Although we made the decision to NOT attend any music festivals this year, we have been to one or two each in previous years – instead of ‘lying by the pool’, ‘bungee jumping off tall things’ or ‘how the hell did we get here?’ holidays.

This is because short breaks give you the same mental health benefits, with fewer opportunites for boredom or over-spending on touristy souvenirs, and short breaks involving live music surrounded by like-minded people are even better.

At the sort of festivals we are drawn to there is more to the atmosphere than music alone. Seeing your favourite musicians, up close and personal, is the main reason for going of course, but there is also art and food and comedy and literature and tiny cinemas and a million other delights to find.

We are committed vegetarians but I wish, with all my heart, they did a veggie version of the Piggie Stardust…

It was at a music festival that I discovered the Dirty Vegan food truck and the simple joy that is tempura cauliflower with the wondrous, magnificent, surprising, life-changing joy that is mixing mayo, soy and chilli sauces all together, so of course I had to try it for myself when I got home…my advice? Add more soy than you think you’ll want because otherwise you’ll only end up traipsing back to the kitchen for more. (Ennuiandwaffles…one for you?).

There are often art installations that you either may never know about:

Or art that is meant to fade away before the year is out:

There may also be opportunities to make some art of your own:

This next arty-fart is my favourite and comes via a couple of hours tuition from Wayne (cost about £15 as I recall) at one of the End Of The Road festivals we have attended. These are not the spoons I made, although I have taken possession of them, but this is what happens when you’re an amateur then, 6 months later, turn pro.

Part two will be about festival accomodation, based entirely on my demands for creature comforts.