Was 2007 the year festivals reached saturation point? Certainly, there were more than ever before – over 400 between May and September – and, anecdotally, a growing sense of seen-it-all-before cynicism from punters.
Yet, when the Gods smile on a festival – sunshine, atmosphere, transcendent performances - there are still few better ways of spending a weekend. Based on a wildly unscientific poll of the Q office, here are the highlights of our 2007 festival season.
What were yours?
Latitude
Stunning location. Varied line-up. The Southwold, Suffolk jamboree did everything right this year. Expect next year’s to sell out fast.
Secret Garden Party
Not so much for the bands – Kate Nash was the only exciting name on the bill, and she didn’t show up – as for the gleeful hedonism exhibited by the crowd. Where else would you see a drunken lunatic with a paper bag on his head cycling into a crudely erected ramp?
Isle Of Wight
Kasabian played exactly the same set at every festival they played this summer – right down to the onstage banter – but nowhere were they received with more booze-sloshing abandon than at Isle Of Wight, which this year was blessed with blazing sunshine from start to finish.
Plus, call us childish simpletons, but getting to a festival by ferry just makes it feel special somehow.
Benicassim
Still the best option for a foreign getaway/festival combo. The ability to sleep your hangover each day on the beach feels outrageously decadent. Meanwhile, Spanish fans’ rabidly enthusiastic mosh-pits put us Brits to shame.
Reading & Leeds
For many of us Reading, with its glorious sunshine, single-handedly rescued summer 2007 from being a drizzly wash-out, and put a debauched full-stop on an otherwise drab festival season. Maximo Park were one of many bands who delivered unexpectedly electrifying performaces.
12:37 PM | 30/08/2007
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User Comments
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But the festival season's not over! Connect is this weekend. Does Scotland not count?
Anyway, agree with you about Latitude - best weekend of the summer.
Posted by state_trooper at 2:00 PM | 30/08/2007 | Report Abuse
Guilfest was hard to beat: Madness, Supergrass, Magic Numbers... good times!
Posted by brezhnev at 4:00 PM | 30/08/2007 | Report Abuse
http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=25292878&blogID=303629388
Posted by Ollie at 5:27 PM | 30/08/2007 | Report Abuse
Glastonbury. Dancing on stage with Iggy, nothing like it. too bad The Weirdness sucks.
seeing The Police in concert with Sting standing on his amp stacks.
Posted by Taylor Shull at 9:03 PM | 30/08/2007 | Report Abuse
well the Sziget festival was just great....The Hives had the best concert...and The Rakes as well....and The Killers playes "Shadowplay"....what more could you ask*(maybe that Chris Cornell to show up...as he should) and let`s not forget about Mando Diao
Posted by Adina at 5:51 AM | 31/08/2007 | Report Abuse
I wouldn't count the final score until the season is over... We're still waiting patiently for our favourite, Truck Festival, to dry out and get going!
Posted by Nick at 9:38 AM | 31/08/2007 | Report Abuse
**KASABIAN ARE EMPIRE**
Posted by HOLLY_VALANCE_MAGIC at 11:58 PM | 03/09/2007 | Report Abuse
Erm, saying that Kate Nash was the only exciting artist at Secret vGarden is a bit uninformed. The Small World Solar Stage, Muddy Promotions Geodome and Living Room Live tent had absolutely s5tunning line ups of some of the best underground music in the country...
Posted by Joseph Devine at 6:09 PM | 12/09/2007 | Report Abuse
i know that the wireless festivial was'nt the most majour (or even proper with out tents!) festival on the tick list but, please dont forget the outstanding preformance of Daft Punk, and the sets of up and comming bands like, css, klaxons, new young pony club and mutemath
Posted by Don Johnson at 10:05 AM | 14/09/2007 | Report Abuse
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