Category: Art
When I heard about the Wilderness Festival I had to find out more… put together by organisers of Secret Garden Party and MAMA festivals (Lovebox and Brighton's The Great Escape) it is intended to provide a boutique experience that combines the literary events of Hay on Wye and a gourmet communal al fresco dining experience with music from Laura Marling, Anthony and the Johnsons, Daniel Johnston, Dry the River, Gogol Bordello and more.
The Wilderness Festival takes place on the Cornbury Estate, surrounded by lakes, forest and farmlands in rural Oxfordshire. It's par for the course for boutique festivals to take place in the lands of once charmed gentry, but this location really does look like something else… expect herds of deer and theatrical spectaculars set in the ancient Wychwood Forest.
But it's the outdoor dining experience that is set to make this festival stand apart from others – you may remember that I ate at the Soul Fire restaurant at last year's Secret Garden Party – well at Wilderness Festival Michelin-starred chef Skye Gyngell of Petersham Nurseries Café and Sam and Sam Clark from Moro restaurant will act as hosts and culinary maestros of daily banquets for 800 people. How this will work in reality I have no idea, but it sounds bloody marvellous! The festival circuit is crying out for better dining – no matter how home made and bijoux the fare is from little caravan set ups it can't ever beat a proper sit down meal. And food eaten at festivals is usually gulped down on the hoof or whilst perching precariously on a straw bale trying to avoid the mud flow below. It's not the best way to enjoy food, and yet our love of eating as a leisure activity is undeniable, and it's reflected in the growth of food festivals – the Harvest at Jimmy's festival and Jamie Oliver's The Big Feastival being just two that I know of.
Sam & Sam Clark of Moro.
Of course, no self respecting boutique festival would be complete without the addition of theatre and performance art and at Wilderness this comes courtesy of The Old Vic Tunnels, The Tax Deductible Theatre Company and Factory Theatre. Antony Hegarty of Antony and the Johnsons will take on the role of 'artist in residence’ at Wilderness which means that we will get to see Antony and the Johnsons making their only festival appearance this summer. The band will also be playing a unique once in a lifetime collaboration with the inimitable Daniel Johnston.
Skye Gyngell
Echoing the line ups of literary festivals Wilderness will host a wide series of talks, from intellectual argument to educational workshops, humorous discourse to poetic declamation. I'm not sure what those ridiculous climate sceptics James Dellingpole and Viscount Monckton (watch this hilarious rap on youtube) can possibly contribute to a debate titled Don’t Let the Eco-Warriers Ruin Your Fun but at least Greenpeace will be there to retaliate. There will also be what is sure to be an interesting debate titled New Technology is Creating More Serious Problems Than it’s Solving.
Restorative healing treatments and yoga workshops will also be on offer in the Well Being area for rejuvenation. The Wilderness Spa, set alongside the beautiful lakes, will offer festival-goers hot tubs, saunas and massages. I don't think there are many festivals where you can jump straight from a hot tub into a crystal clear lake….
Flying Seagulls.
Clearly this is a festival aimed at the new generation of family festival goers, so there will be plenty to keep the kiddies entertained – nature walks and talks from the Bristol Institute of Natural History, lake swimming, boating, fly-fishing and a magical children’s area with babysitting from Boutique Babysitting who will provide games and adventurous escapades on the front lawn of the enchanting 800-acre estate. Needless to say there are many extravagant camping options to chose from.
It's the first year for this festival so early bird adult weekend camping tickets cost a mere £99.50, Early Bird family ticket (two adults, two children) are a bargain £250.00, plus 10 years and younger go free. Tickets can be purchased by visiting the Wilderness Festival website. See you there?