Throwing a festival in the UK is a tricky business – even in summer. Because for every gorgeous weekend, there is one where the British weather decides it’d rather not play ball, and instead does its best to dampen spirits instead.
Luckily, at Lost Village, rain didn’t stop play. Far from it: people zipped up their jackets, donned their boots and headed out to party the night away regardless. Storm Lilian who?
This festival is small – 17,000 people attended over the Bank Holiday weekend – but it packs a mighty punch. The premise is simple: picture a cosy, fairytale-like retreat from the outside world. One where elaborate stages lurk in the woods, waiting to be found, and Pagan ceremonies are held around the massive lake at the edge of the festival grounds every night.
For the weary, middle class crowd it attracts - aka those who are ready to turn on their OOO and dance the night away - the effect is catnip, and so it proved here.
Though it’s been going less than ten years, Lost Village draws some of the best names in electronic music to play over four days in rural, leafy Lincolnshire. And this year’s line-up was certainly impressive. We had The Blessed Madonna, who swung by fresh from her collab with Kylie (sadly, Kylie did not appear) to DJ a Sunday night set.
We had Floating Points and Fatima Yamaha, both of whom played live: no small feat where electronic music is concerned. We had Australian DJ HAAi, who popped up for a secret Saturday daytime set in addition to her Saturday night one and even found time to record an episode of the Queerly Beloved podcast at the Institute for Curious Minds tent.
There was even, oddly, an appearance from indie rocker boys Bombay Bicycle Club, who closed out the last day to a sea of Carhartt jackets and fluffy bucket hats.
And of course, there was the much-hyped special secret guest on Saturday night, who turned out to be dance music duo Bicep – or at least Andy Ferguson (Matt McBriar recently having undergone surgery for a large and rare brain tumour) – doing a version of their Chroma DJ set. Spread across stages that varied from the Boathouse (a nautical cabin complete with boats) to the Junkyard, which was fully stocked with old cars upon which to dance, the overall effect felt rather like stepping through the looking glass into a weird adult playground. Glastonbury’s Shangri-La, but with more fairy lights.
But it’s not just about the music at Lost Village. Attendees expect more from festivals these days, and on that count, it certainly delivered. Banish any thoughts of choking down lukewarm chips for breakfast, lunch and dinner: why do that, when some of London’s best restaurants and chefs are on hand instead?
In that spirit, Indian restaurant Kricket was ready and waiting to serve up dahl, paneer and delicious crispy chicken for the hungry punters. Next door was beloved Hackney bakery Popham’s, the go-to for breakfast – but then again, Middle Eastern eatery Bubala also did a mean breakfast bowl. Or, you could go well and truly off the beaten track and sit down at a Table in the Woods, with a menu curated by a revolving selection of award-winning, Michelin-starred chefs.
Factor in the arts and crafts workshops (which were fully booked on every day I popped my head into the craft tent and ranged from wood-turning to corset making), the hot tubs by the lake and the comedy tent, which boasted some surprisingly good names, and the end result was less a festival and more a wellness retreat with added music. It’s probably the only festival I’ve left feeling more Zen than when I arrived: ready and waiting, in other words, to go again next year.
