]

Thought there may of been more mentioned for festival no. 6 in here, I know it's not a glasto alternative in many ways but hey what is!

Was always planning on a first festival number 6 trip aswell as Glasto this year before I ended up ticketless, also want to get a Sziget trip in very soon will hold out until after the resale though before planning that one.

[polgara]

Thank you all who have responded....its made a pretty awful week feel a little better.  Not getting tickets actually hasn't been the nadir of this week between family, work and involvement in a sodding big performance/installation in the centre of Bradford this weekend

 

Lots to think about and research more to see if we can flog/sell an act or bite the bullet and get tickets

[stuwilky]

Bearded Theory is actually my favourite festival, this year will be our 6th on the bounce I think.  It is very laid back, everything extremely close to each other - you could cover all the stages in 10 mins.  Take your own booze, and a decent and not horrificly overpriced bar either.  Music tends to be largely "Avalon type" stuff.

 

Been to the last 5 Kendal Calling but will be swerving it this year.  Its a nice festival, but is arena based, while smuggling in is pretty easy its just a bit of a faff - the alternative is £4.40 cans inside..... although they do have a reasonable ale bar.  Its become a little more bored Cumbrian teenagers over the last few years and whilst Im not that fussed about that I think its probably time for me to look elsewhere!

[**claire**]

Yes, I found Latitude a LOT tamer than Glastonbury, a bit 'nicey-nicey', & a lot of the families there are your typical Pyramid crowd.  It was nice (& yes, a beautiful setting), but if I was to go for the whole weekend it'd be after the line up was announced & only if there were some must-sees on the bill.  In terms of cabaret they seem to have a great comedy line up but not so much of the circus stuff (that I saw anyway).

[guypjfreak]

https://www.facebook.com/onthebusparty?ref=ts&fref=ts

 

great little festival

[Mardy]

Had glastonbury even started when you were 18?

 

 

It were all fields round here, my lad.

[PiratePete]

It's a shame The Big Chill doesn't happen anymore. Really beautiful setting, decent line up (Lily Allen and MIA headlining the last one apart) and music until the early hours. It was loosely arena based, but I never had a problem getting booze through the gate as security was fairly lax.

 

I'm looking at doing another smaller festival as well as Glasto next year - Festival No. 6 looks good and I can combine it with a trip to see my brother in N.Wales - anyone been?

[eFestivals]

It's a shame The Big Chill doesn't happen anymore. Really beautiful setting, decent line up (Lily Allen and MIA headlining the last one apart) and music until the early hours. It was loosely arena based, but I never had a problem getting booze through the gate as security was fairly lax.

 

I'm looking at doing another smaller festival as well as Glasto next year - Festival No. 6 looks good and I can combine it with a trip to see my brother in N.Wales - anyone been?

 

I'm pretty sure that both Lily and MIA were headlining the 2nd stage, and weren't the main headliners.

 

One of them was Kanye, who was dreadful and ranting.

 

I think another header was Chem Bros. I can't remember the 3rd.

 

I do remember that Jessie J was on the bill, tho. wacko:

Edited October 8, 2015 by eFestivals

[fred quimby]

It's a shame The Big Chill doesn't happen anymore. 

yea I do miss it. caught some grea tacts there

[PiratePete]

I'm pretty sure that both Lily and MIA were headlining the 2nd stage, and weren't the main headliners.

 

One of them was Kanye, who was dreadful and ranting.

 

I think another header was Chem Bros. I can't remember the 3rd.

 

I do remember that Jessie J was on the bill, tho. wacko:

 

If it's 2010 we're talking, Massive Attack headlined the Friday, MIA headlined the Saturday and Lily Allen headlined the Sunday (all main stage). http://www.efestivals.co.uk/festivals/bigchill/2010/lineup.shtml

 

Kanye and Chems must have been a different year I reckon.

[jackarmy]

Chemical Brothers, Kanye, Rodrigo y Gabriela were the headliners in its last year (2011)

 

Can't help but feel slightly that Melvin Benn killed it off to narrow the competition for Lattitude, although the poor ticket sales in 2011 won't have helped.

[eFestivals]

If it's 2010 we're talking, Massive Attack headlined the Friday, MIA headlined the Saturday and Lily Allen headlined the Sunday (all main stage). http://www.efestivals.co.uk/festivals/bigchill/2010/lineup.shtml

 

Kanye and Chems must have been a different year I reckon.

Kanye and Chems were the year after (the last one). I went to each of about the last 7 fests they had, and I'd still have said that MIA and Lily were on the 2nd stage.

[PiratePete]

Kanye and Chems were the year after (the last one). I went to each of about the last 7 fests they had, and I'd still have said that MIA and Lily were on the 2nd stage.

 

It's a shame they weren't, pretty terrible headline choices IMO, although saying that I saw neither of them and Massive Attack were ace on the Friday.  

 

Really cracking atmosphere and setting for a festival though, shame it's not going to happen again. As I understand it before Festival Republic took over it made a loss almost every year (and continued to do so thereafter) so it just wasn't viable as a going concern.

[eFestivals]

It's a shame they weren't, pretty terrible headline choices IMO, although saying that I saw neither of them and Massive Attack were ace on the Friday.  

 

Really cracking atmosphere and setting for a festival though, shame it's not going to happen again. As I understand it before Festival Republic took over it made a loss almost every year (and continued to do so thereafter) so it just wasn't viable as a going concern.

I think it was a combination of Pete Lawrance ending his involvement a few years before it was sold to FR, plus the arrival of Bestival (they both happened at about the same point). Before that they had a pretty loyal crowd, but they seemed to disappear pretty quick.

[PiratePete]

I think it was a combination of Pete Lawrance ending his involvement a few years before it was sold to FR, plus the arrival of Bestival (they both happened at about the same point). Before that they had a pretty loyal crowd, but they seemed to disappear pretty quick.

Don't know who Pete Lawrence is TBH, so I'll take your word for it! I only went in 2010, but my brother and sister in law had been to most of the previous ones and commented on how it seemed to have lost some of its magic that year so didn't go back in 2011. I still thought it was brilliant and was up for going again, but didn't because the 2011 line up didn't appeal to me at all, bar one or two on the smaller stages. 

[eFestivals]

Don't know who Pete Lawrence is TBH, so I'll take your word for it! I only went in 2010, but my brother and sister in law had been to most of the previous ones and commented on how it seemed to have lost some of its magic that year so didn't go back in 2011. I still thought it was brilliant and was up for going again, but didn't because the 2011 line up didn't appeal to me at all, bar one or two on the smaller stages. 

 

Pete was the guy who started Big Chill (with Katerina), and started/ran Big Chill Records (which is probably where the money was, rather than the festival)... I can't be certain, but I've heard he made a few quid.

 

He managed to sell-up his part-ownership of the festival when the Big Chill fest was still worth something.

[Supernintendo Chalmers]

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!)

 

Give Beautiful Days in Devon a go. I've never seen any cabaret there (the comedy tent is fun though) but it's non-arena and I'm sure they have real ale at the Bimble Inn. It's a nice, friendly small festival and has a very "Glastonbury" feel to it

[not worthy]

I'm looking at doing another smaller festival as well as Glasto next year - Festival No. 6 looks good and I can combine it with a trip to see my brother in N.Wales - anyone been?

 

I went to Festival No 6 for the first time this year. It's a very different experience to Glastonbury but definitely worth a go.

It's much smaller clearly and feels very very sanitised compared to Glastonbury but not bad at all.

Some very small stages that you can get close to in the woods and the village. We managed to see James do an orchestra session in a venue with 60 people in it.