Review: Shambala Festival – ‘Shambala is a festival of ideas and it is one to be proud of’

Set on the ‘secret’ country estate in Northamptonshire where Shambala takes place every year, the festival is a festival of ideas and it is one to be proud of. Their website claims to have reduced 90% of its carbon footprint, runs on renewable energy and has eradicated single use plastics. This commitment to sustainability is evident from the get-go as you are handed two recycling bags on arrival with instructions for them to be full upon your departure.

As the festival went into full swing on Friday, there was a multitude of gigs and activities to take part in, all taking place in beautifully theatrical environments. Each tent or space had its own look and feel that added to the experience.

You felt rewarded for exploring and seeking out new bars and venues as you mooched around the festival. Every nook and cranny felt like it had been crammed with detail.

With so many good bands and DJ’s to pick from it’s hard to chose a favourite. However, Corto.Alto’s performance on Friday was a persona favourite. The Glaswegian Jazz collective were effortlessly cool and mind-bendingly talented, with a particular nod to their keys player, Fergus McReadie, a Mercury prize nominee and a pleasure to watch play.

The Glaswegian’s pseudo-jazz sounds work great behind the backdrop of the festival. photo: Angus Cawood

Shambala prides itself on being very interactive. Undeniably the highlight being the Shambolympics, an event held over the course of 3 days, which saw several teams whittled down to one ultimate victor through a course of silly challenges all in a bid to win tickets for next years festival.

It seemed like all 15,000 of the attendees had dressed up for this year’s theme ‘Game on’ which saw a vast selection of costumes, from Tetris to Snakes and Ladders.

There were also many workshops to take part in, from macrame to silver smithing, art installations to find and admire and a boardgame tent that was perfect for recuperating outside of the hot sun.

People were eager to show off their costumes. photo: Angus Cawood

The festival had a wealth of food vendors, all selling vegetarian and vegan food.  Although impossible to try them all, based on the ones I tried, it felt like the food was overpriced considering the quality and portion size.

Although it’s important to pay a fair price for food, the overpriced dishes seemed in contrast to the festivals ethics; it felt like a captive market was being exploited.

The only other negative was the coach queue when leaving the festival, and it was a shame that it would be many peoples last memory of the weekend. Stewards were clueless and many people ended up queueing for hours.

Cmments were made by some that it was a slightly less magical than previous years however losing only a little magic seems an amazing feat after the 3 years the industry has faced. All in all, Shambala was a welcome and warm return to festivals after 3 years away. Although there were some teething issues, the festival seemed to hit the ground running and I can’t wait to return.

Main photo: Angus Cawood

Read more: Review: Nozstock, The Hidden Valley – ‘It’s the perfect place to party in the British countryside’

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