INFL's weekend at Boho festival!

I was lucky enough to be invited to Nottingham's Boho festival this weekend- What a treat it was! I loved every second of it! From the food to the live music (and even the lovely community), i've never had a more incredible and astonishing experience in my life! A massive thank you to the organisers of Boho festival, the Perkins family; these guys did such an amazing job with this festival, made me feel so welcome and were so kind in ensuring everyone was having the time of their lives!

Firstly, if you don't know what Boho festival is, it's a 3 day festival full of incredible food, wonderful community, and some of the most amazing musical acts around; from new up & coming artists, to bigger, well-known artists and some brilliant tribute acts! The festival brings artsy, music loving folk together, transforming a quiet area of Newton, Nottingham into a vibrant celebration of the best musical acts around!

As a newcomer myself, I was unsure of what to expect but every single one of my expectations was exceeded this weekend! All of the acts were incredible and each one brought different vibes to the event! Starting the weekend off strong with local artists and ending the first evening of the weekend with a bang from acts like Skinny Living, Amy Winehouse tribute and Dub Pistols. And thats just one day of festivities! Sunday was no let down either! From the inspiring vocalist, Davina songbird to the breath-taking saxophonist and Dj set in the evening, Lovely Laura & Ben Santiago, Sunday was so exciting and added to the already truly sensational experience of the festival. The atmosphere of the entire weekend was phenomenal and so inspiring!

Im Not From London got some of our own favourite artists on the lineup for the festival this year, including (but not limited to) Lulu Harvey, Dusty 4 Track, Concrete Rose, and Davina Songbird! Some incredible artists who really did amazing this weekend despite the weather not able to decide what it wanted to do!

I should give an honourable mention to the other incredible aspects of this festival; the food/drinks and the audience! The audience were incredible, whether going for just the day or camping, the sense of community was a feeling to bask in; everyone was so friendly, kind and overall such a great, enthusiastic group of people who brought so much energy to each set. The food- OMG the food- so incredible! There was a plethora of food and drinks stalls offering anything from pizza to mac 'n cheese fries! with veggie and vegan options too! The best part of this... how affordable and delicious everything was! Let's not forget the remarkable sound team, Ben & Cal, and all the backstage staff this year who were beyond spectacular and had such patience with each band/artist!

In case you were unable to attend this years Boho, here are some of my favourite memories from the weekend!

The Rozzers- a sting/The Police tribute act. They were absolutely incredible! This was sang just as Englands' Lionesses won the Euro finals yesterday! A magical moment.

The final act of Sunday evening- the incredible Lovely Laura & Ben Santiago! What a way to end the festival.

Another brilliant thing about Boho festival was the audience range; there was something for everyone this weekend- starting with the area just past the stage where the compassionate staff from Calverton's Little Adventurers Forest School were entertaining the youngest of the crowds with fun games and activities to get stuck in. For those of us old enough, there was a great bar within the festival grounds and even a tv to watch the football game on yesterday!

Those who opted for the camping ticket were not forgotten either: facilities (including showers) were kept clean and maintained, which really showed how above and beyond the Perkins family really went to ensure their crowds were well looked after and enjoyed their weekend!

Although this weekend's festival was well planned and organised, unplanned circumstances meant they had to improvise a little on Sunday. One of the bands unfortunatley could not make it due to illness which left a gap in the lineup: Bands from previous days who had been camping stepped forward to form another band right before our eyes! Members from Chai Larden's band as well as members of the audience got together to form the Bohobos! The youngest of the band, Erin, had written a song the night before about the festival and sang it on stage; she was absolutely incredible and left no dry eyes in the audience!

A few more stand out moment for the festival this year were spoken word artist rhythmic Mike, who jumped up on stage in between sets to perform for us! As well as the incredible impromptu performance from Rhythmic Mike, there was another notable moment that really reflected the support our community has for its younger generations: Boho Dj George Gibbs' son Felix Da House Kid had a short set in between artists on the line up this sunday and he was truly fantastic! At just 12 years old, Felix spent each night at Boho in the festival Disco yurt playing for the kids disco, he then went on stage in front of the entirety of Boho's audience and played an incredible DJ set that had us all moving and dancing along with him; his enthusiasm uplifted the crowd so much and made the weekend that much better! Felix wasn't the only one to participate in the performances in the disco yurt! Boho's own Robin Perkins' son Lucas did his very first set in there too over the weekend!

The disco yurt was filled to the brim each night over the weekend after artists sets finished on the main stage; music from Neon Hustler and Ian Newton (among others) livened up the nights, keeping the fun and party going until early morning!

The weekend was made absolutley magical and perfect by the 3 gorgeous sunsets that filled the sky each evening, giving the most amazing golden glow to the penultimate and final sets of each night. Of course, this is not something that can be promised or controlled every year, but they really added to the atmosphere and vibes of the weekend. What a perfect way to end each day of the astonishing festival!

Its safe to say i will be coming back next year (and every year following if i can) to experience more music and community kindness like this!

If youre feeling the FOMO make sure you keep updated with everything Boho festival related and book your tickets for new year in good time! Don't leave it to the last minute! Follow their instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/boho_festival_notts/

Words by Holly Surguy

Media supplied by Boho Festival & Holly Surguy