UK Festival Season 2024

Yet Another Festival Marathon 

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    Every year,  for probably the last 8 years, well, since the “season from hell” 2016 when things were on our side, I have considered giving up trading at festivals. Of course its fun, even a little bit too much sometimes, but it is also super hard work. It’s also always a bit of a gamble. Any severe weather really affects the trade. That isn’t just too much rain, it includes too much sun too.

I’m a one woman band really, but my friends come to festivals with me to help and experience the scene from a different angle. Sometimes people you thought you knew and you thought were reliable will let you down and not even turn up. Then you are there in a field setting up pitch in severe weather, on your own. These things really do happen. 

But despite the financial risks and and all the physically hard work I still do it! 12 years plus down the line.  I guess I do still enjoy it, and the set up is there, I just need to top up by making some more stock, so what’s another season hey!? 

I like doing a little “warm up” festival before hitting Glastonbury just to make sure everything is in place, but this year we were straight in at the deep end. Luckily we hadn’t forgotten anything major so that went all pretty smoothly. I watched Jungle and Justice at West Holt. Rest of my time off I was back at The Mez Yard like last year.

As usual Love Supreme was straight after Glastonbury. I think I mentioned that I call this one the easy “village fate”.  Not this time! I don’t I have ever had to set up pitch in such high winds!  Oh my! Relentless! It did continue though out the festival and just about calmed down on Sunday. Jeez! High wind is worse than rain i found. More unpredictable. Anyhow.. we survived. Chaka Khan was headlining. It was sadly a bit  disappointing. I still danced to all the classics though of course. 

 

 

 

 

Sibel Lagerdahl

After a bit of a disasterous return last year, Secret Garden Party had decided to do one last “Back to Our Roots” smaller scale run. Personally I always liked SGP better when it was small. And this year didn’t disappoint. Quirky, creative and fun, just like it used to be without the “Carling youth”. Ren was headlining. Never knew his fan base was obsessed with him. Some coming all the way from Australia.  Leigh plus my friends Charlotte and Tara came along on the stall and it turned into one of those hilariously silly weekends, aching with laughter! 

Canmade Ringpull Wear at Shaboutique Glastonbury
Ringpull coat and bumbag by Can Made Purple Community Fund

 

 

 

 Straight from Cambridgeshire we headed to Oxforshire for Wilderness.  I’m always in two minds about doing this one. It’s become so commercial with their big sponsors. This year they had Audi, their sponsor parade a car through the festival. I mean really? 

Line up was weak, as usual. I think I made an effort to go and see De La Soul and that was about it.

Charlotte from Tantrum Clothing was sharing stall with me, which was fun as usual.

 

This year I was really excited about adding two new festivals routes to our summer road trip. Greenman and Shambala!  Never been to Greenman before but heard many good things. Shambala on the other hand I used to share a stall with my dear friend Chloe from Crystal Vintage. But never done it as Shaboutique. 

After a weekend of on the south coast tending my allotment, We hit the road for the Welsh valleys of Brecon Beacon. It’s beautiful to say the least. Those rolling  green hills…

We were trading the “Wellbeing Area” which I wasn’t quite sure how it was going to work out. But to be fair, its such a small festival, everyone goes everywhere eventually.  It’s quite a band heavy festival. Lot’s of Indie and rock plus some folky vibes thrown in too.  Sitting watching Big Thief on the mainstage slope was lush.  Family friendly with no corporate sponsors, just good vibes all around.  

 

Festival cross dress fun

From Wales we drove stright to Northamptonshire. Oh Shambala, how I have missed you! Even ariving gave me a little buzz.  It used to be my favourite and it did not disappoint this time either. It still holds the magic. It’s so naughty, yet family friendly.  Punk, Berlin techno, disco, folk, you name it its all there. Interactive installations,  dark puppet theatre, burleque, workshops.. Oh and nearly everyone dresses up! This years theme was “Wild and Free!” So many incredibly cool costumes! And  most of them handmade. Oh I love this place! The only let down was my so called friend that let me down on the day she was mean to be there. Which meant one less crew which meant longer shifts which meant less time to enjoy the festival…  OK, let go now. 

Shaboutique festival stall 2024

Last but not least it’s the usual End Of The Road. It’s usually a sell out festival, but it felt busier that usual this year. Also a wider range of traders meant there was less vintage clothes which means less competition for us. It was good! Whatever the trader balance/ticket sale formula was this year, please repeat it next year!

Line up wise, again, not really my bag , but Altin Gun was playing which I have been wanting to see for a very long time. But the female singer wasn’t there! It was just the guy… It was ok, but not the same energy…

But we don’t mind our spot looking over the Woods (main) stage. We get to listen to a lot of bands we would never go out of our way to see. Let’s call it educational. 

Back In The Fields Half Festival Season of 2021

Shaboutique crew End of the road festival

When the pandemic hit in 2020 and all the festivals got cancelled there was a small part of me that was quite pleased to have a summer off.

If you choose to have a season off your spot at the festival will be given to someone else and the following year you are less likely to get in. So a forced year off was kinda welcome.

But by spring 2021 we were all gagging to get back in the fields! Even though the season officially didn’t start until late July we still managed to squeeze in four festivals. One was just for fun! As a punter! Unheard of!

We started off with Latitude Festival. They were actually the official government approved trial festival. We had to do Covid tests before and durning the festival. 

The transmission rate at the end was very low which was a good outcome.  Considering there were barely any masks being worn and no real social distancing. Which was nice as it wouldn’t have felt like a festival otherwise. 

Strong crew this year with Nick, Glenny and the lovely actor John Dagleish on board. He is the winner of the Olivier Award for best actor in a musical for his performance in Sunny Afternoon as Ray Davies. Legend.  ·

 

After a weekend at home post Latitude we headed to our favourite festival field in Cornbury Park. Wilderness this year had some rain and cloud but it didn’t dampen the spirit of the British people who hadn’t been at a live music event for two years. They were keen to dress up and take part. The spirits were high and everyone seem to haver an amazing time. Including us! 

We were also in a much better spot this year. Location is everything at festivals. You can sell the coolest stuff ever but you won’t sell much if there is no footfall.

Before our last trading festival we went to We Out Here Festival as punters. Since its launch in 2019 its always has an amazing line up. So I wanted a work free weekend just to enjoy it all.  Always nice to see people wearing their “Leftover Threads” from previous seasons too. 

We got accepted to End of the Road again, which was lovely. I love how each festival has such a different crowd.  EOTR isn’t necessarily very “dressy uppy” compare to other festivals we usually do. Do they have a good eye for cool sustainable clothing so it still works for us.

Such a good feeling to be back in the fields with happy smiling people and good music!

 

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