We'd heard about LOST after seeing posts pop up on our Facebook feeds. What was this festival all about? You need to wear old clothes…you need to be prepared to get messy…you will be creating art…you can't take your phone with you… Okay, so the last point threw me…how would I tell everyone about the amazing time I was having? What about a selfie in the forest? I wouldn't be able to check my social media feeds whilst there too…and that's the point. The organisers want you to disconnect from the outside world as much as possible and immerse yourself in the experience of being 'lost'. But this is 'lost' in the sense that you don't care that you're lost…you've intentionally gone off the beaten path in search of something else.
About a week before LOST started, we were sent a Participant Pack. This also gave us a hint on how the weekend would unfold; you don't just attend, you really do participate.
Our experience started on arrival at a car park north of London. Here we found a group of fellow participants, waiting to board the shuttle buses to the site. We were never told exactly where the festival was, and the buses had blacked out windows to add to the mystery. We found the LOST rep and waited patiently to sign our disclaimer forms. We found this part a little disorganised and there wasn't any real system of checking people onto the buses in any order; it was a case of getting the reps attention and helping yourself to the forms and wrist band as quickly as possible. Once on the coach we had another rep who explained the ethos of the festival again, and told us a little more about what to expect.
Once we got to the site we went through what was called 'Limbo'; a brief security check and on to pick up our overalls. The system of shuttle buses worked out well for staggering people's arrival times and we had no queues to get through at all. We'd booked one of the pre-erected bell tents for a very reasonable £76 each, and were delighted to see it decked out with a mattress, cushions, rugs, a small table with a lamp and solar powered fairy lights adorning the outside.
The camping field was a very short walk from the main site and this made finding the tent and carrying our gear a breeze. The only downside to the camping was the grounds it was situated on; it was fairly wild with no paths, and had a lot of stinging nettles and thistles which caught everyone at least once.
We headed into the main site as soon as we'd dropped our bags off, eager to see what LOST was all about. Being such an intimate festival, we immediately bumped into friends who'd arrived a little earlier. They were clearly fully immersed in the experience as they were already covered in powder paint and enjoying the music. There was a main bar where we exchanged cash for tokens and then tokens for drinks. The queues were small and the token system seemed to be working well, where we assumed it was to avoid people rummaging and waiting for change.
The first stall we saw was the fabulous Gypsy East. They have a huge array of handmade jewellery and festival goodies such as flower headbands and kaleidoscopes. Their area was full of cushions and draped in Indian wall hangings and they'd clearly put in a lot of effort making it into a welcoming and relaxing place to browse their wares.
Next up we grabbed a bite to eat from Kloud Nine, one of the three street food stalls on site. They were selling delicious halloumi burgers, each crafted by a team of helpers who took great pride in each creation, intently twisting and adding in salad, and carefully draping toppings with a flourish.
Fed and watered (“beered”) we were ready to wander. Around the main stage were lots of wooden pallets, some built into squares, others on the ground which separated out the area nicely and gave people places to sit, though still being close to the action. Hand painted signs, most with puns and jokes, pointing out where the art areas were (though everywhere we looked we saw small creatures hanging in the trees such as “The Great Nesting Bambergord”, markings on the ground and splotches of paint).
We wandered off into the woods and immediately found a paint 'shed'. Staff were sat outside, handing out vials of powder paint in different colours. As we stepped into the tent, we could see the splashes up the sides from earlier painters. This was our first taste of getting messy, so we tentatively threw small handfuls of paint at each other until we ran out. But remembering we were there to really get involved, we helped ourselves to another load and re-entering the tent, went a little nuts. This really set the scene for the rest of our time there; it felt like once we had left our normal ideas of staying as clean as possible at a festival, we were much more inclined to take part in as much as it had to offer.
We drifted further around the art areas, and found ourselves at the Light Eye Mind tent. Run by the lovable Tom Spicer, Light Eye Mind is a north London artist-run organisation. They had set up their tent with lights and sounds, designed to re-focus your mind using light energy as you lie down in a state of bliss. There was also a small area where you could sit and paint whatever you liked on white panels, giving the people waiting for their turn something to do; again, a well thought out little touch.
Moving further around we found the second stage where Adrian Burton, aka Optimus Funk, was dropping some sweet tunes. Everyone present was dancing away, enjoying the sunshine mixing of soul and funk. Ever smiling, he was my personal favourite DJ.
There was still quite a lot to see though, so we left the happy crowd and trekked through gaps in the trees to find more installations. We found one, a hanging collection of silk sheets held in place by a wooden frame. The increasing distortion as you moved further back made for some amazing photos.
Later on in the evening, as people drifted back towards the main area, dancers and performers from immersive theatre company Shotgun Carousel suddenly appeared. Dressed in tribal warrior costumes and intricate face paintings, they made their way dancing through the crowd to the beat, providing yet another moment that sticks in the mind.
On the drive home after LOST, we stopped off to grab some food. The guy serving behind the counter, seeing us still covered in powder paint and strange paint splashes, asked us where the party was. We looked at each other and smiled; 'we don't really know' we said, laughing. It was the perfect end to an amazing time spent at LOST.
Of all the festivals from 2015, LOST for me was definitely one of the best. It's hard to think of many areas that could be improved for next year, but we will certainly be returning to find out!
Latest Updates
LOST 2016festival details
Rob da Bank leads the line-up revealed for London's LOSTthe immersive art project that's also a micro-festival
LOST 2016line-ups & rumours
LOSTfestival home page
LOST finds a place in our heartsLOST Festival 2015 review
