Music
Review
Wilderness Festival: The Highlights
The unmissable moments of Wilderness Festival 2024 – from cricket and curry to Braveheart and Bicep
Usually when I go to a music festival – no matter how much I do or don’t indulge – I come out the other side feeling like I’ve been run over by a bus. Wilderness had the opposite effect. My stomach is satisfied, my body relatively well-rested, my cup filled with the impressive calibre of artists and music, and my inner child is at ease after indulging in lovely slow days by the lake.
Driving into Cornbury Park on the Wilderness shuttle bus, the first thing I noticed was the perfectly planted trees. Wilderness Festival is set in a rolling estate that could be part of a Disney movie set. And with hundreds of children frolicking about with fairy wings and animal tails, it seems like I’m not the only one buying into the woodland fantasy.
Setting up camp in the Oxfordshire countryside and breathing in the fresh air, while listening to Palace play out their poignant indie-folk anthem ‘Live Well’ in the distance, I knew I was set for a wholesome few days.
So, what is Wilderness?
While line-up headliners like Barry Can’t Swim and BICEP pulled me in, Wilderness was far more experience-driven than pure musical festival. This might sound trite, but it truly does have something for everyone.
If you’re into wellness, type in yoga on the Wilderness app and you’ve got 29 different options – from free community sessions every morning, to more adventurous offerings like aerial or paddleboard yoga, or niche workshops like womb magic and radical rest.
Big foodie? Some of the world’s most revered chefs are serving up long lunches in gorgeous banquet tents. Looking for a more bougie retreat-style weekend? Enjoy the lush boutique camping, book an exclusive wooden sauna on the lake, served with Veuve Clicquot, and treat yourself to a massage, with your massage seat looking out on The Atrium (one of the festivals main stages).
Festy parent? This is your paradise. Wilderness is a family-friendly affair. There’s circus entertainers, games rooms, a ‘family field’ filled with swings and xylophones, a fun fair with rides, an art studio, and even a small movie tent playing out kids classics like Toy Story.
Soul. Hip hop. Dance. Folk. Cocktails. Burlesque. Comedy. Books. Cricket. You name it.
There’s so much to take in at Wilderness, and you want to make the most of it. For those looking to relive Wilderness 2024 and for future revellers, dive into our Wilderness festival review, wrapping up the top 10 festival highlights…
1. The Valley
If you dig house music, big lights and boogieing into the wee hours of the morning, you won’t want to miss The Valley. Set up at the far side of Wilderness Festival to ensure it doesn’t disturb sleeping campers, The Valley is a narrow and easily my favourite Wilderness stage.
Across the evening I tended to switch between hitting the dancefloor in the centre of the valley, or propping myself up against the hillside to get a good view. From lighting the crowd up with good-time bangers like ‘Dance Of The Crab’ or his latest ‘Kimbara’, to splicing in funky bops like Butch’s ‘I Want You’, Barry Can’t Swim’s two-hour set was an effervescent experience – he was followed by Eats Everything, who pulled through with a disco-fueled riot, that powered through ‘til 3 am. No doubt, The Valley was where the party was at.
2. The People’s Front Room
You’re right in the heart of the Wilderness Festival food market, getting yourself a chip butty at the You’re My Lobster stall, minding your own business, maybe meandering over to the mainstage when you hear a groove you can’t ignore. This was my exact experience. The poetic Kiwi / South African rapper Kloos pulled me into The People’s Frontroom like a magnet. Playing with a full band and supported by soulful vocalist Amy Jansen, Kloos’ set was intimate and magic.
Think of the coolest living room you can imagine: vintage lamps, mid-century furniture, and cosy rugs, with a small bar in the corner to ensure you don’t go thirsty; the People’s Front Room is the perfect place to recoup and hang out, discover new, exciting artist and enjoy a more kickback vibe.
3. The Lakes
Did you really go to Wilderness if you didn’t go for a swim in the lake? Dammed by a path that leads up to the general campsite, the lake sees plenty of foot traffic. It’s the ultimate chill spot at Wildnerness. Surrounded by the idyllic British countryside, the Wilderness lake is where you can slow down, connect with nature, get out of the festy chaos, read your book and refresh. And obviously, it’s free!
4. The Staff
What’s the first thing that comes to mind when asked how I found Wilderness? The staff. Everyone I dealt with was warm, helpful and genuinely happy to be there. Considering it’s a 25,000-strong four-day party, and I somehow felt safer at Wilderness than I do wandering around my own neighbourhood in London, the festival organisers are definitely doing something right.
The staff really set the vibe of an event, and I tip my hat to Wilderness for setting a fantastic vibe. The patient accreditation staff, the obliging gate and campsite supervisors, the easy-going security, who were there to keep people safe, never power trip – everyone had a sense of humour, a warm smile and seemed to understand their assignment; Wilderness is about good vibes. Everyone had jobs to do, but above all it was all about being kind.
5. The Main Stage Moments
With the “little something for everyone mantra” in mind, the Wilderness main stage evoked the sensation of channel surfing, or a really good juke box. Bill Bailey had us in hysterics. Jessie Ware’s powerhouse set – complete with Cher covers and her sensational dancers – was a crowd favourite. 90s hip hop legends De La Soul laughed when they realised they were performing to a few thousand tired parents and their children, then somehow managed to gift those said tired parents with more energy than they’d had all weekend. And BICEP presents Chroma transformed Wilderness into an all-out rave, with deep techno, acid and breakbeat cuts, complimented by dark, trippy visuals. Closing out the main stage with religious-experience-inducing tracks like ‘Glue’ and ‘Apricots’.
6. The Atrium
The Atrium is the largest tent at Wilderness, right in the centre of the festival and the unofficial cultural hub. It’s where Letters Live take place, a spectacle that sees famous actors, speakers and public figures exalting the art of letter writing by reading remarkable correspondence lost to history. This year, actors Olivia Coleman, Tom Blyth, and Daisy Ridley took the stage.
But for me, it was the Wilderness Orchestra that really stole The Atrium show, with a 45-minute performance of iconic (and lesser known) film scores. From Darth Vader’s ‘Imperial March’ to Rachel Portman’s harrowing score for the lesser-known sci-fi Never Let Me Go. There’s undoubtedly a connection between musical and heartstrings. Despite the conductor ripping out the movie – an opinion I firmly disagree with – the Braveheart score saw plenty of glassy eyes scattered across the natural amphitheatre.
7. The WCC (Wilderness Cricket)
Sitting down at the WCC, munching on my complimentary cucumber sandwich and sipping on a fruity Pims, I don’t think I’ve ever embraced a more quintessentially British experience. With my full attention on the pitch, my partner remarked he’d never seen me more engaged in a sport. Hosted by Bearded Kitten, the hilarious commentary had me running for the loo more than once. Less cricket, and more comedy, spectacle, costumes, outlandishness, and of course – streakers, the Wilderness Cricket promises a jolly good time and many “oscillating buns”.
8. The Food
One thing I regret not organising prior to arriving at Wilderness was a seat at one of the long-table banquets. Foodies are the beating heart of Wilderness. And I definitely missed this memo.
Whispers of indian-inspired meat-free chef Meera Sodha and her delicious long, boozy lunch fuelled by succulent tandoori cauliflower, tomato curry and a much-adored paneer left me with a very bad case of FOMO. But even the food trucks seemed to be operating on a whole new tier of delicious. The bacon bap I got from the Hedonist cafe was quite possibly the best breakfast bap I’ve ever had. And I love a breakfast bap.
9. The Shopping
I have been looking for a sterling silver chunky t-bone necklace for months. I found it at Wilderness. Shout out to Reo Jewels, a small business based out of Margate. Of course, there was stall after stall of kid’s rave wear, fairy wings and psychedelic sequinned capes, but that certainly wasn’t the ceiling for Wilderness’ shopping offerings. Chatting to small passionate business owners were some of the most stimulating conversations I had across the festival.
Up-and-coming outdoors brand Fera is taking the finance bro gilet back to its origins – the British countryside. Meanwhile Kiwi brothers and design duo Palmah were selling organic hemp t-shirts and hoodies with memorable designs. A personal favourite was the “chiller whale” with a small, embroidered orca. If you’re heading to future Wilderness instalments, make sure to bring a little extra cash because the shopping will surely tempt you.
10. The Riddle
The mysterious Riddle is the newest stage at Wilderness, introduced just this year. It’s set within a secret walled garden, with a line-up made of rising, young dance artists. It’s a kaleidoscopic experience, and one with purpose. We’ve all seen eerie footage on TikTok and Instagram of climatic live music moments that are captured by a wall of cellphones – a la Black Mirror, it puts a chill down your spine.
With the intention of encouraging attendees to be in the moment and foster genuine human connection. The Riddle door staff place a sticker on the camera of your phone, before entering the venue. I arrived as the sun was setting, two DJs were deep in a progressive house set. The Riddle’s décor was stunning, more glamorous than an exclusive VIP area. Gorgeous paths wrapped in vines and lights, old-fashioned doors, mirrors, cosy nooks, make-shift sitting rooms, and a large bar set within the garden. And I think I only touched the surface of the venue. With plenty more areas to be explored. A winding, fun mystery, The Riddle certainly delivered.
