The Balkans have been a hotspot for holidaymakers this year
Outlook Festival in Croatia celebrated their 25 year anniversary on the 27 July – 1 Aug at the Garden Resort in Tisno. This small intimate event is tucked away next to their own private beach, with sound systems hidden in every corner playing Hip Hop and Garage to Dubstep and Grime. Imagine dipping in and out of the sea, whilst dub and reggae is spilling out of the speaker from the stage next to you. Just to set the tone.
Not only is it guaranteed sun, but the festival for about the last 20 years has been nestled in between Roman ruins. Picture raving in castles, sneaking through drawbridges and boogying in giant moats or out at sea on boat parties. After announcing the move of Outlook Festival to Tisno Garden Resort for 2023, festival goers are excited to explore another beautiful corner of Croatia right on the beach.
The ticket price for Outlook starts from £140 for the festival and includes a pitch for your tent. This is good value considering a Glastonbury ticket is £340. The flights to the Balkans start at around £300 from Gatwick to Zadar (60 km from the festival site.) Unfortunately, airlines know when festivals are on and can/normally do put their prices up around those dates.
Outlook has gone cashless, this is not ideal. because if the wifi goes down, then the tills won’t work and therefore no one can buy or sell anything. I have experienced this first hand! However, it’s not such a big deal that it should stop anyone from going to this super-chilled, sun-soaked, festival on the beach.
Another Balkan festival worth visiting is Meadows in the Mountains.
Meadows in the Mountains is set in the Rhodope mountain range in Bulgaria on the 6-10 June. It has been running for eleven years. This electronic music festival is intimate and has spectacular 360-degree views, spanning over the whole mountain range, with bears, wolves and fireflies calling it its home. This festival supports smaller musicians, poets, performers as well as connecting people with nature.
This smaller festival is also the cheapest, ticket prices start at £115. It does not, however, include a pitch for your tent. That will be an extra added cost as well as transfer to and from the airport to the festival. The flights start at £185 so, even with the extra added costs, it would level out to the same as a Glastonbury ticket. For this price you can have a holiday and festival for the same cost as one festival in England. Seems like a no brainer to me.
The festival has also gone cashless like Outlook. This can have the same problems as mentioned earlier. Cash can stand the test of time as it has no need for wifi to work, therefore I don’t see why not have both, cash can be the backup.
Glastonbury is an experience worth saving up for
Glastonbury Festival is one of the most popular music events in the world and it makes you feel like you have just set foot in a futuristic city. This closer to home festival can make you feel like you’re on another planet. It’s a music staycation well worth saving up for if you don’t want to go abroad.
The immense variety of the different fields, stages, artists, circus performers and musicians will not only amaze you but surprise and shock you as well. It is a treat for the senses. Glastonbury caters to all genres of music and it’s all in one place for you to experience.
British weather is always unpredictable and this can seriously affect your time there, so make sure to pack accordingly. The festival is usually on the last weekend of June, this year the dates were 21 – 25 June. You can purchase a Glastonbury Festival ticket starting at £340. Unfortunately, the festival isn’t the cheapest to attend and the food and drink is, maybe expectedly, just as expensive. Pack food and a camping stove to avoid breaking the bank for this long weekender.
Other UK festivals to put in your diary…
There are a plethora of festivals appearing each year, celebrating everything from food, culture, theatre, literature, dancing, drinks and more. So, here’s a selection for all those people looking for something a different type of holiday:
Starting close to home with Pub in the Park, a travelling food and music festival which has been coming to Preston Park around mid July. If you’re more interested in alcohol, then coming to Arundel this summer is Maypole Gin Festival on Saturday 26 Aug.
Equally close but centred around the arts, literature and theatre is Brighton Fringe Festival every May. Its twin up north Edinburgh Fringe is on later in the year, between Fri 4 – Mon 28 Aug. Wales also hosts a similar event called the The Hay Festival from the 25th May to the 4th June. The event has been described as the “Woodstock of the mind.”
Russell Brand has his own wellness and spiritual festival on the 14th – 17th July called Community. Another wellness retreat connecting people with nature through hypnotic beats, cosmic frequencies and community building is Omnia Therapia Festival. The festival is on the 20-25th of Sep in Tunisia.
Whatever you are into there is a festival out there for you, so why not incorporate one of these amazing experiences into your next travel itinerary.
