Creamfields. This place is literally heaven for any House and EDM fan. If you’re someone who loves a good night out, a crazy atmosphere with sick music, this place is definitely for you. For anyone who doesn’t know Creamfields, its located in Daresbury about halfway between Liverpool and Manchester. It’s basically in a muddy field in the middle of nowhere so if you forget to bring your wellies you are definitely in big trouble! But the mud didn’t change a thing. Nothing could change how incredible the festival was this year!
The lineup couldn’t have been much better. The only downside was that so many amazing acts were performing simultaneously so you had to miss out. My favourite sets this year were definitely Lucas & Steve and Tiesto. Of course Tiesto absolutely killed it. He is after all one of the top DJ’s in the world! Lucas & Steve were so much better than I expected. Lots of people don’t know them but they seriously know how to get a crowd going and they are extremely good producers. So, Lucas & Steve, you have a new number one fan right here! There were definitely a few acts that surprised me. Route 94 were actually really good! Also, I wasn’t exactly surprised, but Don Diablo and Hardwell put on an amazing show. Im not a huge fan of Hardwell but he definitely brought it this year! If there was anything at all that was slightly disappointing, I would say Avicii. I absolutely hate to say it as I am a big fan of Avicii’s music, but he just really wasn’t that spectacular live. Overall the festival was an incredible experience. The atmosphere was insane and being surrounded by hundreds of thousands of people who worship the same music as you do just makes it so much better!
Nicola Bennell
Arguably the North’s biggest music festival, Leeds is always a killer weekend of high-octane headliners, the most exciting up-and-coming artists, and way too much mud. This Summer’s effort was no exception to these rules, providing some of the most exhilarating gigs I’ve seen at the event in years. With a line-up varying from classic Leeds rock acts like Biffy Clyro, through a whole host of DJs, to grime collective Boy Better Know, it’s safe to say that Leeds is no longer the rock-oriented affair it once was. This is no bad thing though, with acts like Disclosure and Stormzy pulling in a wider range of fans than the festival had ever seen before.
It’s no secret that Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Sunday headline slot was one of the main selling points this year, especially being the only headliners not paired up with another act. Fans old and new piled in to hear the hits: everything from Under the Bridge to recent singles like Dark Necessities and Go Robot. Unsurprisingly, it was the older tracks that provoked the best audience reaction, regardless of it sometimes seeming that the band were just going through the motions for those fan-favourites. Friday performers Fall Out Boy also delivered an electric set, interwoven with a genuinely touching tribute to the late David Bowie.
Tom Cooney
Despite the headliners garnering the biggest crowds though, many of this year’s smaller sets were amongst the weekend’s best. Just to name a couple, Ezra Furman’s typically rock’n’roll Friday afternoon show kicked the weekend off to an energetic start, whilst electronic duo Honne’s chilled Alternative Stage slot closed Saturday evening in style.
It may have been one of the rainiest and muddiest weekends at the festival in years – with toilets that don’t even bare thinking about – but Leeds 2016 was another unforgettable weekend bursting with unforgettable performances.
Thursday night was a personal favourite, as Shy FX’s Party on the Moon got everybody raving, giving a promising buzz of excitement for the days to come. Redlight was especially impressive during this set, delivering banger after banger making it impossible to leave the tent stage, from hits like ‘Get Outta My Head’ to old school Mary J. Blige bangers.
By Friday morning the party was already starting again, with a disco and funk set at the Spaceport hosted by the the Morning Gloryville crew, getting hundreds of early risers moving their feet in the name of peace, love and unity. Reggae fusion headliners Major Lazer definitely topped off the day, generating enough energy from the crowd to fuel the Isle of Wight locals with electricity for the week.
By Saturday Bestival main stage was graced with the presence of infamous goth rock legends The Cure, who blessed us with classics such as ‘Boys Don’t Cry’, ‘Just Like Heaven’ and ‘A Forest’ throughout their unforgettable 3-hour set. Old school techno masters Leftfield were also a gem of the weekend, blasting out head bopping beats and using insane trip lighting to really set us up for a hypnotising hour of wonder.
French electro swing group Caravan Palace had us jiving by 11am on the Saturday, setting us up for one last day of partying. Their raw musical talent and stage presence totally encaptured the crowd, getting everyone up and jumping despite the muddy ground holding us down by our wellies. Fatboy Slim finished of the evening but was sadly disappointing, playing ‘Eat Sleep Rave Repeat’ for a good 70% of the set- maybe he should stick to the classics next time.
In conclusion, if you’re looking for a guaranteed weekend of fun, I’d start saving up for Bestival 2017 now.
Ellie Phillips
