Invading Bestival 2013--The Thread

[unknown]

^ I am already preparing myself for it being like that the whole time. I can't even describe how awful the people were at Glastonbury. In fact, every time I've gone to an event in the UK, the crowd has been off-putting.

The way I've heard you guys describe the crowd at Glastonbury, I can say that the Bestival crowd was nothing like that except for a couple times. The worst was the time Juan mentioned.

"Who are these guys?"
"The Prodigy, today's headliner"

[shakermaker113]

I have a been consistently disappointed with / annoyed at uk festival attendees. I've not made it to bestival though, so who knows, but it's pretty much killed any interest I have in uk festivals at this point.

[captncrzy]

I've never been to a festival that didn't have a shitty crowd at several points throughout it. The level of shittiness seems to be in relation to the closeness of the festival to a large city.

[captncrzy]

Bestival 2013 Early Bird Tickets



A very limited number of Early Bird tickets for our 2013 extravaganza, which takes place on September 5-8, will go on sale at 9am on Friday 21st September, via:

www.ticketline.co.uk/bestival-tickets / 0844 888 4410

Held at 2012 prices for a short time only, tickets will also be available on a 34 week payment plan for Friday entry weekend tickets and a 36 week payment plan for Thursday entry weekend tickets. Which means that an adult ticket can now be bought at a payment of £5 per week over 34 or 36 weekly payments. See below for further info.

Also, anyone purchasing an Early Bird ticket will be able to upgrade to a Wild Copse Premium Campsite ticket, once they go on sale.


Early Bird Ticket Prices



Adult Ticket with entry from Thursday 5th September – £180
Adult Ticket with entry from Friday 6th September – £170

Student Ticket with entry from Thursday 5th September – £170
(For full-time students only. Valid NUS or ISIC ID required at the box office. No other student ID accepted)

Teen (age 13-17) Ticket – £120

Child (age 12 & under) Ticket – Free (but you must obtain a ticket)

Campervan Tickets – £85 (per vehicle)

Advance Car Parking – £10 (or £15 in cash on arrival)

- All Tickets will incur a booking fee.
- There are no Day Tickets.


New Weekly Payment Plan



We’re pleased to announce that we will be offering a new 34 week payment plan for Friday entry weekend tickets and a 36 week payment plan for Thursday entry weekend tickets, which means that an adult ticket can now be bought at a payment of £5 per week over 34 or 36 weekly payments.

Only available online via: www.ticketline.co.uk/bestival-tickets

Once you have signed up to the payment plan, which basically means giving your agreement by ticking the bank mandate form on Ticketline’s website, Ticketline will automatically debit your card on a weekly basis. They only accept Visa (credit or debit) and Mastercards for the payment plan.

NB: Booking fees will be charged with your initial transaction.

[sonofhal]

Seems like a no brainer. Can always sell the ticket if you change your mind further down the line.

[unknown]

Oh my god, £5 per week . If only I could do a 36 week payment plan for my flight.

Jen, are you guys able to get a good deal for your flights? I think I remember Rick mentioning something about it. That is awesome!

Many people that know me personally know that my patience for shit crowds is slim. I found that for most of the weekend, as long as I wasn't at something hugely popular (in 2010 it was Four Tet's crowd that was a bit obnoxious) or at the main stage (The Prodigy) - the crowd was not bad. I recall Plastikman having an awesome crowd with plenty of space to dance and it was easy to get to the rail and have plenty of space for Fever Ray. Bollywood tent got super packed for some of the bigger electronic names (High Contrast, Joy Orbison). I just glanced over that year's lineup and remembered how there were like 35 people in the tent for SBTRKT.

[chiapet]

Sorry that I'm being really lazy and not backtracking to look for this info, but: I assume they don't have any sort of ticket refund/return/insurance plan like Glastonbury does? How easy is it to sell the Bestival tickets (meaning, do they need to have original credit card photocopy,etc)?

[shakermaker113]

I've never been to a festival that didn't have a shitty crowd at several points throughout it. The level of shittiness seems to be in relation to the closeness of the festival to a large city.

of course, every festival has shitty crowd moments. but some more than others. and my experiences in the uk they were more frequent than anywhere else.

the proximity to a large city seems to matter less in the uk. the shitty crowds are willing to go well out of their way to go to a festival without even really knowing who is playing.

but I've made my point. hopefully Bestival is different. Lilia says it is good enough, which is encouraging.

[chiapet]

I've only experienced Glastonbury and assorted concerts/club nights in the UK, but the crowd was abysmal at all of them. I'm trying to trust Lilia :-) but that is the main factor keeping me from committing to this already.

[unknown]

Sorry that I'm being really lazy and not backtracking to look for this info, but: I assume they don't have any sort of ticket refund/return/insurance plan like Glastonbury does? How easy is it to sell the Bestival tickets (meaning, do they need to have original credit card photocopy,etc)?

I looked it up and found this:
http://2012.bestival.net/info/terms-and-conditions

The Ticket Trust is the only platform authorised by Bestival and the Association of Independent Festivals (AIF) where ticket holders can re-sell their tickets. Use of the Ticket Trust platform website constitutes acceptance of the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy contained on their website.

http://www.thetickettrust.com/Store/


I'm gonna feel like an asshole if anyone posting here goes and has awful experiences with the crowd all weekend.

[captncrzy]

Rick went to a Pixies show in London and he thought the crowd was great. I guess it's all perception. I thought the crowd at Treasure Island a few years ago was the absolute worst.

Lil--we can fly for free standby as long as I'm working for the airline. All I have to pay for are the taxes and landing fees for international flights. I can also buy a guaranteed seat (like a regular customer) at 20% off whatever the fare is at the time I buy it.

I'm gonna feel like an asshole if anyone posting here goes and has awful experiences with the crowd all weekend.

Bring enough mushrooms for everyone

[chiapet]

Ooh, thanks, I read that Ticket Trust thing, but while on the phone, and somehow missed that it was for ticket holders to re-sell. My reading comprehension sucks today.

The crowd at Treasure Island doesn't even begin to compare to what I experienced at Glastonbury. Not to say I didn't enjoy some sets. It was just relentless douchebaggery and it seemed like people didn't even care about the music.

^^ yea, part of the problem may have been that I was really sober for most of Glastonbury and everyone around me except my friends were being drunken or fucked up assholes.

[sonofhal]

UK festival crowds strictly depend on the festival. Glasto is definitely one of the worst.

[anti-square]

The thing with Bestival I found is that it's the last festival of the season, so you had lots of the people show up strictly to party. Again, outside some isolated incidents, the people overall were pretty awesome and we met plenty of friendly characters throughout.

[Boourns]

The people at Glastonbury may be all drunk or high, but at least they aren't aggressive and outright rude like they are at Sasquatch and Coachella. Strangely enough, it's the only fest where I never once had to deal with people talking through an entire set. Even at ATP people were doing that. For Portishead. During Roads. In the front row.

I've read complaints that people were talking throughout Sigur Ros and Spiritualized at Bestival this year, so that's worrisome.

[suprefan]

I think that since nobody owns a digital camera in the uk, they just end up talking during a set, especially at a festival. I mean, either you smile for the camera, actually pay attention, or talk during a band. Nobody takes pics or videos over there.

[Boourns]

Primavera was almost completely free of inane chatter until Saturday. That shit was unavoidable during PJ Harvey and Gang Gang Dance. Before that, there had only been one real asshole incident, which was when someone thought he had the right to be on the rail for Pulp even though he didn't wait all day like everyone else because, gasp, he had a digital camera. I hear things weren't as nice this year. Would love to return someday, but would need another unbelievable lineup.

Bestival looks beautiful and I'd hate for my last camping fest to have been Sasquatch, plus I don't consider myself retired from major American fests, so that's why it's my top priority for next year. But it's between Bestival, Iceland Airwaves (mainly for the fact that it's in Iceland, and cheap), Primavera, or an ATP.

I wonder what the Coachella cruise will be like.

[chiapet]

Uhm, I remember a LOT of talking during Glastonbury, including sets where you were standing right next to me. Sometimes I think you just want to believe that Glastonbury is flawless.

It wasn't just the talking... it was people who were not even pretending to pay attention to a set. In depth conversations with their friends through the entire set, and like, people sitting in chairs facing away from the stage, monkeying around (I don't know how else to put it).

It's like you went to a totally different festival than Salah and me.

[Boourns]

What sets? Boy George and Scissor Sisters? At the former, once he finally came out, everyone seemed to be really into it. It was a fun bunch of singalongs, which helped since Boy George seems to have lost his voice. Scissor Sisters, I don't remember much except enjoying it more than I expected, but we were really far in the back, which is where the lawn chair people hang. They are annoying but at least they're avoidable since it's so easy to get up front for things. I was able to enjoy low key sets that would have been VERY easy to ruin, like Fleet Foxes (from the back), Emmy the Great, Thom Yorke, etc, without any problems.

It's certainly not flawless. Too exhausting, the lineups could be more adventurous outside the big names and special guests, the conflicts, the litter, some very dodgy vendors (batteries that didn't work), the public urination and nudity. But taking into consideration the generally (and often extremely) enthusiastic crowds and the fact that strangers were very talkative and helpful, instead of looking at me like I'm crazy for trying or asking why I don't have rolls because why else would someone of "my kind" be there (no offense, apparently) like at Sasquatch or Coachella 2010? That goes a long way. So does being "adopted" by random strangers and being given drugs and booze, too, like in Coachella's old days.

The consensus on boards like efests is that Bestival is regarded as a mini-Glasto/or Glasto-lite, but with more emphasis on electronic music. So be wary.

[sonofhal]

Don't remember any chatting at Primavera this year, although there was a huge increase in the amount of times I was offered drugs.

The Porto one had an amazingly well behaved crowd.

[Boourns]

I really wanted something for Sufjan Stevens or Pulp, but nobody had anything but hash, coke, and fake molly.

Those guys are nuts. Thursday night after The Flaming Lips one guy outside the gates yelled "Fuck you!" at me when I declined to buy any drugs or beer from him. Ah, chugging warm San Miguel on the Metro at 5am, that was fun.

[sonofhal]

Layaway booked.

[chiapet]

Had no problem finding proper stuff during Sonar, less than 2 weeks later. Boourns, you look like you should probably be a narc or a drug dealer. Yea.

[shakermaker113]

monkeying around (I don't know how else to put it).

peeing on each other.

[captncrzy]

We're not going to do layaway right now. My job is sort of in the air at this point with the pending merger and I'm not sure where I'll be in a year. Still planning on going, just being cautious.

[chiapet]

peeing on each other.

I stand by my euphemism.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencete...ct-ladies.html

[Boourns]

I heard that the big top is being moved to another space with more room next year.

[Bleezie]

That's good to hear. A lot of people people were complaining about that.

2 layaway tickets plurchased.

[amyzzz]

Children 12 and under free? I wish Coachella was like that. (yeah yeah I know no one else does )

[sonofhal]

You know how much you love your children? That's how much I love not having children.