A British festival that rivals the very best

Whether it’s the muddy Somerset bliss of Glastonbury, or a trip further afield into the Welsh hinterland of Gottwood – the festival choices during the British summer are, simply put, endless. You may only choose to attend one, or you might have an appetite for them all. However, one certainty remains – no human made mud-river or gelatinous swamp shall prevent you and your friends from having a good old fashioned stomp in a pastoral field.

Some festivals carve out such a distinct niche from their setting, subsequently amassing a loyal following who will make the pilgrimage back each year, come rain or shine, whereas other organisers will put a strong emphasis on their expertly curated line-ups, appealing to the educated ears of dance floor chin-strokers. However, every now and then, one of those rare events that tickles all the pleasure centres appears – this year, it was Lost Village Festival.

The Lake of Tranquility

One of the real marvels on Lost Village was the emphasis placed on the catering. From the clad-iron pulled pork smoke pits to the juice bar, there was a succulent array of options catering to the hungover and health-conscious alike. However, the real culinary feature of the weekend was the Grey Goose affiliated banquet. This was extremely good by any standards, and made all the more impressive by the production level required to deliver it in a Lincolnshire field.

The Pork Belly at the Tribal Banquet with Grey Goose

As one would expect from the combination of the brilliant chefs Lee Westcott (Typing room, London) and Michael O’Hare (The Man behind the Curtain, Leeds), the food was enticingly inventive. The pork belly, delivered in a refrigerated Romaine lettuce leaf, was particularly impressive, certainly the best thing any of us had eaten whilst at a festival. The banquet atmosphere was extremely relaxed, and a nice opportunity to chat to other festival-goers at the long banquet table. The entertainment itself, provided by a troupe of medieval woodland creatures was slightly off the mark, but overall the experience was superb, and a perfect way to start the festival.

The Grey Goose bar at Boulangerie Bleue

Now in its sophomore year, the Lincoln based festival was conceived by Radio 1 DJ duo: Jaymo & Andy George. The weighty line-up ranged from in-demand headliners, such as Eats Everything and Jack Garratt, interspersed with a healthy dose of up-and-coming indie talent, such as The Tin Pigeons. Often spoilt for choice, we encountered several lineup clashes – luckily the Lake of Tranquility was never far away, where lengthy decisions on where to dance would take place, usually over a Grey Goose Le Grand Fizz cocktail or two.

Fatboy Slim at Burial Ground

With a crowd of 5,000 circulating the forest clearings, Lost Village felt open and breezy, not requiring a specialist qualification in orienteering to get from one stage to another. As a gentlemanly trio, we spent most of our time migrating between ‘The Abandoned Chapel’ and ‘Forgotten Cabin’ stages, pit stopping at the Grey Goose Le Grand Fizz cocktail bar to toast our refills.

Eats Everything at Burial Ground

With the heart of the festival situated in a woodland, ambling around Lost Village isn’t your average jaunt in a field. The interweaving forest pathways are littered with hired actors wearing an array of mystical attires – making journeys between stages strange and different every time. The clairvoyants, witches and seers whispered tales of amusing nothingness into our ears, making it almost impossible not to be charmed into the occultish mischief on display. Part of the festival’s design is constantly being pulled into the Lost Village narrative – it allowed us to get lost in a moment in time, as the music and theatre synergised with the surrounding landscape of sound.

Lake of Tranquility

There are many singular moments that stick in our mind, the fireworks display will continue to haunt us for sometime and a holistic spa treatment on the Saturday evening was worlds away from what you’d expect when you hear the words ‘festival’ and ‘Lincolnshire field’. In just its second year, Lost Village has cultivated a distinct preternatural atmosphere and show like no other and on this summer’s showing the signs are that it’s only going to get better in the gatherings to come.

Words: Jordan Murphy-Doidge // Charlie Darbyshire // Thomas Day

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