UK Festival Glamping (in your own garden?)
By Hari Seddon Jun 11, 2020
Okay, okay. We understand it’s not the same as going to your favourite festival!
We’re personally a big fan of the festival. The will it rain, won’t it (spoiler, it probably will), the total immersion in people, noise and mud. Eating nothing but fabulous food stall fodder for four days straight. Dancing in the moonlight, camping with your best friends, we could go on.
Our heart is breaking for our friends in the events industry. With the cancellation of everything from small intimate gigs, to Glastonbury’s 50th anniversary we’re sad to see so many of our friends in uncertain circumstances in what is usually the height of their working year.
We usually love seeing photos of groups of Lotus Belles popping up at festivals across the country at this time of year.
However, we like to see the good in all situations! And it’s positively incredible to see how people have come together and created new ways of entertaining and amusing each other. How communities and individuals have rallied together through undoubtably tough times. How innovative these people are and the new, exciting opportunities they’ve created.
We’ve been sent lots of photos of you guys enjoying back garden camping. Having home festivals, parties and camp outs – sometimes even in the living room! Keep them coming, we love to see Lotus Belles brightening up your days.
Image credit @liz_dees_artist
With lots of festivals organising alternative, online events when we would have been flooding to their fields, now seems like a good time to think of the positives that come with attending a festival from your own home. We fully encourage you to pitch up your tent, get all cosy and get that festie feeling this year. And just think, there won’t be a portaloo in sight! No queuing for a drink, no carrying your entire life across a festival site. No noisy neighbours (other than your actual neighbours) falling on your tent in the middle of the night. No driving home tired and bedraggled on Monday morning.
Here’s our top five online events that we’ll be getting the Lotus Belle up, to get down in.
Download TV
12-15th June 2020
Though experiencing Download from our garden isn’t the same as heading to Donnington Park with our friends, it is probably the muddiest festival we’ve ever been to. So from that respect, we’re pretty excited to be able to get involved from our cosy 5-meter Lotus Belle here in the garden in Bristol.
The first UK festival to announce it’s going fully online, tune in to Download TV this weekend for a one time watch of headliners KISS, Iron Maiden and System of a Down as well as from the likes of Biffy Clyro, The Darkness, Babymetal, Creeper, Alter Bridge as well as all your favourite Download activities from Doom Yoga to Kiss make-up tutorials.
Image credit: @downloadfest
The Glastonbury Experience
25th – 29th of June 2020
Over what would have been Glastonbury’s 50th anniversary the BBC is bringing the spirit of the festival to viewers at home with The Glastonbury Experience. Check out some of history’s biggest headliners, most memorable gigs and lots more Glasto magic across BBC television, BBC iPlayer, BBC radio and BBC Sounds.
We would of course much rather head to the real thing, but we’re not going to say we’re not excited about a Glastonbury experience where we can watch David Bowie, Beyoncé, The Rolling Stones and Billie Eilish headline in the same year.
Image credit: @glastofest
Boiler Room Isolation Sessions
Daily
Get glamping and enjoy some festival vibes anytime with Boiler Room's daily Streaming from Isolation. Connecting local dance floors to the wider world, Boiler Room TV let's you bring a wide range of music into your home (or Lotus Belle). Proud to support emerging artists and tell stories from the fringes, it's the perfect way to travel through music, without leaving your own home.
Image credit: @boilerroomtv
Tropical Pressure's No Pressure
Sunday 19th July 2020
In their words not ours, "We couldn't let this July pass without any kind of Tropical celebration so we're happy to announce that we'll be hosting NO PRESSURE - The TP Virtual Festival on Sunday 19th July from 1pm to 8pm. We have the soundtrack to an amazing afternoon lined up, with a whole host of exclusive online activity scheduled to bring our unique festival vibes into your kitchens, living rooms and gardens." We can't wait!
Image credit: @tropicalpressure
Tomorrow Land's Around the World
25th - 26th July 2020
The incredible immersive festival set in Boom, Belgium every year have just announced their line-up for their contribution of online entertainment for 2020. Featuring over 60 artists across eight different virtual stages, this is definitely one to get your camping gear ready, prepare the quarentinins and enjoy your own slice of at home festival fun for.
Video credit: @tomorrowland
Shambala’s online sessions
All the time – check out their Facebook page!
Another belter of a festival we’re sad to see not happen. But they’ve been bringing it from the beginning with their online sessions. With regular livestreams from Dizraeli and regular beatboxing lessions direct to your door, they’ve been keeping our spirits up throughout lockdown.
Image credit: @shambalafest
Whether you’re recreating the festival experience at home, having a chilled camp out in the garden or even making a den in your livingroom, keep those pictures coming – they brighten up our day!
Further reading: Stargazing and Camping in the UK: A Guide