I have just been to the most civilised festival ever

[staffsknot]

I have just got back from a weekend of great music with fantastic organisation down in Hyde Park, complete with two of Glasto's headliners. I cannot get over how well organised and planned it was. In fact my only misfortune was boarding an earlier Virgin Train (they said I could) and then getting stung by a ticket inspector who said I can't.

V please send someone down there and take some notes of the following:

1. Toilets were enough that there was a 5 minute queue maximum for the whole weekend, were pristine and checked every 15 mins, were away from the food areas and stages and had both hand cleanser and toilet roll throughout (in fact a toilet attendent was there handing out toilet rolls to put in sometimes).

2. The food while in London was actually cheaper than V if you went to a stand and there was no queue (unless you were vegetarian)

3. Beer and spirits were available from half a dozen well spread out stands, again with no queue and prices similar to V (again this is London and was same price as a pint outside!)

4. If you so desired there was a covered area with big screens so you could get out of the sun / elements and have a Red Bull!

5. There was a Hard Rock Cafe tent complete with waitresses, memorabilia, proper tables and a bar plus the obligatory big screen and speakers so you missed nothing. Its prices were maybe £1 more than outside and it was cooked to order!

6. The sound from the stages was great and there was plenty of room to view the sets even if you didn't want to be right at the front, with big screens available if you wanted to chill on the grass.

7. Security was good yet you never saw them muscling through the crowd, they were there, chilled out and only casually talked to people (like a bloke who through a plastic bottle at his mate trying to get his attention, at V he'd of been jumped).

8. Crowd was very mellow because they were left to their own devices

9. Whole place was kept tidy with trackways and paths and volunteers coming and collecting your rubbish if you were sat down.

10 Great music - Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young, The Pretenders, Seasick Steve, Gaslight Anthem and Dave Matthews Band.

Downsides:

1. Not allowed to bring own alcohol or anything bar water

2. No camping (stayed in a hotel packed with festival goers though so had a few laughs)

3. London closes its bars in Hyde Park area at 22:30 on a Sunday!

4. No ability to leave and re-enter so if you have your mate's ticket and he's stuck at Euston he ain't getting in (heard someone complaining that happened on Friday night - security wouldn't let him wait further than the entrance or go and fetch the guy who was lost)

I thought that it would be a little more like a gig than a festival but it was amazing and I may have to revisit there next year. V please take note!

[Benj]

I have just got back from a weekend of great music with fantastic organisation down in Hyde Park, complete with two of Glasto's headliners. I cannot get over how well organised and planned it was. In fact my only misfortune was boarding an earlier Virgin Train (they said I could) and then getting stung by a ticket inspector who said I can't.

V please send someone down there and take some notes of the following:

1. Toilets were enough that there was a 5 minute queue maximum for the whole weekend, were pristine and checked every 15 mins, were away from the food areas and stages and had both hand cleanser and toilet roll throughout (in fact a toilet attendent was there handing out toilet rolls to put in sometimes).

2. The food while in London was actually cheaper than V if you went to a stand and there was no queue (unless you were vegetarian)

3. Beer and spirits were available from half a dozen well spread out stands, again with no queue and prices similar to V (again this is London and was same price as a pint outside!)

4. If you so desired there was a covered area with big screens so you could get out of the sun / elements and have a Red Bull!

5. There was a Hard Rock Cafe tent complete with waitresses, memorabilia, proper tables and a bar plus the obligatory big screen and speakers so you missed nothing. Its prices were maybe £1 more than outside and it was cooked to order!

6. The sound from the stages was great and there was plenty of room to view the sets even if you didn't want to be right at the front, with big screens available if you wanted to chill on the grass.

7. Security was good yet you never saw them muscling through the crowd, they were there, chilled out and only casually talked to people (like a bloke who through a plastic bottle at his mate trying to get his attention, at V he'd of been jumped).

8. Crowd was very mellow because they were left to their own devices

9. Whole place was kept tidy with trackways and paths and volunteers coming and collecting your rubbish if you were sat down.

10 Great music - Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young, The Pretenders, Seasick Steve, Gaslight Anthem and Dave Matthews Band.

Downsides:

1. Not allowed to bring own alcohol or anything bar water

2. No camping (stayed in a hotel packed with festival goers though so had a few laughs)

3. London closes its bars in Hyde Park area at 22:30 on a Sunday!

4. No ability to leave and re-enter so if you have your mate's ticket and he's stuck at Euston he ain't getting in (heard someone complaining that happened on Friday night - security wouldn't let him wait further than the entrance or go and fetch the guy who was lost)

I thought that it would be a little more like a gig than a festival but it was amazing and I may have to revisit there next year. V please take note!

[staffsknot]

To be fair to V they have a lot more room too, and supposedly there were 40,000 people at the Bruce Springsteen Sunday (it was packed)

[Benj]

To be fair to V they have a lot more room too, and supposedly there were 40,000 people at the Bruce Springsteen Sunday (it was packed)

[staffsknot]

Well they were claiming 30,000 for Neil Young unless my cider addled brain was adding zeros - in which case I need to double check my bank balance and cancel that new guitar! Definitely more than 4,000 in there though.

Downside is you are stuck on one type of beer (Tuborg) and one cider (Gaymers) and then a choice of spirits.

Enjoy Blur mate (that was the other magic thing, back to my room to watch Glasto with a few tinnies and some mates)

[Benj]

Well they were claiming 30,000 for Neil Young unless my cider addled brain was adding zeros - in which case I need to double check my bank balance and cancel that new guitar! Definitely more than 4,000 in there though.

[OasisVillain]

I'm there for tomorrow for Blur too. Went to Wireless in 2007 and saw Kaiser Chiefs, was a little surreal being at a festival in the centre of London