Larmer Tree Festival 2018 … Blossoming again

VIVA are always excited to travel south to the Larmer Tree Festival on the borders of Dorset and Wiltshire and were very disappointed to learn that the organisers had decided to take a break last year from the festivities.

However, this year Larmer Festival 2018 was back on and better than ever with a stunning line up of talent covering all types of genres from music to comedy to art and theatre.

One thing that Larmer Tree is good at is offering an air of laid backness (if that’s a word).. no rushing about, low key security and bundles of fun. The food at Larmer is also top notch with an amazing array of cuisine from around the world.

As everyone know this summer has been and is continuing to be one of the hottest for decades and at  Larmer Tree it was blisteringly hot, but thankfully there are many trees to shade under as well as the tents and marquees that are the perfect watering holes while listening to music or comedy.

The Festival has always hosted great music and this year was no exception. Headlining the main stage this year were Jake Bugg, First Aid Kit and Public Service Broadcasting who completely smashed it on sunday night with their unique electronic sound and old film footage that blended perfectly.

Other great bands included Ibibio Sound Machine, Wandering Hearts, Tune Yards, Nick Mulvey, Songhoy Blues, Susanne Sundfor, Nadine Shah, The Barr Brothers and special mention to Naaz who is definitely going places.

On the comedy side of things there was no shortage of great entertainers including Susan Pascoe and Mark Watson headlining and an array of other great comedians, Henry Paker, Jen Brister and Alice Fraser to name a few.

For the kids there was Gem from CBeebies Swashbuckle, Dan the Hat, Kids storytime, Rock’n’ roll riot, Dreamcatcher tents, Pixie Pals and a ton more that kept small people amused for the duration of the Festival.

This year the Festival introduced the Larmer Spa in The Wilds, a new space nestled deep in the woods where you could blissfully retreat by day and into the evening. Or relax in a wood fired hot tub, book in for a session with lovely therapists and even take part in a gong bathing experience. There was a holistic workshop programme and Therapist to escape the hustle and bustle for all who fancied soothing away the stresses of the day.

Also new was the amazing Kernow Springs and their ‘Wild Spa Experience’ to the tranquil Larmer Spa.

Quoting from the Larmer Tree website ..

Larmer Tree is the quintessential summer party. Intimate and eccentric, and remaining small by choice, we offer a unique party experience, encouraging a genuine festival community. The Festival is independent with no outside forces influencing us, making us free to develop an extraordinary event of entirely our own creation, with a shedload of fun stuff to delight, entertain and inspire.

For three days and four joyful nights the gardens transform into a sensory wonderland, ensuring straight-up adventure at every turn. Presenting top-notch local, national and international artists in music, outdoor theatre, live performances, art, comedy and more… You can blissfully retreat to the new Larmer Spa, and there’s international street eats guaranteed to fill your belly and nourish the soul.

We will always aim to bring renewed energy to our festival with some newly created spaces for you to check out, whilst maintaining the original essence of the festival that our audiences have grown to know and love. Most importantly we will always continue to find ongoing excuses to have fun!

Our audience has and will always be the most important part of the Larmer Tree philosophy – we are devoted to creating a distinctive experience for you. We aim to keep you super well-informed during the booking process, and when you’re on site we’ll all be working like crazy behind-the-scenes to make sure you have the best possible experience.

We’re proud to have been awarded the UK Festival Awards for ‘Best Family Festival’ and ‘Best Toilets’ by festival-goers for the coolest, cleanest loos. We’re also thrilled to have been named the ‘Small Festival of the Year 2015’ by NOEA (National Outdoor Events Association).

Nuff said, thanks Larmer Tree, see you next year x

Larmer Tree Gardens, in the heart of the Cranborne Chase

email: info@larmertreefestival.co.uk