Bestival moves

[guypjfreak]

So after the IOW saying that it might have to stop due to the cost of getting people over the water now bestival HAS pulled out of the island and is to move just down the road from me.... 

I know bdank says he's doing something different but I wander how much the cost of ferries had a hand in there decision to move??? 

[Slugworth]

It has had it's day on the IOW.

[Hugh Jass]

Went a couple of times on the IOW and loved the park it was held in. The toboggan ride was worth it alone. It was just such a ballache getting there and back.

[Jamie D]

We went once but only because we won tickets making the astronomical ferry prices a bit more bearable.

Never been since. We would have but I refuse to pay £250 to get across a few centimeters of water when I often pay far less to get across the channel to France.

Will definitely consider going now. Especially as Lulworth Castle is just around the corner from us.

[Untz]

The times I went I got the hovercraft included in my train ticket price so it was cheap.

But that meant I didn't have a booked time for the hovercraft. Which meant queuing. For hours. And hours. Both ways. And queuing for the coach on the island. For hours. Line ups were very rarely worth all that pain and suffering.

[Quark]

13 minutes ago, Jamie D said:

Never been since. We would have but I refuse to pay £250 to get across a few centimeters of water when I often pay far less to get across the channel to France.

Holy balls, is that how much the ferry costs?! As I believe the kids say, DAAAYYYYUM!

[Mezhyp1]

Now it's more accessible, if they've got a decent line up I'm definitely considering making the trip. 

Just concerned that in moving to mainland England it's opened itself up to a hell of a lot more people going and potentially ruinin the vibe it gets, suppose it's something no one will know until the festival this year 

[fatyeti24]

Just now, Mezhyp1 said:

Now it's more accessible, if they've got a decent line up I'm definitely considering making the trip. 

Just concerned that in moving to mainland England it's opened itself up to a hell of a lot more people going and potentially ruinin the vibe it gets, suppose it's something no one will know until the festival this year 

after what i read about last year, i reckon the organisers would be happy with a hell of a lot more people going.

[mjsell]

I'm both happy and sad at this news. Have been to Bestival 3 times, and have always loved the vibe and layout of the place (even last year) - the journey across to the island always made it feel slightly more special when you did eventually arrive. - and I never thought the journey was actually that overpriced (our return coach and ferry ticket from london cost 60? this year I think) but can see why it would put people off.

I hope this move does save the festival because it is such a well run and punter-orientated place, but I desperately hope that it doesnt lose any of its charm or vibe.

[russycarps]

I went there a few years ago when the flaming lips headlined. It was alright, nothing particularly wonderful about it. It was easy enough to smuggle vodka into the "arena", otherwise that would have been a real downer.

 

[5co77ie]

52 minutes ago, russycarps said:

I went there a few years ago when the flaming lips headlined. It was alright, nothing particularly wonderful about it. It was easy enough to smuggle vodka into the "arena", otherwise that would have been a real downer.

 

had my tankard confiscated from me at Bestival by security as it was 'dangerous', never to be seen again - never been back.

 

At some subconscious level this real downer makes me greatly dislike the whole event, it's not rational but there you go

Edited December 16, 2016 by 5co77ie

[russycarps]

11 minutes ago, 5co77ie said:

had my tankard confiscated from me at Bestival by security as it was 'dangerous', never to be seen again - never been back.

 

At some subconscious level this real downer makes me greatly dislike the whole event, it's not rational but there you go

I dont blame you one bit. Just reading that has infuriated me.

If they have that much contempt for the people who attend their event, what does it say about the the event itself? 

[Bisque]

16 minutes ago, 5co77ie said:

had my tankard confiscated from me at Bestival by security as it was 'dangerous', never to be seen again - never been back.

 

At some subconscious level this real downer makes me greatly dislike the whole event, it's not rational but there you go

I think you were just unlucky, I never got searched or alcohol confiscated even when security saw it on my person going into the arena.

Anyway, taking a tankard to a festival is a bit niche?

[Lucy92]

After going last year I think the move is a good idea. We had a complete nightmare with ferries getting home and it's a huge price to pay to get across a tiny stretch of water. I've heard the amount of islanders compared to people who travel is so small that it makes sense for them to move it. I hope they take the chance to make the ambient forest larger and add more charm back to the festival. I'm hoping the move puts off the type of kids that ruined our festival a bit last year. Would love for it to go back to its family festival roots 

[5co77ie]

8 minutes ago, Bisque said:

I think you were just unlucky, I never got searched or alcohol confiscated even when security saw it on my person going into the arena.

Anyway, taking a tankard to a festival is a bit niche?

do my bit to keep down the amount of waste generated from cups at every festival I go (I may have a pint or two each day - conservatively) if each festival is say 3 days long on average that's 6 glasses (and what a couple of hundred festivals) it's probably getting onto a thousand pint glasses I've kept out of the bins.

 

So not really niche more a case of leave no trace

 

I wasn't searched I had it on my belt loop in full view. I thought "if they think this festival attracts the kind of people that use a pint tankard as a weapon I will never come here again"

 

I suspect in reality security 'stole' it as they thought, a tankard I was given when I was 18 with an ornate handle, would look good in their grubby mits, and that's why it wasn't there to give back to me when I came back out for it.

Edited December 16, 2016 by 5co77ie

[strummer77]

3 minutes ago, russycarps said:

I dont blame you one bit. Just reading that has infuriated me.

If they have that much contempt for the people who attend their event, what does it say about the the event itself? 

In fairness, the one year I went (2013) the staff were fine. As long as your booze was in a rucksack they turned a blind eye.

I really liked the festival but haven't been back and I guess the reason for that was the hassle of getting there. A shame it's moving in a way but seems strangely inevitable.

Were ticket sales particularly bad this year?

[Bisque]

I know the ferries were expensive when taking the car, but it was no more expensive getting the train booked to Ryde Pier as a foot passenger & getting the slow cat across than any other similar rail journey. Open return meant you didn't have to turn up for a specific train & you could take your time packing up & getting there on the shuttle bus.

The queues for the shuttle buses coming back were dire though. I'm glad I went in 2015, it had as much going on that year that you could possibly fit into one weekend as Glastonbury did.

[Bisque]

2 minutes ago, 5co77ie said:

So not really niche more a case of leave no trace

 

I wasn't searched I had it on my belt loop in full view. I thought "if they think this festival attracts the kind of people that use a pint tankard as a weapon I will never come here again"

That's completely unfair & nice to hear you are doing your bit. I did think it was cool btw.

[Michaels denim shorts]

36 minutes ago, 5co77ie said:

do my bit to keep down the amount of waste generated from cups at every festival I go (I may have a pint or two each day - conservatively) if each festival is say 3 days long on average that's 6 glasses (and what a couple of hundred festivals) it's probably getting onto a thousand pint glasses I've kept out of the bins.

 

So not really niche more a case of leave no trace

 

I wasn't searched I had it on my belt loop in full view. I thought "if they think this festival attracts the kind of people that use a pint tankard as a weapon I will never come here again"

 

I suspect in reality security 'stole' it as they thought, a tankard I was given when I was 18 with an ornate handle, would look good in their grubby mits, and that's why it wasn't there to give back to me when I came back out for it.

If you've ever worked recycling at a festival you see just how much shite people accumulate over 3 days. If everyone had their own tankard a festival would be a much much cleaner place 

[Quark]

19 minutes ago, Michaels denim shorts said:

If you've ever worked recycling at a festival you see just how much shite people accumulate over 3 days. If everyone had their own tankard a festival would be a much much cleaner place 

When I think of how much I top up my water canteen over the 5 days at GF in terms of how many bottles it would be, it's definitely an investment.  Looking forward to using my steel cup next year

[5co77ie]

16 minutes ago, Quark said:

When I think of how much I top up my water canteen over the 5 days at GF in terms of how many bottles it would be, it's definitely an investment.  Looking forward to using my steel cup next year

be careful it's not considered a potential weapon!

[Woffy]

13 hours ago, guypjfreak said:

So after the IOW saying that it might have to stop due to the cost of getting people over the water now bestival HAS pulled out of the island and is to move just down the road from me.... 

I know bdank says he's doing something different but I wander how much the cost of ferries had a hand in there decision to move??? 

Guy, I love you. 

'Rob Bdank' make me proper fucking LOL. 

;-)

[Memory Man]

a necessity in order to preserve the future of the event. Strange to think that back in say 2011 it was genuinely considered a full on rival to glastonbury (winning best major event at festival awards) and now it has just fallen by the wayside to become just another festival on the landscape.

I think a refresh will very much do it the world of good and if they get the artist curation right could still attract a good, fun crowd with not too much of the idiot element. I would consider a return where I probably wouldn't have done otherwise.

[stuie]

8 minutes ago, Memory Man said:

Strange to think that back in say 2011 it was genuinely considered a full on rival to glastonbury (winning best major event at festival awards) and now it has just fallen by the wayside to become just another festival on the landscape.

Bestival won best major festival in Festival Awards 2015!

I discovered Bestival in 2012 when Glastonbury wasn't on and have now been to 5 in a row, both as a punter and crew.  This year has hit Bestival hard. The market is full of great events right now and to attract (and keep) the masses, production levels need to be high and line up has got to be right. 

I know a fair few people that have previously loved Bestival and now don't go anymore.  People who can only go to one or two events per year and choose Boomtown or Glastonbury, where you don't have to pay £200 to get a car there etc.  And besides, similar ticket prices for these three big ones and 2016 Bestival wasn't in the same league. Even after considering the Glastonbury mud.

[The60ftOctopus]