For those of you dreaming of summer term and all that it brings with it, feast your eyes on this glorious one day festival, set in the heart of our beloved neighbouring city Bristol. With a sold out crowd of 10,000 people last year, Love Saves the Day made its debut in Bristol’s Castle Park, bringing together the best UK and international acts in the electronic music scene.
It goes without saying that this year boats a colossal line up. With the likes of Bonobo and Alunageorge to Applebottom and Joy Orbison, from Dusky and Eats Everything to Jackmaster and Shy FX, there is no doubt in my mind that you will be left grooving away for a solid twelve hours.
Now I know none of us have received our exam-time tables yet and this delightful event falls on May 25th (cutting it a bit close!), but booking this little nugget is definitely worth the risk. As the proud owner of a ticket already, I thought I would tell you why Love Saves the Day is undoubtedly the best thing I did in third term last year.
To set the scene, my day started on a slightly overcast Sunday on a crowded yet incredibly cheap coach full of Beats & Bass Society regulars. After a quick drive which left us in the centre of the city, we headed to Weatherspoons to commence our drinking and get a spot of breakfast. After a few rounds of Jaeggerbombs (granted this was at about 11 am), we decided we were ready to embark on our Love Saves the Day adventure. It was only once we entered the gates into the festival however that the surreal, yet truly marvellous experience began.
Now imagine everything in miniature. Miniature stages, a miniature (yet very real) castle covered in hearts, miniature dance tents, which have all been decorated in a Mad Hatter’s Tea Party theme. Umbrellas float in the sky above trees covered in streamers, bunting and fairy lights. A giant chessboard has been transformed into a stage where anyone can be challenged to a dance-off. This is what I first experienced when I walked into Castle Park.
People could be spotted in all styles of psychedelic fancy dress and best of all a massive L-O-V-E sign in the style of pop-artist Robert Indiana stood proudly on the hill next to the main stage. It was dreamlike to say the least. When thrown together, all of these quirky little ideas helped to transform Castle Park into an intimate venue bathed in love and madness.
Now to the music. I will happily vouch that there was not one person left stationary within the walls of Castle Park thanks to the extensive array of acts. From the chilled vibes of Huxley, Koreless, and Maya Jane Coles throughout the day to the high-energy, fist pumping Joker and Foreign Beggars who finished the night off with a bang, this festival managed to fit a four day festival into the space of twelve hours. For those left still wanting more, it was only a short journey over to Motion, Bristol’s infamous warehouse/skate park/club venue, to carry on dancing at Love Saves the Night.
Now, I have only given you a small taster of what this year’s Love Saves the Day has to offer but if you are at all interested, buy your tickets NOW!! Even with an extended capacity, the first three releases of tickets have already sold out and there are only so many left.
The only advice I have left to give you is bring an umbrella! We do live in England after all…
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