Okay, so we may have just returned from Magnetic Fields Festival in India, but when CRISP. Mag discovered that Beat-nik inspired stage, Beat Hotel, were selling tickets to their own soiree in beautiful Marrakech, we couldn’t help but book a trip to dance underneath the midday sun to the sound of our beloved artists.

Whilst we can’t wait to get out there and share the experience with our readers in March, today the CRISP. Mag team share their top 5 reasons as to why holiday makers should boycott the conventional and turn to the world’s smaller and more hidden music festivals this year.

Discovery

In the mesmerising words of E.A. Bucchianeri; ‘it’s the unknown that draws people’ and that’s exactly what makes these new, hidden festivals so exciting. We suggest you ditch the crowds heading to Croatia each year, and put some time and effort into finding somewhere new. Wherever we travel, CRISP. Mag keeps up with as many friends as possible in the festival scene to share the latest on new arrivals with our readers. The fresher the festival, the better. Cymbal is India’s newest festival in Gwalior which will debut this year with renowned partners like Cercle to bring punters the best of electronic music. Dates TBC, everything is very under wraps at the moment but you can sign up to their newsletter and be the first to know more (you’re welcome).

https://www.facebook.com/CymbalFestival/videos/931003587301640/

Freedom

We understand that not everyone has the time to travel as far as Asia, which is why smaller boutique festivals should be on your radar. Popping up all over the world, there is sure to be one closer than you think. One of CRISP. Mag’s favourites, Kala, is set on the stunning coast of Albania where tickets, accommodation and travel are kept from inflating by the organisers to make this festival a fair and accessible experience for many. Put off by the airmiles? Why not stay local to the U.K. and enjoy teeny tiny Cosmic Roots festival in Norfolk. Split the cost of a camper van, bottles of beer, and plentiful snacks for a much more intimate practice to power your East Anglian aura.

Company

Whether a solo-goer or group gathering, these bespoke and profound experiences give like-minded souls a chance to mingle outside the social constraints of everyday reality. Take the opportunity to swap small talk in foreign bars, with forming transformative friendships. It’s easy to let the all-consuming digital world path out a life of online relationships, but once we enter a no-phone zone (i.e. do you ever get good signal at a festival?!), we can surprise ourselves at how much more rewarding raw and unexpected human interaction can be.

Serendipity 

…and no, we are not talking about Peter Chelsom’s widely watched rom-com. We mean it in the sense of accidentally discovering new upcoming artists, genres and destinations. Bookers keep it fluid and niche for smaller festivals which often means it’s likely you’ll discover and love many new artists you’d never heard of before. One of the risks with bigger, commercial festivals is that there are so many artists playing you systematically trudge from one specific stage to another to catch planned acts with not much element of surprise. Perhaps you never considered the Bulgarian countryside, but fall in love with it after attending Meadows in the Mountains. There’s every chance you’d heard of the headliner, but your favourite act of the festival doesn’t even end up being on Spotify. Anything is possible in these carefully curated celebrations of the arts.

Holiday

The final (and most important) reason. What could be better than combining new cuisines, weather, and landscapes with one big party? We can’t wait to sit by a pool in the sun whilst Floating Points nurture our ears and lamb tagine tingles our taste buds at Beat Hotel in March. 

So wherever you’re planning to head this year, be curious and explore one of the many exciting and enriching festival experiences available for 2020.

Eloise Martin

Instagram – @eloiseemartinn

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