The waiting is nearly over - the truly fabulous Lakefest returns to Eastnor Castle 9th-12th August 2018.

Now then, there are festivals, and there are FESTIVALS! Our FFA Reviewers have been blessed to follow the fortunes of Lakefest over the last few years, and the lead-in to our FFA Lakefest 2017 Review just about sums it up…

‘Oh let’s cut to the chase up front – Lakefest continues to develop into one of the best small / medium festivals around...and what sets Lakefest apart is its people.’

Great festivals are many components – the location, the organisation, the facilities, the bands, the crowds, and much more. In this brief preview we could focus on all the excellent goodies Lakefest brings to the party; for instance the wildly diverse music policy - with everything from folk and roots to rock and EDM anyone? (The Waterboys, The Darkness, Marc Almond, Peter Hook & The Light, Reverend & The Makers, Dub Pistols, The Farm, The Proclaimers, Melanie C, Toploader, Roving Crows, and The Membranes just for starters), a multi-media extravaganza of spoken word, workshops, discussions and the like, its hugely successful family friendly focus, all the happenings for the big kids, the diverse ‘experience’ offerings with everything from Land Rover trails to BMX, the quality of the plentiful facilities, the great food and drink, but… well, so what? That’s pretty much standard fodder of any decent festival these days isn’t it? Well no, but anyway that’s not the point. What Lakefest captures, and it's a rare and elusive thing that sets it apart from most other events, is the festival VIBE. You can’t put a price on the sheer bliss of the Lakefest community buzz. You are not ‘The Crowd’ at Lakefest, you are an active player. You and thousands of others make the event; you matter, you help create that magical mood, that good-time vibe and feeling of oneness that will make your skin tingle. Trust me, I know these things. In a fractured world you will become an integral part of a beautiful sea of humanity – a true community. Then my friends, you will become one of the Lakefest FAMILY … and it’s lovely.

See you in the Herefordshire fields.

Lakefest 2018

Eastnor Castle, Ledbury, Herefordshire, HR8 1RL

Dates: 9th - 12th Aug 2018

Tickets available from the £115.00 (inc camping) from the Lakefest website

Lakefest 2018 Line Up

Article by Barrie Dimond