Wilderness 2021 - Update

Mon 9 Aug 2021, 18:46 (last edited on Mon 9 Aug 2021, 18:54)

There's a lot of negative feedback on facebook from campers at Wilderness who used the general and family (not boutique or glamping) camping sites. Also about the predominance of electronic/DJ acts. Most of the negative feedback relates to the toilets and showering facilities which sound truly appalling (and very different from earlier years). Also some comments on over-zealous security guards, as well as a failure to make sure that only those with wrist bands could access the site. Some envionmental concerns as well.

Some of those posting think that the problems were caused by the Covid restrictions; others think that it was a consequence of Wilderness coming under new management -- Live Nation is a much more commercial enterprise than MAMA ever was. Quite a few people who have attended over several years are saying that they are never coming back. Others disagree, of course.

I think the organisational team is going to have to get their act together if Wilderness moves forward. So it's probably a good time to ask them to look again at traffic control and late-night music. Also more community support.

I didn't attend this year, but my recollection is that the main stage had to end by midnight (might even have been 11), with late night music softer, except in the more outlying and better soundproofed areas. Also the late-night spectacular (often including fireworks) was on the Saturday, and did not close the Sunday proceedings.

Everything was different this year, because Wilderness had booked so few live acts, and the Saturday spectacular did not take place. The electronic/DJ type music was on more stages, and that carries further at night -- although I have to say that here in the north-east of Charlbury I have found it much noisier in other years, no doubt all due to wind direction.

The Saturday laser show was linked to a "silent disco" (music via headphones), and was probably an attempt to keep us locals happy. But there were limited tickets for the disco, and the lasers seem to have made things worse by scaring animals -- and of course the thumping electronic beats continued on the other stages.

In the past I have loved Wilderness, and hope this year was just a blip. But I don't think that we can take this for granted given the new management. So a review would be good!