In Retrospect: Volksfest
Tucked away just outside of the centre of Bristol lives a festival with a difference; fusing great music, great cars and great vibes. The festival in question - Bristol Volksfest.
If you’re a festival goer the VW festivals may not be on your radar but across the country are regular gatherings of petrol heads; with clubs and groups sharing love and competing for a wide variety of accolades. Don’t let this fool you though; Volksfest has managed to fuse the VW fest ethics with stellar festivals and have created something very special.
We all know that festivals are the place that you’ll go and after a wavey weekend you’ll come back with your soul in tatters and smelling like you’ve lived in a swamp for a few years. Bristol Volksfest is a definite exception. The family run festival has some proper Hip Hop, Funk and Soul heads at the helm with genuine warmth and passion for what they do. They have crafted some brilliant line ups and over the years have seen some of the finest graff artists frequent their walls. Being in the South West, there’s a plentiful selection of fine ciders, an abundance of food to, spots to hang out and a massive camping area to check out everyone’s rides in between enjoying the live music and pottering around the traders area.
This is a family and car festival with a difference. It’s got some SERIOUS soul! The line up this year included A-Skillz, Jimi Needles, DMC World Champ Mr Switch, local legends The Scribes and Laid Blak plus ridiculously nice sets from the likes of Dutty Moonshine Band, The Neville Staple Band, The Skatatones and SO many more!
I had the pleasure of hosting the Gas Station stage on Friday and Saturday night representing Wordplay and DAMN that stage is live! With 1000+ people crammed into a hot tent full of good vibes, with amazing sets and amazing cider; it seriously went off!
With big plans for 2019, if this is a festival you’re yet to check then we would HIGHLY recommend you add this to your annual radar. It’s a hidden gem, which offers great value and even greater vibes.
Words by Vice
Photos by Megan Bilcock & Jack Waite