V-Festival! It’s not for the faint hearted, but if you love your live music it is the only place to be on the last weekend in August. One big name after another from midday to mid night . Pitch up, find a spot and settle down to see some of the biggest names in music from around the world. And, as if that is not enough there are two stages and an arena to choose from. And, as if that is not enough there are two sites boasting the same line ups. The organisation is something to behold, this is for professional music lovers only! There is time to get a drink or get to another stage between acts but that is it – no pottering around here, get yourself moving and see what you want to see. Alternatively pick a stage, bring a chair, whatever you need and pitch up for the day. Whichever stage you pick you will be guaranteed to see some of the world’s finest musicians and performers.
V is quite a commercial festival, actually it is very commercial but that is not necessarily a bad thing if you like free stuff and opportunities to try new brands. This is not a fluffy festival, there are not pretty things to look at unless you count the lights from the burger vans at night or the plentiful ladies in bikini tops – see the photo gallery – there is no art trail or theatrical performance under trees which is quite a relief by the time you get to the end of the festival season, what you see is what you get at this point.
The food is standard, the sites are easy to get around you don’t have to walk for miles but the crowds are big and when everyone wants to see the same band, it’s a squeeze not to mention time consuming. Whenever I have been pints are poured ten at a time so you won’t spend hours queuing for drinks but you will spend hours queuing when you need to get rid of all the beer you have drunk, this is the biggest problem with V there are not enough toilets especially for the ladies and crowds resort to going wherever they can which is not pleasant.
Tickets are near impossible to get unless you go for an ‘early bird’ ticket available just after the festival but for the following year. You won’t know who is playing but the line up is always amazing so it’s a safe bet. All in all V-Festival is value for money if you like live music and jumping around to your favourite bands in a field, beer in hand- just try not to spill it!
Published on 28 April 2010 by Cathi Moore
