The Secret Garden Party is a crazy mix of indie alternative rich kids and those who just want to dance until 6am. Walking in is like walking into an alternative reality where nuns are doing the YMCA on straw bales outside a café. You will never fall short of having something to do here, even if there’s no one on any of the main stages that tickles your pickle.

Although actual Secret Garden Party isn’t a secret itself, it’s absolutely full of them. I think part of the fun is trying to find that really cool party in the woods that you were at last night that seems to have changed locations. There are so many twists and turns on site, so many hidden venues behind subtle facades that usually lead to a DJ and hundreds of people dancing like it’s 3am at 3pm…

 I have to say the variety of food is second to none! From paella, to pizza… I even had a freshly cooked scotch egg at one point which was to die for. For me personally food is a massive thing at a festival, so it’s so nice to go somewhere with such variety – not just your standard burgers and chips.

The layout of the festival was pretty interesting, it seemed simple and complicated at the same time with a lot of openings and a lot of hidden areas. It made me feel a bit like I was at Hogwarts and the staircases were moving. Once you get your head around it though, you can pretty much navigate yourself anywhere. I must say it did take a few hours to track down where I could buy a program with music times, which was a bit of a pain. The stages also could have been a bit better sign posted but hey, we got there in the end.

I think it was absolutely great that you could take any drink you wanted into the arena, but this was at the cost of an alcohol limit. I understand why that would be put in place (bars got to make money right) but 4 cans per person for a 4 days’ festival is a little bit steep…

 Dua Lipa was a must. Not only is she SUPER attractive, but the general vibe of her set was such good fun. She’s pretty early into her music career but she already has some absolute bangers (Hotter than hell etc). Temper Trap headlining the main stage was also a stand out performance for me! Whether you wanted to get right into the crowd or hang back up the hill a little bit, the whole atmosphere felt peaceful and light hearted. Just generally exploring what the night had to offer, whether is was the floating stage on the lake or a party in the middle of some woods there was always something going on. I have to add there was also a giant dog somewhere on that site, which made it to my top 5 friends on the Saturday night.

All in all, Secret Garden is probably one of the best festivals I’ve been too. There is SO much going on you literally can’t get bored. But you will need your wallet…

Review & Photos by Emmaline Gordon