sam smith

I had never really heard of Blissfields before however after doing a little bit of research on the festival before I went, I was more than happy to be attending. After being in Glastonbury the previous weekend I knew it was going to be a major contrast however I was eager to see what it had to offer.

The journey to Blissfields from London was very smooth, it was about an hour on the train from London Waterloo. A small shuttle bus was also at the local train station, dropping festival goers to and from the station and the site. Blissfields was most definitely blessed in terms of the weather, and when I got there plenty of sun, shades and sounds were out.

The festival itself is very small however this definitely adds charm to it, it’s the right size for people to bump into each other regularly round the site.  Over the weekend seeing the same faces around the site gives people that sense of comfort and familiarity which gives it that extra relaxed atmosphere.  The weather was scorching on the Saturday when I arrived however there was enough trees and shade and little areas to explore, however I think most people were just chuffed and more than keen to be out in the sun.

On Saturday the main stage hosted the particularly impressive Sam Smith, who’s career has rocketed recently after having a recent hit with the song Latch which he collaborated with the young house duo Disclosure. His powerful soulful voice echoed around the site and brought about a sense of enjoyment and fun in the fields.  By early evening the Dub pistols got everyone up and dancing busting out some of there songs mixed in with some more famous ska and reggae tunes appealing to people of all ages.

Bastille were the biggest name to play on the Saturday, it was not their first time at Blissfields either so the regulars have grown a relationship between them and the band. They played a brilliant set even though at some stages the visual effects did seem a bit much, nevertheless the crowd was loving it!

Blissifelds is a good mix of people very family and child friendly with lots of activities for kids to get involved and also enough music and alcohol and atmosphere and so on for the adults to enjoy.

The bar was reasonably priced and the food seemed all good produce the burritos were particularly impressive. I spoke to a few people on what they liked about the festival and the majority of the feedback was mainly related around the family friendly vibe for all ages and the lively and creative atmosphere packed into a small site.

Blissfields is most definitely a festival I would attend as a teenager wanting to get the taste of their first festival or families or adults who want to get everything they would usually get form a festival just with less agro, crowds, people and headline acts. It does have something for everyone but if your aim for the festival is to go all out I would probably leave it and go to one of the bigger festivals besides that Blissfield’s has a great atmosphere and entertains all age’s and I would go again. The weather most definitely added a lot to the festival but apparently they are lucky with the weather every year. If you are an aspiring artist, band or DJ they also offer through their website a chance for people to apply and play at the festival which is a very good opportunity for artists wanting to get their foot in the door in performing at festivals and gives the festivals a chance to include a diverse range of established and up and coming artists.

Saturday Photos

Sunday Photos

Photos by Kevin Spice