Review: Camp Bestival 2015

Now celebrating its eighth year in the spectacular rolling hills of sunny Dorset, Camp Bestival is nothing short of a festival treasure. Lovingly curated by DJ Rob da Bank and his wife Josie, the spin-off of Isle of Wight extravaganza Bestival is exclusively for families and melds an eclectic music line-up with a truly dizzying array of children’s attractions.

As something of a festival veteran with almost 20 years of muddy Glastonburys, feisty Leeds festivals, hedonistic Creamfields and debauched Bestivals under my belt, attending a festival with my one-year-old baby was a journey into the unknown for me. However, from the moment we arrived in the car park where a tractor kindly pulled our backbreaking baggage up to the campsite for us, it was clear that Camp Bestival is a tightly run ship that caters for every parent’s and, more importantly, child’s needs.

Arriving in the main festival site on Friday, the first thing that hits you is that explosion of colour and sheer volume of things going on. Tents pump out banging house music, stilt walkers traverse the fields in flower outfits, youngsters embark on secret ‘spy missions’ in the trees, toddlers are pulled around in trolleys (complete with the kind of excessive decorations that lead you to think that parents are trying to out compete each other), entire families sit in circles in front of the main Castle Stage and hills are packed with kids playing games. The carnival atmosphere left me awestruck never mind my baby daughter!

Spending much of the opening day sucking in the atmosphere and taking in the smorgasbord of things going on, we saw the kings of bogies Dick and Dom entertain toddlers with their delightfully immature antics, youngsters and parents alike rock out to the gnarly punk sounds of Buzzcocks, maypole dancers wow the Band Stand and Professor Green defy a very recent bout of food poisoning to belt out a hit-packed set.

Like many ‘non-family’ festivals, Camp Bestival arguably comes into its own under the veil of darkness. Now lit up by fairy lights, a fresh wave of trolleys swarm the fields with parents hoisting along their sleeping tots bedecked in animal onesies, the vast Big Top and Bollywood tent ramp up the volume, and groups of increasingly merry parents get into the party atmosphere. A truly perfect choice of headliner loved by kids and grown-ups alike, headliners Clean Bandit see the first night out in style with their heady electronic infused pop music.

After braving an unseasonably cold summer night, you get the impression from the amount of morning lagers and ciders being cracked open on the campsite that Saturday is the main party day! Embracing the wildlife theme, entire families are kitted out in tiger and lion outfits, countless parents dress up as Steve Irwin and the fields of East Lulworth are awash with face painted children. By the time we hit the main festival site at midday, the party is well and truly in full flow.

Refreshed from the truly sensational food on offer at the festival, the first act we catch is Camp Bestival legend Mr Tumble on the Castle Stage. Drawing easily the biggest crowd of the weekend, kids clamber on their parents’ shoulders in their thousands to get a view of the TV star as he performs a medley of children’s songs and generally clowns around. Honestly, we doubt that One Direction would get a bigger response from the kids here.

Spending the next few hours enjoying the various delights of the Kids Garden – from the robotic walking dinosaur to the nostalgic Punch & Judy show and the educational science shows – the next act we catch on the humbly titled The Best Tent on Earth was the multi-talented Indian performers Circus Raj who wow the packed arena by swallowing swords, balancing gargantuan vases on their heads and rhythmically dancing. It’s truly spectacular stuff!

Musical delights on offer included Norman Jay’s impossibly feel-good DJ set at Bollywood, The Crazy World of Arthur Brown culminating their hypnotic set with their 1968 classic ‘Fire’ and headliners Kaiser Chiefs belt out a hit-packed set that drew a crowd that was only second to the untouchable Mr Tumble. However, with baby daughter safely asleep in her buggy and with the ear defenders on, the undoubted Saturday highlight came in the shape of rave legends 808 State who pummelled out a relentless set of banging techno and acid house. Wide-eyed ex clubbing parents throughout the Big Tent were, for an hour at least, transported back to those halcyon rave days of the late eighties and nineties.

For all the highs of the first two days, the da Banks thoughtfully saved the best line-up until the Sunday. Switched to an earlier set time for some unbeknown reason, Ella Henderson proved why she’s one of the greatest pop talents around today with a flawless set that unsurprisingly peaked with ‘Ghost’. Only the sight of some late arriving kids crying that they’d missed Ella’s shifted set tainted the moment somewhat.

Elsewhere, the mighty Slaves delivered a caustic and fiery tour-de-force in the relentless summer sun, Soul II Soul proved they were the perfect Sunday afternoon band with a slick greatest hits medley that peaked with ‘Keep On Movin’ and ‘Back To Life’ and Ella Eyre bounced around stage with almost boundless energy during her uplifting and triumphant performance. Next, for all Kate Tempest’s prowess on record her expletive-strewn set didn’t quite sit right as anxious parents cowered to protect their children’s ears.

Fortunately, dance heroes Underworld were on hand to help Camp Bestival reach a fitting finale. Defying atrocious sound problems (seriously it was about half as loud as the Kaiser Chiefs), Karl Hyde, Rick Smith and Darren Price delivered a masterclass that drew from all 27 years of their distinguished back catalogue – from ‘Rez’ to ‘Dirty Epic’ to ‘Two Months Off’. Ending the set with a spine-tingling rendition of ‘Born Slippy’ (what else?!) this special moment segued perfectly into the traditional rip-roaring Camp Bestival fireworks display.

A truly magical weekend from start to finish, if you’ve got children and would love a weekend of great music and endless kids’ entertainment I honestly couldn’t recommend Camp Bestival enough. Roll on 2016!

Words: Scott Colothan

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