Outlook

[JamieRussell2014]

Waking up every morning to the low rumble of bass in the midst of the Croatian countryside, seconds from the beach and surrounded by thousands of other not-too-rowdy revellers has become an annual tradition among bass-music lovers from all over the world – and it’s easy to see why. Now in its seventh year, and attracting crowds of around 5000, Outlook is the anti-archetypal, chameleon festival that can’t really be pigeonholed.

THE GOOD

Venue

Night falls and you follow the dirt paths illuminated by stage lights in the distance to the disused roman fort: a labyrinth of open-air, 40ft, stone-walled venues transformed for a few days each year. The dungeon, the courtyard, the ballroom, and the smaller courtyard…there’s no better place to spend all night raving. And you always seem to forget you’re outside.

The crowd

Everyone envisages a certain ‘type’ of festival-goer before they arrive, but in all honesty the crowd at Outlook has to be as diverse and eclectic as the music on offer. Think less plunging vests, and biro-esque tattoos, and more super-smiley tech professionals and glittery students. NB: I realise that neither of these categories will appeal to some, so I’m just going to say: crowd = all good.

The weather

Sun is a source of serotonin – so remember to drag yourself OUT of your sweat-pit tent and sleep it off on the beach. Temperatures generally reach the mid 30s. Strangely about two years ago, there was a lot of rain but fortunately no dampened spirits, so I hear.

The boat parties

Spend the extra £30 before you go and book one of these. Day-time boat parties are just as raucous as the ones that kick off at nightfall. I lost my shoes but still managed to last three hours on-board the top deck swaying to house in the blazing hot sunshine with an Eton Messy DJ telling the crowd that we were “all looking beautiful”. Half my group overdid it the night before and spent most of their time on the bottom deck, looking about as green as the seaweed. Do not peak before your boat party – the daytime excursions usually start at around 1pm.

The music

Reggae, bass, house, dubstep, grime, electronic music and a whole lot of weird stuff played through some of the world’s best sound systems.

Where else can you get all this for £135? WHERE?

THE BAD

Thefts

My friend left her new Nikes outside the tent just before a pre-fort nap at 4pm. The audacious theft (which was witnessed by our tent-neighbours) happened in our campsite before it was even dark, so hide yo kids, yo wife and yo shoes. Or get a locker. Luckily the shop on site sells fake yet comfy crocs for when this inevitably happens.

The music

Ok for us, four days of earth-shattering, skull-crushing beats at 140bpm took its toll on our souls… just a little (one night there was just so.much.trance) but as I said before the music is pretty varied, and if you want commercial you can always head to V-festival.

The food

When your stomach starts to rumble do remember there’s a supermarket and salad, junk food vendors and burger stands. NB: Choose the former, your body will thank you for it later. Although fast food is a little more expensive than the nearest city (Pula) it’s nothing on UK festival prices, with each meal just under a fiver.

Camping

Let’s not pretend it’s anything it’s not. Hostels also available nearby.

Flights/Croatia Airlines

Top tip? Book well in advance. I’ve heard of people having to sell their comparatively cheap festival tickets, because they left booking a flight until a few weeks before. At this point companies charge up to £400 to fly to Pula (the city where the festival is based) or even Zagreb (where we flew to - three hours away from Pula and easily accessible by bus). Some people save more by flying to Venice and making their way from Italy…but that really is the long way round.

THE UGLY

Authenticity is what the Croatian festival scene aims for, and in most respects this has been achieved. For the past few years Croatia has been marketed as the new, cooler Ibiza with quieter beaches and louder music, where students flock to ponder their existential crisis, as opposed to actively encouraging the onset of another one. However, it is perhaps due to Croatia’s infancy as a party destination; or the fact that in a festival environment hedonism is so easy to capitalise on; that you forget that not everything on offer is as authentic as it might seem. Luckily, Croatians are a friendly bunch and seem to give refunds - just keep your head about you when you smell a potential scam!