
Ah, where to begin. Hidden away in the rolling fields of Grantham lies a magnificent scene and an incredible venue, the host of the Noisily Festival. With tall, strong trees towering over festival-goers, the canopy creates shade and cover from the weather, offering space to create incredible art with lights, lasers, and smoke. The combination is grand and breathtaking. When visiting the festival, take the time to explore the scenery both day and night—the experience is like nothing else.

The music stages constantly blast out something for everyone, covering all aspects of the electronic dance music scene. With acts from early afternoon to the early hours of the morning each night, the stages feature an eight-pointed sound system with speakers and hay bales forming a surround sound experience in each area. The hay bales also add to the sound engineering, keeping the sound localized. The sound engineering is on another level, curating the perfect amount of noise for each area with minimal sound overlap from different stages. It’s a very pleasant experience, especially for those sensitive to sound.

While I myself am not one to consider schedules, I cannot overlook the expansive effort and work that have gone into organizing and curating the artists in a way that benefits all. The Noisily Festival App has done a lot to help people manage their day too. It’s incredibly user-friendly and straightforward.

I spent the majority of my festival time at the Carboret stage, watching the delightful range of acts that had been arranged. I found myself falling in love with the aerial arts in multiple ways each day. The acts were all moving and warming to watch, displaying the human body creating art in some manner, whether through singing, jokes, or pure expression of movement in various performances.

Some of my favourites were the fire shows on Friday and Saturday, which left me speechless. I ended up spending a lot of time with some of those performers, and the experience and joy they brought me are something I wish never to forget. What an absolute honour it has been to spend time with those people who put so much love and effort into bringing an expressive live art piece to the public. The energy, the laughs—everything was immaculate and something I will hold dear for quite some time.

My experience at the festival was nothing short of incredible. I became enchanted by the venue itself; the location is just spectacular. The people leading operations have a good understanding of both their team and duty, making things run smoothly without a hitch. Once the festival officially kicked off, there was nothing but good vibes radiating throughout this fantastic forest.

The organizers worked incredibly hard to combat the effects of the weather on the ground, laying wood chips and stones on all of the long pedestrian footpaths connecting the stages. After walking around once or twice, you get a good grasp of the area and know instinctively where to go for each venue. With the size of the forest and the layout, you can circumnavigate the entire festival in less than 30 minutes. This means you can change your costume and get back to the acts quickly, leaving plenty of time for partying!

This festival was a first for me. It was the first time I attended Noisily and the first time I’ve done any kind of journalism since university. Overall, the experience was well worth it and, in my opinion, gratifying. I highly recommend this festival to anyone looking for a calm, chilled, artistic atmosphere tailored to artistic and free-spirited adults. The self-expression and freedom within the boundaries of Noisily Festival are ever encouraging and supportive. It has been an absolute delight, and I would love to go again.
