Bestival 2016 - how was it for you?

[Lucy92]

Just now, smogo said:

Well Rob da Bank and Tayo do a Purple Rave session most years anyway, but yeah I think doing a bonus bit of Purple Rave after Wiz Khalifa was the big clue really.

There were actually a couple of Bowie tributes in the schedule, although one of them cancelled due to transport problems. The one that went ahead was Feeling Gloomy's tribute at the Amphitheatre.

Ah I knew there was supposed to be one at the hidden disco that got cancelled but didn't see that other one. 

[raynor]

8 hours ago, Lucy92 said:

Ah I knew there was supposed to be one at the hidden disco that got cancelled but didn't see that other one. 

I went to the Bowie tribute at the amphitheater, it was a disco where they just played loads of Bowie records. The one at the hidden disco was supposed to have been at the same time, which I found a little strange. I didn't realise that one was cancelled. I couldn't find the hidden disco, someone said it was just someone with a laptop in the woods playing tunes.

[smogo]

The hidden disco this year was, somewhat pathetically, the Wishing Tree.

[rseamer]

26 minutes ago, smogo said:

The hidden disco this year was, somewhat pathetically, the Wishing Tree.

Ah.... Oh for the very earliest Bestival's when the hidden disco was actually properly hidden and you had to search for it!

Then one year it became a tent with a big sign outside saying 'Hidden Disco' That wasn't very subtle! 

[mjsell]

I was at the Feeling Gloomy Bowie tribute. It convinced me that if the guy on stage could DJ at a major festival then so could I. We couldnt work out if he was being serious or it was a comedy act.

[micropizza]

Having gone for about 6 years, I personally found it disappointing this year.  I won't be returning.

I'd bought an early bird ticket blindly based on all the previous years, organised travel, got a group together, boasted how good it was to new friends and went, didn't realise I was going to arrive at a 'boutique festival' as Rob kept responding to people.  I paid for a full size Festival ticket, which all the previous years bought me something worth the money.

He keeps talking it was downsized because of competition etc, most people buy a festival ticket based on the lineup.  When the lineup come out it was clear they were having money problems months & months back then.  If they would have been upfront that it was a smaller festival this year I honestly would have told my ticket to a teenager on the facebook page.

They've dropped the ball this time, and whatever the lineup is I wont risk the money buying a Bestival Roulette ticket in case i win the scaled down event again.

Just glad I got to see it during the good years.  Last time i saw a mainstage that size, it cost me £40.

Rumours I heard: all the money went on prince who died (surely that booking would be insured), a production company went bust so had to get new people in last minute and something about it being the last one, Robin Hill doesn't want them back.

It's nice Rob gave free tickets to someone that complained, I just got blocked by him instead.  I'm currently trying to get an at least part-refund back for whatever it was i attended instead of Bestival.

http://imgur.com/a/P6Omj

Edited September 19, 2016 by micropizza
image link added

[jackarmy]

1 hour ago, micropizza said:

Having gone for about 6 years, I personally found it disappointing this year.  I won't be returning.

I'd bought an early bird ticket blindly based on all the previous years, organised travel, got a group together, boasted how good it was to new friends and went, didn't realise I was going to arrive at a 'boutique festival' as Rob kept responding to people.  I paid for a full size Festival ticket, which all the previous years bought me something worth the money.

He keeps talking it was downsized because of competition etc, most people buy a festival ticket based on the lineup.  When the lineup come out it was clear they were having money problems months & months back then.  If they would have been upfront that it was a smaller festival this year I honestly would have told my ticket to a teenager on the facebook page.

They've dropped the ball this time, and whatever the lineup is I wont risk the money buying a Bestival Roulette ticket in case i win the scaled down event again.

Just glad I got to see it during the good years.  Last time i saw a mainstage that size, it cost me £40.

Rumours I heard: all the money went on prince who died (surely that booking would be insured), a production company went bust so had to get new people in last minute and something about it being the last one, Robin Hill doesn't want them back.

It's nice Rob gave free tickets to someone that complained, I just got blocked by him instead.  I'm currently trying to get an at least part-refund back for whatever it was i attended instead of Bestival.

http://imgur.com/a/P6Omj

I definitely think that running 5 festivals has caught up on RDB. Bestival Toronto can't have been cheap to run, and they had some pretty big name headliners at the Common People festivals.

I think they need to concentrate on the Mothership, at the moment it definitely feels like the last days of The Big Chill Festival...

[hoils]

So, does anyone think the Spaceport was really supposed to look like that when they started planning it? 

[The60ftOctopus]

11 hours ago, hoils said:

So, does anyone think the Spaceport was really supposed to look like that when they started planning it? 

I'm guessing not. The 'rocket' looked awful. Could've put some lights or something fancy on it.

The spacemen were cool though.

[hoils]

2 hours ago, The60ftOctopus said:

I'm guessing not. The 'rocket' looked awful. Could've put some lights or something fancy on it.

The spacemen were cool though.

I wonder if there's any truth in the rumour I've heard that the reason the rocket was only half (or even quarter) finished was that the contractors realised they weren't getting paid in full for the job and did a runner?

No idea if it's true or not but if so it really suggests things aren't great financially.

I'm amazed Bestival/Get Involved aren't taking a year off next year; have a good year with CB, Common People and Canada and then come to back to Bestival in 2018 afresh. The financial risk they're taking seems stupid to me. 

[Matt - Ed Banger Records]

44 minutes ago, hoils said:

I wonder if there's any truth in the rumour I've heard that the reason the rocket was only half (or even quarter) finished was that the contractors realised they weren't getting paid in full for the job and did a runner?

No idea if it's true or not but if so it really suggests things aren't great financially.

I'm amazed Bestival/Get Involved aren't taking a year off next year; have a good year with CB, Common People and Canada and then come to back to Bestival in 2018 afresh. The financial risk they're taking seems stupid to me. 

What I heard is basically what you've said re: spaceport, although more along the line that the festival realised the budget wasn't going to be there to have the full scale 'artists impression' so amended the install fairly last minute 

[5co77ie]

The Cure from Bestival are on C4 tonight

[eFestivals]

so the new festival at Robin Hill .... has a fancy name, and lots of tribute bands.

- SATURDAY -
Headliner : Ultimate Elton John and the Rocket Band
The Killerz
Madness Tribute Band – The Los Palmas 6
Mumma Mia – Abba Tribute Band
Only One Direction
Little Chix – Little Mix Tribute Band

- SUNDAY -
Headliner : Ultimate Ben :  Michael Jackson Tribute
Killer Queen Band
Stevie Wonder Tribute Act
Duran 2
Almost Olly – Olly Murs Tribute Show

[smogo]

Wow. That's erm.....

Layout wise, it looks like they're restricting the festival to the Bollywood/Port field and the forest (Amphitheatre, Woodland Ponds, and that African-themed clearing).

I'm sure it'll be fun enough for families who want something quite easy-going. I can't imagine it stealing any of Bestival's audience though.

[Tuna]

Olly Murs has a tribute act ffs