Lowde Fest 2014 Review
Lowde Fest
Hampshire
5 July 2014
Reviewed by Amanda Hayes
What a fab little festival Lowde Fest is, even more so as it’s for charity, with all proceeds going to The Lowde Music Trust. It’s situated in a small Hampshire village with easy access to the A30/M3/M4 and has plenty of free parking 5 minutes’ walk away. If you fancy making a night of it you can get a camping pitch in the field right next door, not only very close to the music but also to the loo’s!
The festival is on for one day only and begins at 12.00 followed by 11 hours music on two stages. It only covers a small area but there is something for everyone. In the main field there are two stages, a massive beer tent with at least 35 real ales on tap and various different catering vans from a BBQ to curry.
In the second field there are attractions and rides for the younger members of the family including a bucking bronco, huge inflatable slide, and hook a duck. There is even a free toddler area, which my little boy loved, with Little Tikes cars and bikes all surrounded by straw bales so it was really safe. Early in the day the festival families are well catered for with children’s shows being held in the circus tent from 12-6pm and tea and cakes being served.
The good thing about a small festival like this is you can get close to the bands without getting crushed. When we arrived there lots of people sitting comfortably watching the music on chairs or picnic blankets, but there was still plenty of space to lay ours down, grab something from the BBQ and enjoy the music. It was very well organised with the music finishing on one stage and starting on the other so there was always a band playing creating a great atmosphere. The music was wide ranging from pop to reggae.
The festival is very family orientated and there were lots of families with toddlers like ours and young children. A little later in the evening some, but not all, of the families started disappearing and more couples and groups of friends started arriving. At £15.00 a ticket and £15.00 for a camping pitch we thought it was fantastic value even if you did leave early or arrive later in the evening.
As the sun set it over the stage it was a great place to be spending a Saturday night, chilling out listening to bands in the beautiful Hampshire countryside.
Rating: 5/5 
For more information visit www.lowdefest.com.
