You know, it would be nice to be able to write about festivals in this country without, every fricking week, the weather being an issue. What did we do? What did we do to deserve two years with no summer? Oh right, I suppose we fucked the planet up. But STILL!
This weekend we’re being told that all manner of stormy shit is going to go down, which means Bestival-goers are up poo creek, pretty much. Indeed reports have been coming through this week that the site was already battered by a storm, prompting some folk to flee and try flogging their tickets instead.
Despite better weather expected by Sunday, it’s reckoned that Bestival’s going to be the wettest fest this year. If you’re there, or about to head down, our thoughts are with you…
But also - send us pictures! Our Moblog needs updating, so if you want to submit images of lovely summer horror, send an MMS to toilet@moblg.net (no, that’s not a typo) and share your pain. And remember - it can’t rain all the time, or something.

Posted by Stuart Waterman on Friday September 5th, 2008 at 12:30 pm

- Let’s get the weather out of the way:
Latitude: Looks like showers Friday and Saturday; sunny with cloudy spells Sunday. Temperature 18°C - 21°C
Lovebox: Er… rain. 19°C - 21°C
Glade: Similar to Latitude (hey, at least it won’t be as bad as last year… hopefully). 17°C - 20°C
[source: BBC Weather]

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Posted by Stuart Waterman on Thursday July 17th, 2008 at 12:13 pm

Festival season is but a couple of short months away, readers, which means minds are gradually turning to a) what tickets you should be buying; b) how you’re going to afford them; and c) what designer teepee you should choose.
OK, so designer teepees aren’t what you might have traditionally associated with Glasto over the years, but don’t forget we’re in an age of “glamping” (eesh) now. With folk such as handbag designer Orla Kiely producing all manner of funky retro-themed festival bits and bobs, it’s no great surprise to see more designers getting in on the act.

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Posted by Stuart Waterman on Tuesday March 18th, 2008 at 10:01 am

During the week, Simon Barrett is a respectable worker for The Brighton & Hove Argus. However at the weekends he likes to rock his socks off on tiny islands off the coast of mainland Britain. Lucky for him, then, that the weekend just gone saw Bestival light up the Isle Of Wight. Here’s his take on it.
1. Kindly tell us your name, age and where you’re from. Now.
Simon Barrett, 27, Brighton
2. Which festival have you recently attended?
Bestival

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Posted by sophiebruce on Thursday September 13th, 2007 at 8:36 am

Forget small dogs in pink outfits or going out knickerless - it seems the new celebrity fad is stage invading, particularly if the person singing is called Bobby. Following Lily Allen’s drunken scuffle with reggae singer Bobby Kray at the Notting Hill Carnival, the older generation are joining in.
Digital Spy reports the Bestival crowd were treated to a rather hilariously bizarre invasion from Madness star Suggs during Primal Scream’s set. 20,000 watched as he grabbed Bobby Gillespie’s mic and – in a fit of drunken musical solidarity – bellowed: “F*** the Rolling Stones! This is the best rock ‘n’ roll band in the world!”
Primal Scream’s security were quick to remove him. Ungrateful gits… at least he didn’t try and shove Gillespie into the crowd below like Lily.

Posted by sophiebruce on Wednesday September 12th, 2007 at 8:40 am

A capacity twice the size of previous years no doubt thrilled Bestival organisers when it was first announced, but in reality it meant double the normal festival problems, says The Telegraph. The jump from 17,000 to 30,000 fans meant bus and ferry services to the Isle Of Wight were ‘crippled’.

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Posted by Stuart Waterman on Monday September 10th, 2007 at 8:30 am

August has gone, the sun never really arrived, and so we creep into September with hopes for an Indian summer. And what does September mean? Get ready, Isle Of Wight, it’s Bestival time.
Bestival organisers are clearly a little confused about their festival alter ego. Their website - complete with cartoon wizards and hat-wearing owls - suggests boutique. Their organisational ethos suggests commercial - with lots of handy PDFs to download like timetables of acts and a site map. But their line-up suggests mega-budget, with twelve arenas full of talent.

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Posted by Stuart Waterman on Wednesday September 5th, 2007 at 9:22 am