Shambala Festival is one of the golden few that have mastered the perfect combination of debauchery and pure loving wholesomeness. An annual event, in the depths of a secret location in Northamptonshire, it is known for its whimsical, inclusive and colourful mix of music, art, and workshops. There is a focus on expression, silliness and experiencing joyous moments with other Shambalians, a family that welcomes you with open arms as soon as you cross through the gates. This festival is all about sharing and caring for the earth with people from all walks of life and is the perfect recipe to remedy the slog of the last few years.
My friends had told me many stories about previous Shambalas, including Shambino (a baby Shambala, born from the 2021 covid-19 conscious mini festival season) and this was clearly the highlight of their summer. I had seen the pictures; I’d seen the beautiful artwork from the Facebook group. To say that there were high expectations would be an understatement.
I arrived at the festival on Thursday afternoon. The weather was perfect, not too hot, not too cold, and with a gentle breeze blowing through the trees. I instantly felt at home as I walked to the campsite space where my friends had set up, with our areas at the top of the slight hill opposite the entrance to the site. I’ll say that from the minute we arrived, we noticed that the staff were just as happy to be there as we were. The passion that the staff and volunteers had for the Shambala community was evident for the duration of the weekend and helped continue to boost the atmosphere. I don’t think I’ve ever been to a festival where the volunteers were so friendly and helpful, and from talking to the other attendees this was a universal experience throughout the festival.
After setting up the tent, we took a wander around the site, taking in the sights and sounds of the first evening of the festival. There were beaming festival goers, adorning vibrant costumes buzzing about the open shops and mini-stages. The atmosphere was one of pure elation as everyone warmed up for the first night.
Normally even at a festival as small as Shambala, there would be a few areas that I favour over the others and some that I would prefer to spend time at purely because of the music. One of the things that makes Shambala so special is the varied and detailed theatrical art that can be found at every stage. Each stage is decorated with a unique theme, and the performers go above and beyond to bring these themes to life. From hand-painted backdrops to intricate costumes, the stages at Shambala are truly a remarkable sight. In addition to the eye-catching decor, the stages also boast top-notch sound and lighting systems. This creates an immersive experience that transports audiences into the world of Shambala. Whether you’re watching Charlotte Church on the main stage or bopping around secret stages that you’ve fallen into but don’t remember how you found yourself there, you’re sure to have an unforgettable experience, and I really couldn’t pick a favourite if I had to! I adored the opening of the forest partway through the festival, as this really felt like a special event as we wandered down through the many different pieces of glittering artwork and interactive lights to a feast of whimsical disco amongst the trees.
A special mention to Chai Wallahs must be made, an incredible venue, which housed funk, soul and musicians brimming with talent night after night. It was mentioned on one of the Facebook groups that Chai Wallace may not be able to return next year if they are unable to sell drinks next to the stage, and I really hope that they do as it’d leave a big chai Wallahs shaped dent in the map for me.
In terms of the acts, it was a refreshing way to experience a festival with an incredibly diverse line-up from all parts of the world. I particularly enjoyed exploring with no set agenda, just me and my pals wandering about going where the music sounded good, which to be fair was everywhere, but we somehow managed to decide on venues and spend a decent amount of time in every stage.
I was lucky enough to catch Gangstagrass on the main stage on Saturday afternoon. For those unfamiliar with them, Gangstagrass is a bluegrass hip-hop group from New York City. They fuse traditional Bluegrass instruments like the banjo and fiddle with modern hip-hop beats to create a unique and soulful blend between two seemingly opposite worlds of music.
Gangstagrass are the kind of band that when they play live they’re not only passionate with high-energy performances across the board, they leave you with the kind of afterglow that you relive as if you were there as you’re replaying the highlights from the weekend in your broken brain as you lay in bed recovering for rest of the week. If you have a chance to see them live, I would highly recommend it – you won’t be disappointed. The world could use a little more of the unity that is interwoven into the Gangstagrass vibe right now.
Another highlight that makes Shambala such a standout amongst the mainstream festivals is the sheer amount of workshops, activities and frankly, just plain weird stuff going on, all of which I felt completely welcome to jump in and join at any point. The festival encourages attendees to be aware of their impact on the environment and to make positive choices that will help to protect the planet. There’s a range of Eco-friendly education and activities, such as recycling workshops and seminars. Shambala has a refill cup policy and people are encouraged to bring coffee cups, mugs and water bottles. Pretty much all of the cutlery and crockery is recyclable and the produce is local. Shamala really practices what it preaches in that respect and it’s reflected in the way that festival goers treat the site (very well). Other immersive activities included sea shanty workshops, drag shows, and the famous Shambala carnival where thousands of hours of costume designing got to shine in a train of fantastical sights channelled through the theme of games. Stilt-walkers adorned in dazzling costumes towered above the crowd, with flowing robes shimmering with every step. A huddle of lobsters scuttled around the outskirts of the parade chased by a chef, and a group of tug-a-duck participants pranced about kneeling down to allow people to hook their duck hats off their heads. Whatever game you could think of this parade had it.
There was a beautiful wedding of two Shambalians exchanging vows amongst their family and friends and around three hundred festival goers come to cheer them on. A wedding is an emotional and special occasion for any couple, and a Shambala wedding is not only unique but carried a wonderful story of the brides donating their wedding fund to Shambala in order to help it make ends meet during the pandemic. As the couple said their vows at the Shambolympics stage, with hundreds of festival goers surrounding the stage with their eyes closed the sun was shining throughout and it was a truly special moment that I will remember for a very long time.
Feedback from a lot of the festival goes was that they hoped that Shambala wouldn’t continue to get bigger, or could go back to its original size next year. As this was my first Shambala I didn’t have anything to compare the volume of people in the venues to, and whilst some of the smaller venues did seem to have some queues at different times it didn’t really affect where we went very much. In the context of the pandemic and other difficulties facing the industry at the moment (especially small) that are literally fighting for their lives amid price rises and stock issues, it’s of no surprise that a few more tickets might have needed to be sold. So on the whole perhaps a few of the popular small venues could be expanded slightly whilst keeping the festival at the normal numbers to give people more room to dance.
So thank you Shambala, for welcoming us to this little spiritual home, full of passion for the arts, the earth and most importantly people that make the world a better place. It’s hard to believe a four-day event (that you’ve never been to before) can feel like coming home. Until next year.
Image credits:
Ania Shrimpton
George Harrison
Sian Herbert
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