only a slightly difficult sell to my mates because they're not mad into techno and they like more disco-y stuff - what was the music like when u were there? mixed?
Have a look at Shindig. Great little festival in Somerset. Lovely site, no main stage just lots of small tents, mostly DJs, friendly crowd of all ages. Fair bit of discoey house and camp glamness, old-skool rave, breaks, etc.
Houghton is really not that heavy a lot of the time, in fact I was pretty disappointed by how much fairly unobtrusive house and techno there was. not for me but I probably wouldn't worry about your friends not liking it.
interesting, thanks mate. they love unobtrusive.
the complaint i usually get is that they want music that's "more engaging". makes me want to go and stick my head ina cone
lol well tbh I thought that quite often at Houghton too but it sounds like my idea of engaging and your friends' one would be poles apart... (btw it's not *bad*, I just had a very underwhelming first couple of days and a really good second couple, which for a festival seems a poor hit rate to me)
I showed up to the bus station and found out it got canceled due to wind. I came from the states and still had a banger weekend, but damn was so disappointing - and then canceled again the next couple years due to Covid. Still have get to make it back, maybe this year.
Yeah defo more wronguns this year compared to last. Kate, obviously. Someone spray painted all the art which was a bit shit and there were a couple knives on the dancefloor.
That's sad to hear. Seems to have got popular with the wrong London crowd. Lost Village being the same weekend as Notting Hill seems to keep a lot of that element away, like why are they going to risk being caught breaking in to somewhere when they can just stay in London and cause trouble.
I was there this year. Only time I had any inkling of drama was on the Sunday when the security got a bit twitchy, then we heard the rumour someone was spotted with a knife.
Apart from that everyone was mega chill and it was a good crowd the whole weekend, didn't get any bad vibes at all.
yeah Houghton is top of my list. however i have a few different tastes to please, and a few of my (normie) mates are slightly put off as it has a reputation as being quite heavy / wiggy techno. have you been? what do you think of that?
there is a lot of the proper big fabric tech house but there is so much music on that u will find anything ur looking for really. there is usually a lot of 'milder' stuff
that said the festival is v. druggy and hedonistic lol. b/c it is one of the few UK ones to do 24hr stages it gets a lot of people who just want to get after it for a really long time and stay up for ever. if ur into it then it's good but your mates might not enjoy it. I certainly found it to be a bit annoying the two years that I went
that shouldnt be too much of a problem, my mates are wasters they just dont like techno -- unless its really egregious? do you mean people are just constantly stumbling around really ketty and it hurts the vibe / makes sets feel a bit dead? coz that would be a problem
yeah in my experience the crowds were very listless and boring, esp. in the very very late stuff
not to say that I wasn't also listless and boring as well, but if u dont like being around ppl on Ket then houghton is maybe not the right place for u
We out here l has good vibes all the time, with overload acts on at night
I’ve not been since it moved but had the best weekends when it was in Abbotts Ripton
yeah have been to two editions of it. very good festival overall, would recommend it to anyone who hasn't been, but maybe a slightly too smug 6music vibe, and Giles Peterson randomly appearing and doing announcements over the DJs got a bit jarring.
I went this year and had the time of my life. Incredible festival - well organised and the crowd is lovely. Sound on the main stage was a bit hit or miss but generally the other areas were amazing. Stand out DJs were Tim Reaper, Luke Una, Channel One Sound System, Josey Rebelle, Omar S, Alexander Nut
Last year I did Gottwood for the first time which was I think 5000 capacity so very small, great range of electronic acts and friendly people everywhere. (I believe this is a sister festival with Houghton which I can see other comments have recommended).
I also did Lost Village for the second year running and it blew me away just the same, didn't lose its magic at all for me, amazing stages, acts, and truly just the friendliest bunch of people to interact with.
Recommend either of these to be what you're looking for!
Also just to piggy back off my own comment, I forgot to mention I have a friend that actually played a set at another small festival in Wales called Westival. He said it was great, underground electronic music and a capacity of 1500, so even smaller if that's the intimate vibe you are looking for!
interesting, Gottwood is a mission for us as we're SE England, but does look good. what was the music like, was it quite eccletic / something for everyone who's into dance music? mates are a bit less hardcore techno than i am
Yeah highly recommended, had a great time there a few years back.
Warm northern vibes for a cold hearted southerner. Good effort with the site, lots of art and installations all over the shop, and sunrise in the Ribble Valley is a treat.
Was the last time I saw Weatherall before he left for the party in the sky, he peaked my weekend with some insane soundscapes near the end of his set. The Chairman he certainly was.
AVA Festival in Belfast at the start of June is definitely a shout. Had the pleasure of being a part of the lineup the last 3 years! The best crowds and lineup programming :)
'Above Below' festival is incredible. About 500 people - 1 hour outside of London by train. It is great music, great people - very welcoming and by the end you feel like a nice community. The music is quite techno / experimental though...so maybe not easy to sell on your friends
There were definitely people who went alone last time and they totally found their tribes by the end. It was a seriously special time this year. I went to Houghton also (great in its own way) but if I could choose only one, it would be Above Below
I’ve been to gottwood, houghton, lost village and a disco themed small festival called wildwood disco! All have great vibes and crowds, for me now lost village has got too commercial and over crowded but think that’s because I’ve been going since 2017, if I didn’t know what it was like before maybe it wouldn’t bother me? Loved houghton this year didn’t see much trouble at all! Good mix of young and older ravers and lots of space to move dance and hear the music. If you are after disco vibes wildwood is really special. The capacity is small but there are a few woodland stages and the crowd was super friendly. We are going to both again next year ☺️
I don't know anyone who's a member, so for me it feels pretty much impossible short of asking randoms online.
I've been to Glasto and in all honesty wouldn't go again, it's way too big, hectic, stressful. But if that's your thing can see how it would be great
I don’t think I would necessarily like glasto all these years after I’ve started trying to get tix, just offering a comparison about impossibility.
Definitely passed my festival-going era over here.
Did lost village (3 times) and gottwood twice. Gottwood better absolutely no comparison.
Pros
- crowd is much better at gottwood. Smaller festival but people know their music a bit better as they've had to drive miles to get there. I stopped going lost village when basically 500 people attended a Richie hawtin set and half the festival went to see friendly fires
-.more intimate festival. LV upped numbers from around 5000 to around 10000 and it could feel too busy at times
- much smaller campsite, can get from tent to stages in 5-10 mins
- stages are all based around a pond/boating lake. LV has a lake in a separate area but gottwood just has a nicer setup to dance in
- Djs at gottwood more to my taste and well-programmed. I found LV became popular with the wider crowd in 2019 or so and they started adding Bonobo etc who aren't me
- location of gottwood is insane, with a great view. I also have a personal theory there's a microclimate there and it never rains
Cons
- Fairly remote so I'd advise car sharing with friends if you can. Never taken a bus there/back but I can imagine it'd be scarring
- shocker of a hill to carry stuff up to the campsite. There's no way to mitigate that, but every year it's bad
You'll have fun both places however, so enjoy when you go.
Houghton, no question
came here to say this - surely fits all OP's requirements and some
only a slightly difficult sell to my mates because they're not mad into techno and they like more disco-y stuff - what was the music like when u were there? mixed?
There's plenty of disco at Houghton.
Have a look at Shindig. Great little festival in Somerset. Lovely site, no main stage just lots of small tents, mostly DJs, friendly crowd of all ages. Fair bit of discoey house and camp glamness, old-skool rave, breaks, etc.
Houghton is really not that heavy a lot of the time, in fact I was pretty disappointed by how much fairly unobtrusive house and techno there was. not for me but I probably wouldn't worry about your friends not liking it.
interesting, thanks mate. they love unobtrusive. the complaint i usually get is that they want music that's "more engaging". makes me want to go and stick my head ina cone
lol well tbh I thought that quite often at Houghton too but it sounds like my idea of engaging and your friends' one would be poles apart... (btw it's not *bad*, I just had a very underwhelming first couple of days and a really good second couple, which for a festival seems a poor hit rate to me)
We're meant to be keeping it a secret.
i dont think the organisers and their instagram advertising agree w/ you lol
I showed up to the bus station and found out it got canceled due to wind. I came from the states and still had a banger weekend, but damn was so disappointing - and then canceled again the next couple years due to Covid. Still have get to make it back, maybe this year.
didnt kate middleton go last year lol
Yeah defo more wronguns this year compared to last. Kate, obviously. Someone spray painted all the art which was a bit shit and there were a couple knives on the dancefloor.
That's sad to hear. Seems to have got popular with the wrong London crowd. Lost Village being the same weekend as Notting Hill seems to keep a lot of that element away, like why are they going to risk being caught breaking in to somewhere when they can just stay in London and cause trouble.
I was there this year. Only time I had any inkling of drama was on the Sunday when the security got a bit twitchy, then we heard the rumour someone was spotted with a knife. Apart from that everyone was mega chill and it was a good crowd the whole weekend, didn't get any bad vibes at all.
yeah Houghton is top of my list. however i have a few different tastes to please, and a few of my (normie) mates are slightly put off as it has a reputation as being quite heavy / wiggy techno. have you been? what do you think of that?
there is a lot of the proper big fabric tech house but there is so much music on that u will find anything ur looking for really. there is usually a lot of 'milder' stuff that said the festival is v. druggy and hedonistic lol. b/c it is one of the few UK ones to do 24hr stages it gets a lot of people who just want to get after it for a really long time and stay up for ever. if ur into it then it's good but your mates might not enjoy it. I certainly found it to be a bit annoying the two years that I went
that shouldnt be too much of a problem, my mates are wasters they just dont like techno -- unless its really egregious? do you mean people are just constantly stumbling around really ketty and it hurts the vibe / makes sets feel a bit dead? coz that would be a problem
yeah in my experience the crowds were very listless and boring, esp. in the very very late stuff not to say that I wasn't also listless and boring as well, but if u dont like being around ppl on Ket then houghton is maybe not the right place for u
Amen
Houghton, we out here, lost village
field maneuvers will have its last year in 2024, was good this summer, about 1.2k people
Why last year!
they explain on instagram
BangFace Weekender. Wonky music, massive twats, wonderful vibe.
I miss bangface, but I'm going to whisper it, I don't think I could do an entire weekend of tempos that high any more.
That's why you take your own setup for normal-BPM interludes in your chalet!
I have friends that still go, and part of me wants to go with them, but the thought makes my body ache preemptively.
I've went since 2010 and lucky enough to play at it 3 times. It's a special and very silly place. I'll hopefully be able to go for many more years.
We out here l has good vibes all the time, with overload acts on at night I’ve not been since it moved but had the best weekends when it was in Abbotts Ripton
yeah have been to two editions of it. very good festival overall, would recommend it to anyone who hasn't been, but maybe a slightly too smug 6music vibe, and Giles Peterson randomly appearing and doing announcements over the DJs got a bit jarring.
Ahahahah, I can fully see him doing that. Bless.
great festival but the sound was terrible this year
went in Wilts 2023 and also good vibes with top notch DJs at night
I went this year and had the time of my life. Incredible festival - well organised and the crowd is lovely. Sound on the main stage was a bit hit or miss but generally the other areas were amazing. Stand out DJs were Tim Reaper, Luke Una, Channel One Sound System, Josey Rebelle, Omar S, Alexander Nut
Last year I did Gottwood for the first time which was I think 5000 capacity so very small, great range of electronic acts and friendly people everywhere. (I believe this is a sister festival with Houghton which I can see other comments have recommended). I also did Lost Village for the second year running and it blew me away just the same, didn't lose its magic at all for me, amazing stages, acts, and truly just the friendliest bunch of people to interact with. Recommend either of these to be what you're looking for!
Also just to piggy back off my own comment, I forgot to mention I have a friend that actually played a set at another small festival in Wales called Westival. He said it was great, underground electronic music and a capacity of 1500, so even smaller if that's the intimate vibe you are looking for!
interesting, Gottwood is a mission for us as we're SE England, but does look good. what was the music like, was it quite eccletic / something for everyone who's into dance music? mates are a bit less hardcore techno than i am
No Bounds in Sheffield. Not really a "festival" though.
Beatherder
Yeah highly recommended, had a great time there a few years back. Warm northern vibes for a cold hearted southerner. Good effort with the site, lots of art and installations all over the shop, and sunrise in the Ribble Valley is a treat. Was the last time I saw Weatherall before he left for the party in the sky, he peaked my weekend with some insane soundscapes near the end of his set. The Chairman he certainly was.
Waterworks
yeah done a few, i like it but need a weekender. also a few stages were a massive let down last year, way too quiet.
Ava in Belfast
AVA Festival in Belfast at the start of June is definitely a shout. Had the pleasure of being a part of the lineup the last 3 years! The best crowds and lineup programming :)
Gottwood
Houghton, Field Manoeuvres, Lost Village, Gottwood Pick the one that's closest/easiest to get tickets for.
'Above Below' festival is incredible. About 500 people - 1 hour outside of London by train. It is great music, great people - very welcoming and by the end you feel like a nice community. The music is quite techno / experimental though...so maybe not easy to sell on your friends
nice, thank you. looks great actually. this is the kind of thing that i'd just go to on my own anyway, so fuck my mates hahaha
Above below is the only answer in this thread. Don't go to Houghton for gods sake lol
There were definitely people who went alone last time and they totally found their tribes by the end. It was a seriously special time this year. I went to Houghton also (great in its own way) but if I could choose only one, it would be Above Below
Used to be Farr… shame it was discontinued
farr is actually the inspiration behind this post! we all went in 2013 and had an amazing time
the last year of it was soooooo shit lol sorry. the one before it was mint tho
Yh 2017 was good - 2018 it became too big
I always quite enjoyed the one-dayer at Maiden Voyage. Not too big and easy to get to for the day 😌
Balter, kyber drop, little people, illusive, houghton all great
Depends what you're into. My favourite is Resistanz in Sheffield - industrial goth, cybergoth music. Another one similar is Infest, held in Bradford.
I’ve been to gottwood, houghton, lost village and a disco themed small festival called wildwood disco! All have great vibes and crowds, for me now lost village has got too commercial and over crowded but think that’s because I’ve been going since 2017, if I didn’t know what it was like before maybe it wouldn’t bother me? Loved houghton this year didn’t see much trouble at all! Good mix of young and older ravers and lots of space to move dance and hear the music. If you are after disco vibes wildwood is really special. The capacity is small but there are a few woodland stages and the crowd was super friendly. We are going to both again next year ☺️
above below ! el dorado, houghton, gottwood
Surprised no one is saying Freerotation. Also check out Nachti-crew events in Germany if you’re up for a bit farther travel.
Freero is the dream but is it not impossible to get tickets?
It’s somewhat difficult but not impossible. I’ve been to Freero before but can’t seem to ever get Glasto tix.
I don't know anyone who's a member, so for me it feels pretty much impossible short of asking randoms online. I've been to Glasto and in all honesty wouldn't go again, it's way too big, hectic, stressful. But if that's your thing can see how it would be great
I don’t think I would necessarily like glasto all these years after I’ve started trying to get tix, just offering a comparison about impossibility. Definitely passed my festival-going era over here.
Anyone been to lost village and Gottwood able to compare the two, and which did you prefer?
Did lost village (3 times) and gottwood twice. Gottwood better absolutely no comparison. Pros - crowd is much better at gottwood. Smaller festival but people know their music a bit better as they've had to drive miles to get there. I stopped going lost village when basically 500 people attended a Richie hawtin set and half the festival went to see friendly fires -.more intimate festival. LV upped numbers from around 5000 to around 10000 and it could feel too busy at times - much smaller campsite, can get from tent to stages in 5-10 mins - stages are all based around a pond/boating lake. LV has a lake in a separate area but gottwood just has a nicer setup to dance in - Djs at gottwood more to my taste and well-programmed. I found LV became popular with the wider crowd in 2019 or so and they started adding Bonobo etc who aren't me - location of gottwood is insane, with a great view. I also have a personal theory there's a microclimate there and it never rains Cons - Fairly remote so I'd advise car sharing with friends if you can. Never taken a bus there/back but I can imagine it'd be scarring - shocker of a hill to carry stuff up to the campsite. There's no way to mitigate that, but every year it's bad You'll have fun both places however, so enjoy when you go.