As the summer draws to a close, it must be time for the annual pilgrimage to the Isle of Wight for Bestival. Unlike many of the larger festivals which are a rite of passage, Bestival is where people want to be, for 3 and a half days with Robin Hill Countryside Adventure Park feeling like the party capital of the world!

The site is transformed with colour, vibrancy and wonderment into every nook and cranny. It’s where in one hour you can feast your eyes on a man spinning on a stick on his tummy, watch how minions take a pee and see a bridsemaid at The Big Love Inflatable Church following the bride whilst her dress is tucked in her knickers.

While the general layout of the site doesn’t change much, stages come and go as do the ‘art’ installations the biggest of which this year was the world’s largest Disco Ball, to celebrate this year’s theme ‘Desert Island Disco’. Each year Josie and her team surpass themselves with their designs whether its old caravans being converted into cocktail bars, pop up stages being seamlessly added to previous creations e.g. HMS Bestival or just new works of art.

New additions for 2014 included a street food marquee The Feast Collective, a firm favourite with us for its food and the small bar also always had a smaller queue so proved a popular area for us. Thank you Dorshi, The Cake Shop Bakery, Rola Wala and everyone who kept us full over the weekend, plus the occasional random outburst of dancing.

We shouldn’t forget the lovely ladies from the WI who served us coffee, tea, cake, quiche and a bottle of water for a bargain price of £3.50.

Also new this year the Matua Sessions Stage, it felt like the ideal garden, bar, stage with lot's of seating and somewhere to dance.

Oh yes, and the music, there’s lots of it and you can always hear it, one of the great irony’s that whereas so many events try to control sound bleed, at Bestival it works as a Segway from one area to another. The line-up this year was as strong as ever and while Rob Da Bank did not manage to get his dream headliner (She is currently at Hammersmith Odeon), he did get Fake Bush and 400 more, including the final performance of Sunday Best stalwarts Dan Le Sac Vs. Scroobius Pip and the Ultimate Disco headliner Chic featuring Nile Rogers.

Of course Bestival would not be Bestival without the Fancy Dress Parade on Saturday and the Closing Firework Finale on Sunday, neither disappointed, indeed they probably surpassed previous years.

Here are a few the highlights from a wonderful weekend

There are some bands that create a great album, but when it comes to live performance fail to deliver, Disclosure did not fall onto this category. The digital and analogue sounds together come together providing a multi-layered feel and they made the most of their impressive array of guest vocalists including Eliza Doolittle for You And Me, Friendly Fires front man Ed McFarlane on track Defeated No More and Sam Smith for the finale Latch.

They may have been away for ten years but Friday night headliners Outkast proved they are still a force to be reckoned with, belting out classic after classic. Andre 3000, all in black complete with white mullet wig, white sunglasses and a black boiler suit emblazoned with the slogan "My dad had cool albums". Big Boi preferred combat gear and a scarf covering his face.

Kicking off with BOB via Hey Ya! And finishing with The Whole World, this was a greatest hits set to be cherished.

A metal band on the Main Stage at Bestival!  Whatever next, but Skindred aren’t just another metal band, their brand of ‘Ragga Metal’ appeals to a wider audience and in Benji Webbe they have arguably the best front man in rock today.

Strolling on to the Imperial March, with Benji sizing up the audience they burst in to Rat Race, and within seconds they have this non-metal audience eating out of the palm of their hands, during tracks there is banter and the occasional bit of D’n’B including Harlem Shake which goes down a storm, the set finishes with Warning accompanied by the Newport Helicopter. They pose for photos and leave the stage to cheers and some new fans, so much energy for so early in the day.

Dan le Sac vs Scroobius Pip took to the Big Top for the final time and it was a set to remember, they both seemed to be moved by the event, as Scroobius Pip left the stage after Thou Shalt Always Kill, you felt it was truly the end of an era. Dan Le Sac wearing his panda hat asked for one final minute for some ‘fun’ as he blasted the crowd with another short mix closing with Voodoo People.

The duo also appeared on Sunday the Sunday Best store to sign CD’s, Vinyl and anything else come to that.

After stumbling upon Gorgeous George last year, they were on our 'one's we must see’ acts at Bestival, and they didn’t disappoint. Both their performance and style is akin to Kilburn & The High Roads, although not all their songs are about sex, they also have lyrics about football and drinking. Gorgeous George don’t take themselves too seriously, but they do like having fun as does the audience. Their antics on Saturday had the crowd in stiches and baying for more, so much so they over ran for about 15 minutes.

Saturday night headliners Foals do not sit easily with the ‘disco’ feel, but looking at the size of the audience you wouldn’t believe it. It’s now 6 years since the Oxford based math rock band first album, and over the years thy have honed their skills and deserve their place at Bestival’s top table. Their set features tracks from their three albums with My Number and Blue Blood going down a storm.

Clean Bandit proved to be an ideal afternoon slot, with an enthralled crowd for track Rather Be, the lyrics No Place I’d Rather Be summing up everyone’s feeling about Bestival.

Abandoman are a fast pace hilarious and ingenious act all at the same time. Random ideas were gathered from the audience with a young lady throwing her childhood dream into the mix of a world made of chocolate ‘Choconarnia’. One item you could take was marshmallow, forbidden was hot water and to enter you must be hungry a rap ensued with the crowd in rapture. Followed by Josh who wanted his maths teacher dead, subjects were random but the quick thinking mind of Rob Broderick made the set fly by too fast.

Catfish and the Bottlemen take to the stage with the swagger with their album due out in days you can tell these guys want to perform. Frontman Van McCann greets the crowd and with a wink the band launch into Rango full on rock n roll in your face, the stunning Kathleen is quickly followed by Homesick. By the time it gets to Tyrants the crowd are singing along.

Chic and Nile Rodgers were the fitting finale to the Desert Island Disco theme, with the world's largest mirror ball being raised in the background, they showed us how to bring a festival to a fitting finale. Giant coloured balls also being passed around the crowd added to the fun. The set included hits such as I’m Coming Out, We Are Family, Lost In Music and Le Freak and along with some of the hits Nile had written for David Bowie, Madonna and INXS.

The set was like a 70’s throw back, sadly just before leaving for the festival Nile had been told his guitar roadie of 19 years Terry had passed away, trying to keep the tears at bay he asked the crowd ‘Let’s do this show for Terry’ lighters and phone swiftly held high in support.

The performance ended with a stupendous performance of Good Times, together with a cast of thousands on stage, fireworks and tickertape.

Rob da Bank says: “I’ve just washed the glitter and magic Isle of Wight dust out of my hair and all I can think of are all the happy smiling faces of our best Bestival crowd yet. Hedonistic, fun and a bit wonky seemed to sum it up but you guys were looking after each other beautifully too… which after four days of partying is a must! Too many outstanding musical moments from headliners OutKast, Foals and Nile Rodgers, through to Beck, Basement Jaxx and a tear-jerking London Grammar, and too many amazing smaller bands to mention. Away from the noise the Feast Collective set the benchmark for festival food from now on, the Amphitheatre fell in love with spoken word and Shakespeare, we supported and raised money for a shed load of charities and Island ventures and, uh yeah, we broke the world record for the biggest disco ball. Boom! All in all a vintage Bestival, and we’re so glad you chose Bestival. Once the dust has settled, do the sensible thing and get onboard for 2015... See you in the magical fields in a year”.

Tickets for 2015 are now on sale 

Review, photos and videos: L & M Game