Secret Garden Party, or SGP, has come a long way since its conception. Starting as 500 friends having a party in a garden, it progressed to one stage and 1,000 visitors watching KT Tunstall and The Beat in 2004, and is now a full-blown festival in its own right, with multiple venues and 30,000 party-goers. Sadly, all of this is coming to an end – the team behind the festival have announced that they’re calling it quits and are making this year the most explosive one yet, to celebrate their last ever party.
For their last ever party, SGP have lined up some massive names to bring their music to the numerous stages. The headliners are Metronomy, Crystal Fighters, and reggae legends Toots & the Maytals, so it’s certainly going to be exciting few nights on the main stage. Joining them will be: visceral rock duo Deap Vally, up-and-coming RnB producer Bonzai, quirky experimental duo Let’s Eat Grandma, as well as a few indie acts such as Pumarosa and Will Joseph Cook. Also on the bill are The Moonlandingz, Akala, Jagwar Ma, Ray BLK, Wild Beasts, and many more.
The atmosphere is constantly euphoric and there are plenty of amusements to keep everyone occupied. The site itself is beautiful; you can dance to your heart’s content on the Pagoda (a floating stage on the lake), or take a break from the action and sun yourself on the open-air four-poster beds by the water. There’s also an outdoor pool – albeit a very muddy one – which provided a cooling relief from the sweltering sun. It’s a very creative festival, and some people go all-out with their outfits. Every year the festival determines a theme, with party-goers interpreting that theme into the costumes they make. But, there’s no pressure to do so – everyone is there to have their own experience.
It’s a compact festival, but it fits in all the elements that you would expect from a bigger one. There’s the main stage, where people lounge around in the day and flock to at night; the tiny stages usually host random DJs playing gritty techno; they have a bouncy hopper disco, which was surprisingly therapeutic on the Sunday after two full-on nights; the Lost Woods, a very aesthetically pleasing area, is great to dance in. Pack for a scorching-hot weekend and grab a ticket while you still can – this will be your last ever chance to experience the wonderfully exciting Secret Garden Party!
Words by Zia Larty-Healy