Rain Doesn’t Stop Play at Tenth Into the Wild

Festival Crowd Header
Main Stage

Into the Wild is about as unpretentious a festival as you can imagine. It feels homespun and, dare I say it, cobbled-together and exudes a charm and warmth that’s irresistibly contagious. After a summer of reviewing many festivals, the moment I arrived at this festival’s gorgeous Sussex site I felt I could relax and breathe. At the risk of inducing vomit, it felt like a homecoming.

Okay, the biblical-level deluge on Saturday did dampen my mood a little (lot), but not for long. A bonding moment of British weather moaning with a fellow bedraggled wannabe-reveller, followed by a restorative chai – it’s an alcohol and drug free festival – in the Tibetan Yak and Yeti café sorted me out, and soon I was out dancing in the rain with the best of them. Then the sun came out. Praise the Lord! 

This year, the festival’s tenth, it felt like there were more families than ever. I’m not surprised. There’s a huge amount put on for children, from circus skills to crafts, to storytelling, a pirate ship, to warrior and superpower yoga, to lots of play in nature and God knows what else. It felt wildly wholesome and eons away from the world of screens and perceived stranger danger.

Into the Wild is far from only about families though; there’s more or less an equal mix of children, teens, younger-end adults, middle aged and older people in attendance. And perhaps surprisingly given the general vibe, they’re not all hippies. There are plenty of, er, straights in the crowd, or maybe they’re ‘hippies-acting-straight’, you never know in these – don’t cancel me - gender-fuzzy times. What I’m rather clumsily trying to say is you don’t need to be achingly hip to come along to Into the Wild, you don’t need to be any particular age or gender or ethnicity, you don’t need to dress up or dress down…you can just be who you are. Anyone would think I’m a fan.

As a working-endlessly-on-myself junkie – AKA I’m exceptionally fascinating (and near perfect now btw) – I particularly love the comprehensive timetable of touchy-feely workshops and talks at this festival. The quality is inevitably mixed, with some leaving me underwhelmed, but in the main they’re very good. This year I went along to a fair few, including Radical Acceptance, Releasing Barriers, Family Constellations, Sophia Efthimiou’s Singing Ourselves Home, a sound bath, and Reconnection. Just one more and I’ll be enlightened.

There’s an extensive programme of music going down too of course, including an open mic stage, the excellent Enchanted Wood Stage – Mobius Loop and Bakk Lamp Fall were highlights, the gorgeous Wise Owl Wood Glade stage, the LoveJam and Zutopia stages, and a daily cabaret.

If for some extraordinary reason music and sorting out your traumas aren’t your thing, there are also all sorts of activities going on in the Wild Crafts Area, plus a range of in-depth nature-based talks in the Wilderlands Tent. And if you’re bored with all of that you can just hang out – literally – in the de-rigeur-but-not-obligatory naked sauna. 

I could go on, but you’ll just have to come along next August bank holiday to discover Into the Wild for yourself. Take it from me, it’ll be worth it. I’m most definitely planning to be there again myself.

By Neil del Strother www.neildelstrother.co.uk

Published on 30 August 2024 by Neil del Strother

Recent News More news

  • Noisily Festival Unveils 2025 Mind Body Soul Wellness Programme

    Noisily Festival announces a diverse and immersive Mind Body Soul wellness programme for its 2025 edition, featuring exclusive experiences, workshops, and performances that aim to nurture the mind, body, and soul of attendees.

  • Colchester Castle Summer Series 2025: Full Line-up Announcement

    The inaugural Colchester Castle Summer Series unveils an incredible line-up of world-renowned artists including The Smashing Pumpkins, Busted, Tom Jones, Craig David, and more, promising an unforgettable live music experience in a historic setting.

  • Bobby Weir Announces London Show with Orchestra

    Grateful Dead co-founder Bobby Weir is set to perform his first London show in 22 years at the Royal Albert Hall with the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra on June 21, 2025. The performance will feature reimagined classics and solo catalog songs.

  • 2 Weeks Left to Save Teesside Music Venue!

    Time is running out for NE Volume Music Bar in Stockton-on-Tees. With just two weeks left in the crowdfunding campaign, the venue urgently needs to raise £8000 to stay open. Learn how you can help keep this live music hub alive.

Upcoming Festivals Browse all

  • York Blues Festival

    05 April 2025

    York Blues Festival is a one-day event on April 5th. It will feature the ten best blues bands and support the Charlies Angle Centre Foundation for bereaved families and parents.    

  • Nantwich Jazz, Blues & Music Festival

    17 April - 21 April 2025

    Every year, thousands of people swarmed into Nantwich over the Easter Bank Holiday weekend to enjoy the town’s Jazz, Blues and Music Festival. Warm weather and an impressive line-up of entertain...

  • Le Beat Bespoke

    18 April - 21 April 2025