Music

11 things we loved about the 11th edition of Latitude Festival

Latitude Festival 2016 wore us out… but we enjoyed every moment of it!

Henham Park’s scenic grounds and near-perfect weather set the stage for a fantastic weekend in Suffolk in the middle of July.

Following more than a decade of festivals that have been total aural, visual, social and cerebral indulgences, organisers pulled out all the stops in kicking off their next decade – with more music; more theatre, comedy, literature, cabaret, film and wellness offerings; more stuff for kids to do; more scrumptious food; and, well, just more of everything. Here’s what we loved most at Latitude 2016.

Latitude_pinksheep

1. The pink sheep. Yep, you read that correctly. Is it wrong to find sheep dyed a neon colour so incredibly cute?

2. GoGo Penguin on the Waterfront Stage. The acoustic-electronica trio from Manchester play music that’s both peaceful and bursting with energy. They gave their second ever performance of Veils with dancers choreographed by Lynne Page.

3. A lake you could swim in. Henham Park is home to an 11-acre lake. In the afternoon when temperatures peaked, festival-goers could take a dip to cool off.

Latitude_GoGoPenguinonWaterfrontStage

4. Al Porter in the Comedy Arena. Dressed in an impeccably tailored three-piece suit, the young Irish funnyman was bold and brash – and absolutely hilarious.

5. Mark Kermode in the Film Arena. The film critic cracked us up while discussing the nature of his job in a lively Q&A session and tipped us off to some must-see movies.

6. The National in the Obelisk Arena. This was the band’s only UK show of 2016 and it was one to remember. They previewed several new songs (including The Day I Die and Can’t You Find A Way?) and were joined onstage by Chvrches’ frontwoman Lauren Mayberry in I Need My Girl.

7. People watching. Actually, forget the headline acts for a moment… there was a whole lot to look at off-stage, too. From flowery garlands, tutus, psychedelic T-shirts and sequinned hot pants to full-on fancy dress, everyone donned their finest and funnest in festival wear. We even spotted a giant rabbit!

The National

8. Curious attractions in The Village. Off in an alcove pointing toward a nondescript door was an arrow lit sign that read: ‘Get Naked Here’. In another area a series of signs announced ‘Immersive Story Experiences by Rich Shapero’ where two young ladies sat on a stack of books spoiling the plots of famous novels for passersby.

9. Unusual theatrical presentations. Entertainment came in all shapes and forms at Latitude. The Little Garden, a show featuring a man inside a tiny greenhouse cultivating his flowers and other plants to music, completely charmed us.

10. The yummy food. Ranging from 10 tiny pancakes drizzled with Nutella, lemon juice and strawberry sauce to giant Yorkshire puddings filled with sausage, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, our stomachs were as delighted as our ears.

11. The Latitude attitude. Not only did this festival go to great lengths to be to environmentally friendly, but its ‘Love Thy Neighbour’ message was also inspiring – especially when projected in 3D via a water fountain on the lake.