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Event Details

Location
Isle of Wight, UK (Map this address )
Start
SEP 8, 2011 at 12:00 AM
End
SEP 11, 2011 at 11:00 PM
About
Since 2004 Bestival has been providing a completely different festival experience. Taking place over three days in a small Isle of Wight country park called Robin Hill, the event is organised by DJ and promoter Rob da Bank. The inaugral event had a capacity of only 10,000, which has risen steadily and now sits at around 55,000, but size is not a factor for this alternative spectacle whose sole aim isn't simply to make as much money as possible. Aside from just generally being smaller, or 'boutique' as it is often described, Bestival's ethos is one of diversity, offering everything from a large and varied selection of vegetarian food to a dressing up tent and a 'secret stage'. Even the location was chosen, not for capacity and monetary gains, but for its notable natural beauty.

Unlike any other festival, Bestival is famous for its themed fancy dress day, which usually takes place on the Saturday. In fact in 2010 the event organisers managed to set a world record for the most people in fancy dress at any one event. More than just music, the festival is also involved in supporting social, political and environmental issues. It aims to become entirely carbon neutral, not only via offsetting, but also by reducing forms of waste and emissions. In 2005, 2006 and 2007 it won the best medium sized festival award, before collecting the coveted title of best major UK festival in 2010.

The non-corporate vibe extends even further into its ethos with odd and innovative ideas including an inflatable church where people get married, a stage dedicated to uniquelyfusing the traditions of British afternoon tea and the decadent world of burlesque cabaret, and even a ' Breastival' yurt designated for mothers to breast-feed their infants. This year's highlights include; Pendulum, The Cure, Bjork and Primal Scream presenting the album, 'Screamadelica' in its entirety.