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Your support makes all the difference.“You’re either on the bus or off the bus,” maintained “hippie” author Ken Kesey, and some UK festivals are still defiantly on the hippie “bus”.
Glastonbury might have strayed somewhat from its hippie ideals, but the likes of Sunrise (sunrisecelebration.com; 21-24 May), Shambala (shambalafestival.org; 27-30 August) and Festival 8 (17-20 July) are still beacons of sustainability and equality.
Sunrise, which takes place at Chepstow’s Piercefield Park, is dedicated to “alternative ways of living of partying”, and has a trance and hip-hop driven bill which includes Omar Perry & Homegrown and a DJ set from Fun Lovin’ Criminals’ Huey Morgan.
Shambala, which takes place at a secret country estate in Northamptonshire, is similarly dedicated to sustainability, diversity and a sense of fairness, claiming: “Our aim is to be fair in our prices, in the way we communicate with people and in the parity and frankness with which we deal with all involved.” Groovy.
Peace, love and understanding is definitely still on the festival menu with family-friendly Festival 8, a boutique event set in the heart of Lincolnshire, maintaining that “it’s a celebration of the senses; a coming together of like-minded souls to share, connect and participants in many entertainments for the heart, body and soul.” It also has music from the Alternative Dubstep Orchestra and Dub Smugglers.
Alternatively, there’s the meditative Buddhafield festival (15-19 July) near Taunton, and the One Love Festival (4-6 September), dedicated to dub and reggae, at Winchester’s Popham Airfield.
The spirit of Kesey clearly prevails on the UK festival scene.
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