Secret Garden Party 2015

[Rose-Colored Boy]

Yeah....so.....someone got raped friday morning.

Horrible.

My sister's there so that's shook me up a bit how horrid.

[5co77ie]

Didn't see any of the posters about the alleged rape. I guess they were only in the campsite in question.

Great weekend Pluto was fantastic. Had a grand weekend. Fed up of rain so off home, it's been a blast

[karislouise11]

I've been attending SGP for years and this year was by far the worst. It's taken such a nose dive. This had nothing at all to do with the rain - it was the mostly change in crowd, no atmosphere, patchy line up, lazy set up, my litter bond not returned (despite filling many bags of rubbish), numerous thefts, a rape... It seems SGP have become money grabbing and greedy like many other mainstream festivals.

 

Furthermore, they keep deleting my comments on their facebook page.

 

It seems as though many of the people who had a good time before may be first timers?

 

I'm massively disappointed. I shall not be returning.

[mike86]

I've been attending SGP for years and this year was by far the worst. It's taken such a nose dive. This had nothing at all to do with the rain - it was the mostly change in crowd, no atmosphere, patchy line up, lazy set up, my litter bond not returned (despite filling many bags of rubbish), numerous thefts, a rape... It seems SGP have become money grabbing and greedy like many other mainstream festivals.

 

Furthermore, they keep deleting my comments on their facebook page.

 

It seems as though many of the people who had a good time before may be first timers?

 

I'm massively disappointed. I shall not be returning.

The only problem I had was the guys selling laughing gas, It cant be hard to keep that out of the festival since theyre searching peoples bags for drinks anyway.

I know its legal but the guys selling it just seem like theyre looking for trouble. Usually big groups of lads claiming large areas of tents constantly filling it with that irritating TTSSSSSSSSSTTT sound. 

[doobie ninja]

i went to SGP last year and was blown away by how friendly everyone one was, how much effort had gone into the festival and just the lovely vibe to the whole place. this year,,,

 

Pros

Ricky Armed and Martinez Brothers playing the drop on the Thur nite

food

Some Djs called Bare playing Picnic Disco fri day.

lost woods / chai wallis was a good venue

 

Cons

weather

the people!!!

 

it was really quite chavy. All around where we camped (which was the exact same spot as last year) was just massive groups of idiots who just made massive amounts of noise 24/7 and trashed the place with zero consideration for anyone but them selves. all you heard constantly was "you is reem man!"

 

outside on the metal green fence someone wrote in mud "fuck you hippie c**ts and fuck you mud"...i thought that summed it all up.

 

think that will be my last SGP.

[hoils]

Haven't been for a couple of years but the stories I'm hearing this year don't surprise me.

 

It's the ultimate Emperor's New Clothes festival. All surface and no soul at all. Run by people that want to wring every last penny from the festival goer's pockets. For the price of the ticket in comparison to the line up they always get, along with the massively hiked up bar prices after the offensive searching for booze, and somebody's making an awful lot of money from SGP.

 

I suppose the fact that the crowd are predominantly braying, monied apolitical kids means they'll always be an audience for what they do. But for me it's horrible blot on the UK festival scene; a massive shit sandwich. 

[aidenlangan95]

Seemed like the lineup was much better in the past. Does seem very overpriced considering the lineup... But it's not always all about that!

[hoils]

As the crowds have got bigger the line up has definitely got worse. 8/9 years ago they were pulling in decent bands on a fraction of the ticket sales. Such is the strange way of SGP economics, I guess. 

The fireworks are always great and Suicide Olympics used to be great, back in the day. To give it some kind of grudging praise. 

[JC-Mo'Fucka]

on the whole, I liked it. There was a nice variation in the stages/activities and I didn't see any trouble with the crowds. very student-y but everyone seemed to be there for a good time.

 

I can understand the above comments as it absolutely isn't a 'special' festival by any means, just a fairly good party for a couple of days.

[Filthy]

Completely disagree with most of the above, didn't experience any crowd nastiness although a couple of our group did during Crazy P. In fact pretty much everyone I spoke to was lovely. The weather was rubbish but pushed through and our group pretty much all had a great one. We were camped in East and our neighbours were friendly although I did hear of some robberies quite near by. It's never ever about the lineup although I do agree it's a lot of money at full price. I've managed to get early bird the last few years so it's not really been an issue. 

[5co77ie]

i also have to say I saw no crowd trouble - infact they were if anything really polite - to the extent of buying me a new coffee when someone accidentally knocked mine over, and lots of people saying 'sorry' for brushing past me - which I though was way too polite!

[Kanye's Cock]

I doubt it's changed much. People who say it's lost it's magic or don't like the 'new' crowd or whatever- it's just because A. You've been a few times so nothing is as new and exciting as it was, and B. You're older, and there are now younger people playing the role of 'you' from five years ago.

 

I feel a bit similar about Glasto. It's lost it's magic a bit for me. Shangri La etc I found a bit crap this year. when I got home I realised that it's me rather than Glasto.

[jr1312]

Haven't been for a couple of years but the stories I'm hearing this year don't surprise me.

 

It's the ultimate Emperor's New Clothes festival. All surface and no soul at all. Run by people that want to wring every last penny from the festival goer's pockets. For the price of the ticket in comparison to the line up they always get, along with the massively hiked up bar prices after the offensive searching for booze, and somebody's making an awful lot of money from SGP.

 

I suppose the fact that the crowd are predominantly braying, monied apolitical kids means they'll always be an audience for what they do. But for me it's horrible blot on the UK festival scene; a massive shit sandwich. 

 

Written by somebody who obviously knows nothing about the people who run the festival, or the amount of work that goes into putting on the event. If you haven't been for a couple of years then you have no right to say it's a shit sandwich as you haven't actually experienced it or how it's changed. As for "wringing every last penny out" - please feel free to give examples of this and how, in any way, SGP is different to any other festival - it's not a charity, it's there to make money and people put in a lot of hard work, time and effort to make it the best that they can rather than some plain corporate shite that definitely has no passion or soul. Try working at the show and then commenting.

[5co77ie]

my review now online here:

 

http://www.efestivals.co.uk/festivals/secretgarden/2015review-overview.shtml

 

To be honest it's in my top five, and I've been to quite a few- 145 at last count

[jr1312]

my review now online here:

 

http://www.efestivals.co.uk/festivals/secretgarden/2015review-overview.shtml

 

To be honest it's in my top five, and I've been to quite a few- 145 at last count

 

That is a great review, nice job - this year was my 6th year and it's always so difficult when the weather hits hard (same as 2012). SGP isn't about the acts (although there have been "better" acts in previous years"), it's the type of show where you need to walk around, find the hidden sunflower field, the bar in the woods, etc, etc. It's nice to see someone appreciate the work that went into it.

[doobie ninja]

Regardless of my earlier post, i still think its a fab festival. I had such a good time last year with amazing weather, great neighbours, we met groups and hung out with them, it was pretty much perfect.

 

i do think the weather bought the atmosphere down a little. Last year in the day there were loads of parades and games / activities but not so many this year due to the mud / rain. Plus, there were just less smiley happy people...no one likes getting piss wet through

 

It was still full of nice friendly people but i do think there were more chavs there (Global Gathering was cancelled?). They didnt  cause me any harm but there not very approacable and down with "hippy / trippy / friendly" festival vibe. i saw two big arguments, one of which i had to step in and calm it down. Also heard some chavs taking the piss out of some hippy lads who were doing no harm. As i expressed in my earlier post, the poeple camping by us were just plain idoits. Screaming their heads off all night, music blasting so loud all night.

 

I also felt there was more Ket use going on. i dont have a problem with drugs, but Ket really mongs people out. ok, their Ket use doesnt harm me, and they're no trouble, but seeing seas of monged out faces doesnt create the nicest vibe

 

The stages there are great....love the Drop stage. Just wish the collsillyum had a roof! the airshow and fireworks are brilliant too. The microlights droping the lights that made the the sky look like glitter was amazing (there were some free tickets dropped too) I agree that SGP isnt about the acts and its nice not seeing corporate sponsorship everywhere.

 

On the saturday night i was at the Drop stage stood on the hay bales, when a kid in a SGP hi-viz climbed up. He was clearly fucked and was doing Christ the Redeemer poses on the edge, people who having to grab him to stop him jumping / falling. Then walking back to my tent on the night (north camp, by the entrance) there is a staff compound. The steward on the gate was also fucked out of his face, he could barely stand!

 

I did have a good time and i would recomend people go to SGP. i would go back but there are other festivals i want to try - Shambala, Beatherder, boomtown.

 

Did anyone find any hidden stuff this year? (last year was the sunflower fields and ice rink)

[5co77ie]

Just wish the collsillyum had a roof!

I'm thinking a Springfield dome over the whole festival