A few thoughts
Having attended the Festival at both the old site on a number of occasions and the new site in 2015, we gave it a break last year but came again last month (2017). The music is great, but what stands out for us is that the compact, homely atmosphere of the old site is missing, together with the direct link with Southwell. We can understand why the move took place, but what we always enjoyed, apart from the music, was just being able to wander into town to see what music was on in the pubs, or wander around town, without having to plan in advance. With the new site that spontaneity is no longer there, as a visit into town needs to be planned to take account of who is on where, and when. We also talked to a number of shopkeepers who indicated that they also felt that the link between festival and town was no longer as strong, which, given how quiet town was on both Friday and Sunday, was quite obvious.
Yes, the music was great, the beer tent wasn't bad, (although personally I would have liked a few more dark beers/stouts), food was great, but the compact atmosphere of the old site is still lacking. Not only is this due to the distance from town, but also compounded by the open nature of the camping areas which, by the very nature of the site, are quite windy.
Not sure what can be done to change this, but I would like to congratulate all who managed the festival. A big well done and thank you
Posted by Mark on 04/07/2017
Gate to Southwell Festival, Southwell Racecourse, Nottinghamshire - 8th June 2017
Wonderful weekend
We liked everything about this festival - fantastic lineup, brilliant workshops and great food. And a very friendly atmosphere. We'll definitely be back.
Posted by Bill and Julia on 28/06/2017
Gate to Southwell Festival, Southwell Racecourse, Nottinghamshire - 8th June 2017
