For a first time festival-goer, I approached the idea of Benicàssim with equal amounts of trepidation and sheer excitement. Friends who had attended similar events in the past were quick to tell me to stock up on baby wipes and prepare for the slum-like conditions of the camp site, something which would be the least of my worries while in the Spanish town.
The locality of Benicàssim is situated in the province of Castellon and consists of little more than a small beach resort and a few beach-side bars selling Spanglish nibbles and cold beer on tap. I had booked up eight days of camping, with four days of festival attendance so on arrival at the beginning of the week, we set up our tents in the sweltering heat. Our group of ten soon got familiar with the area and began to settle into a daily routine of hunting for patches of shade, constantly wishing the sun was lower in the sky, and rejoicing every time a cloud gave us a little bit of relief from the blistering heat.
(above: look, there's me surrounded my rubbish, not giving a dam. Festival life for ya)
My holiday hit rock bottom half way through the week when I was pick-pocketed on the beach, leaving me phone-less, penniless and completely deflated.
Aside from those things, the music, which luckily commenced in the cool and dusky Spanish evenings WAS AMAZING. I was lucky enough to see acts such as Arctic Monkeys, The Killers, AlunaGeorge, Rudimental, Jake Bugg, Dizzee Rascal,Miles Kane and Knife Party to name a few.
(above: Best moment of the festival: JAKE BUGG)
For those of you who hope to attend the festival in the future, I do not want to dis-hearten you in this post so here are a few highlights of my trip, and tips to consider when going!
Highlights
- The Music
For one festival, Benicàssim offered a true eclectic mix of music, all of which I enjoyed immensely. The highlights for me were Jake Bugg and Rudimental, and I stand by my adoration for live music- there really is nothing better than sitting on someone's shoulders screaming the words to your favourite songs.
- The cheap alcohol
For the duration of my trip, I found that beer on tap was a lot nicer and colder to drink than water, so I drank A LOT. Vodka was four euros a bottle- crazy!
- The memories
The few negatives I had while at the festival will soon fade from my outlook of the whole experience and I have some amazing (and hugely positive) memories of my trip.
- The showers
With temperatures hitting 40 degrees during my week of madness, I loved the showers, having up to 3 a day. Ice cold and never a queue, they were definitely a winner. - The days before the festival
Although the days were excruciatingly hot, the evenings were extremely fun. They provided a chance for us to meet our neighbours in campfest and I definitely saw some things I will never forget. - Being away from technology
I do love my iPhone, but it was so refreshing to forget about the internet and social networking sites, instead just chat or play cards. I need more of that in my life! - Barcelona
I stayed in the beautiful city of Barcelona for a night before heading to the festival. Totally recommend it as a city break. - By the end, you don't care.
Dirty, dusty, sunburnt or sweating, no-one really cares about their appearance by the end of the festival.
Tips
For those of you thinking about attending the festival next year, here are a few things to remember.
- Use the lockers provided
I was initially skeptical about the lockers, but highly recommend them, for obvious reasons. - Do not take a valuable phone
I am so thankful I didn't bring my iPhone. You don't need it and old phones have a longer battery. - Bring an old camera or a disposable
Although disposables can be unreliable, they avoid a lot of heartbreak if your nice one is lost, stolen or broken. - Make sure your bag doesn't look desirable
Thieves will definitely target new looking bags, so avoid expensive or shiny new handbags. - Make shade for yourself
This is pretty much essential in Beni as they tell you you are under canopies, but you aren't. Bring groundhsheets to fasten onto the frames provided, as they charge you 60 euros for the one on camp. - Travel light
Another obvious one, but a rucksack is your best friend as suitcases get dusty on the dry mud and gravel. - Stay in the city/hostel
On your way to/from the festival, treat yourself to a night in a hostel, it will give you a chance to rest and relax. - Bring a pen and paper
You will no doubt meet a huge volume of cool people on your trip, so rely on pen and paper to write down names and numbers!
