Snowbombing, for me, is the ultimate festival. It’s got my three favourite things all rolled into one! Firstly, Snowboarding, secondly live music and thirdly raving on top of snowy mountains!

If you haven’t heard of Snowbombing before, (and why the hell not) it’s the coolest – literally – festival in the mountains held in Mayrhofen, Austria. This is the end-of-ski-season celebration moulded into the start of the summer festival-season kick off!

People from around Europe gathered up their A team and took the mad journey into the wild on the Snowbombing Road Trip! A two day convoy of what looked like the animals from Noah’s Ark on acid, ventured its way across Europe. Two by two, three by three, four by four, or however many animals you can fit in one car, all headed for Snowbombing 2015! Well some did. Others, like myself, opted for a plane or a coach but we were all aiming for the same big party on the snow!

So, from the Andy C All Nighter kicking the fest off to actor Idris Elba closing the fest on the decks in The Arctic Disco, here’s a bit of a VIVA lowdown about what happened…

During the day it’s all about hitting the slopes on your Banana snowboard and carving it up between the Mountain stage and, my personal favourite hot spot in the mountains, Rompa’s Reggae Shack.

Rompa and his fellow Reggae DJs – including guest slots from the Dub Pistols, Mr Motivator, North Base, Etherwood, Gareth Evans plus a cheeky little set from yours truly – kept the mountains pulsing with the freshest reggae, dancehall, dub, jungle and drum’n’base beats, with most DJs styling the limited edition Rompas Reggae Shack branded Adidas Superstar trainers.

Mr Motivator & Rompa (photo credit Gobinder Jhitta)

Rompa quoted on his Facebook page, “Well that was a lot of fun! Thank you to Snowbombing festival and all the staff for what was one of the best yet. Lots of new friends made and lots of laughter, all topped off with full sunshine all week at Rompa’s Reggae Shack. BIG love to all those that came and selected and DJ’d at the shack”.

Whist snowboarding bums were raving on one side of the mountain, on the other side fun was being had by all at the water splash and mountain sports day and spotted racing down the slopes was skiing legend Eddie the Eagle.

Down in the Mayrhofen village the Cuban Brothers were raving and misbehaving at their poole party, yes you heard me a pool party in the Mountains!

Sigma (photo credit Richard Johnson)

VIVA Highlights: 

* F**kin In Heaven at The Racket Club to Fatboy Slim DJ-ing in a horse face.

* The Austrian chocolate ice cream and pepperoni pizzas, Yum!

* Dancing non-stop all night till six in the morning to Hospital Records in the Arena which included DJs Tony Colman, Danny Byrd, A-Skillz and Etherwood who was possibly our favourite DJ that night!

* Chilling out with a cocktail on beanbags in the snow at the Mountain Stage. (the view is beautiful up there)

* Friday afternoon table dancing in the sunshine at the Reggae Shack to North Base and to the Manc boy with attitude, MC Tonn Piper. “If you’re not dancing get the rounds in.”

* On the last night feeling the love down at the Forest party – with Rudimental, DJ Locksmith’s stage dive into the crowd – was epic.

* Top of the highlights has to be Sigma, Cameron Edwards and Joe Lenzie who smashed out hit after hit to a highly energised crowd in the Racket Club including ‘Lassitude,’ the latest single featuring Labrinth, ‘Higher’ and number one hit ‘Nobody To Love.’

As Norman Cook said. “Everyone that’s been to Snowbombing before knows the score – it’s hardcore.”

Click HERE for all of the Snowbombing 2015 videos

Snowbombing 2015 photo gallery…

Album 1