Talk me out of it

[johnmcga]

Long-time Reading and Glastonbury goer here (still doing both of those this year), seriously thinking of picking up some IoW tickets because the line-up looks stellar (especially compare to Reading).

Three questions, if you can help.

• Any opinions on the 'Love your tent' option? I'm no stranger to festival campsites but wouldn't mind a more chilled camping area. Is it worth the extra?
• How are the ferries over for foot passengers? We'll be getting the train from London - any issues there? We're pretty good with crowds and get the train to Glastonbury each year.
• Do they have any ridiculous token systems on the bars, or do they take cash?

Edit to add: why is it so hard to find a link to a map of the festival on the official site?!

Cheers,

John.

Edited May 25, 2015 by johnmcga

[grumpyhack]

I've been a Glastonbury and many other festivals goer for years. I've worked at festivals, helped manage festivals and I've enjoyed every one apart from my one big mistake when I went to the IoW in 2012, attracted by the line up.

It was a disaster and a horrendous experience. The week after I got back I was teaching a one week university summer school on Planning and Event and I actually chose to use the IoW Festival as an example of how NOT to plan an event.

For a start it rained. No surprise there then - it rains in Britain. But the festival organisers had no contingency plans for rain. ("Well it's not rained for our past dozen festivals" was their excuse).

So the local authority/police wouldn't sign off the site as suitable/safe to open until they put wet weather contingency plans into effect. That meant that it opened six hours late. By that time traffic was backed up all across the Island. And, because the roads from the ferry terminal were jammed, it meant that the ferries couldn't take fresh loads of vehicles over until the roads cleared a bit because there was nowhere for the cars to park once they arrived in the IoW. As a result traffic for the festival was backed up along the A27 outside Portsmouth.

The wet weather 'contingencies' consisted of 4x4 enthusiasts who volunteered to tow cars in to the festival site as it was too muddy for most vehicles.

It continued to rain and the same enthusiasts were employed to tow cars out at the end. They did it in such a cowboy manner that I saw at least three cars serious damaged, almost wrecked by the towing. (They towed one car into another and ripped off the suspension on one BMW).

But that apart, it was the most corporate festival I've ever encountered. You camped outside the main arena and were searched at the turnstiles every day on entry. (Not allowed to take in your own food and drink - have to buy the sponsor's corporate offerings - Carling, Carling or Carling I think it was). Also at entry there were police with sniffer dogs at every turnstile - so be warned).

The music was fine and sound was OK-ish but the key seats, viewing points, were reserved for sponsors' guests or people who'd paid for VIP tickets. Food and drink was expensive, relative to Glasto.

The whole event reeked of corporateness with little spirit of fun or the easy-going vibe that makes a festival for me.

So if you want to pay through the nose for a highly corporate rip off, admittedly with usually a very good line up, then the IoW is for you.

If you want to chill and relax there are plenty of other fests to consider or stick to Glasto.

Me a grumpy cynic?

[wyd]

I too have been to many festivals all over the UK, including the last 11 IOW festivals and I have to say it is my favourite. No, it's not like Glasto or Bestival, but it is a lovely laid back affair and the sun has always shone, well apart from 2012 when it poured with rain!! Yes, it was disorganised that year because they weren't prepared for the rain, but the organisers have learned from their mistakes and have made massive changes. It was always good before then, but has continued to improve year by year since 2012 and I would go as far as to say 2014 was the best yet! All I would say is, don't let the opinions of others based on one unfortunate year put you off. Go and judge for yourself. :-)

Sorry, forgot to answer your questions after all that:

I have not tried the Love Your Tent option because we take a campervan, but friends who have swear by it and go back year after year!

The easiest way to get there is to take a train to Portsmouth & Southsea and get the Hover (they run a shuttle service during the festival and the journey takes less than 10 mins) or get off at the last train stop, Portsmouth Harbour, and take the Fast Cat which takes about 22 mins. Both the Hover and the Fast Cat are directly adjacent to the bus station which runs shuttle busses to the festive site.

Last year the bars took cash, although in previous years there was a token system. Even so, there were some places e.g.. The Kashmir Bar and Zebra Champagne Bar (among others) which took cash.

Hope that helps.

PS. There is a map on the app which is free to download. Currently it is last years map but I have it on good authority that it is to be updated soon. Everything should roughly be in the same place however.

Edited May 25, 2015 by wyd

[Staff_Sav]

Was the first festival I ever went to, and I went back 4 more times. You can have a good time there if you don't know any better. I know I had lots of great times there, but once you have been to proper festivals like Glastonbury and bestival for example, you will be looking for the kind of enjoyment you got at those and you won't find it. Yes the line up is good, but sooooo corporate it's unbelievable. Plus the late night areas are all shut at 2am. Hardly a late night for people who enjoy a good party.

[Bisque]

Go to Bestival

[Staff_Sav]

Go to Bestival

Haha yeah, this

[wyd]

Bestival is great, I agree. I did say IOW was nothing like Bestival or Glastonbury in my original post, ha ha. Living on the Island I'm lucky enough to go to both every year. IOW usually has the better line up (imo) but it is in a residential area hence the 2am rule, however people still party all night in the campsite. Bestival is quirky and set in a country park in the middle of nowhere. Surely IOW is no more "corporate" than Reading where the OP says he normally goes.

If the line up fits ....wear it :-D :-D :-D

Edited May 26, 2015 by wyd

[johnmcga]

Thanks for all the replies - I'm getting quite a mix of opinions from various sources. It sounds to me like IoW might be even more 'corporate' than Reading, what with its various tiers of VIP / backstage access and so on. (I'm a total Glastonbury addict and I know other festivals are unlikely to live up to that!)

Bestival's on the list for the future (along with a whole bunch of others ... Indietracks, anyone?), but the timing of IoW this year fits us well and - honestly - the combination of Fleetwood Mac and Blur is exerting a strong pull!

[Staff_Sav]

You will have a great time with the music for sure, and I am sure the extra curricula activities have been improved since I last went (albeit every one of them is some brand promoting their product). But you will miss the true festival spirit