Splendid times at Splendour

This year I had my first festival camping experience at Splendour in the Grass 2014 in Byron Bay. It definitely lived up to the hype, and it's reignited my interest in both camping and live music. Here are a few of my favourite bits from this years festival.

Splendour in the craft

Music 

I was devastated to find out that Two Door Cinema Club were unable to make it to the festival this year, but some other musical gems more than made up for their absence. Seeing Outkast was an incredible experience, they are true performers, and the vibe was amazing. Some existing favourites with standout performances included First Aid Kit and Ben Howard, both of which I would be happy to see again and again. It was a pleasure to see some friends from the Australian Institute of Music playing at the AIM buskers stage, playing their own blend of electronic dance music as the musical duo Ataractic. Last but most certainly not least, my favourite new discovery of the festival was Hiatus Kaiyote, whose stunning musical dynamics and harmonies kept us dancing all night long. 

Ataractic at the AIM stage

Food

The overwhelming variety of food available at the festival was enough to make anybody hungry. The Hawkers markets was home to numerous bars and restaurants, my favourites being a vegan juice bar near the Red Bull stage, and the greek stand which served up the most mouthwatering wraps and chips that I visited twice. The Splendid food hall was home to the infamous Byron Bay organic donuts, and despite having several flavours I personally couldn't go past the original (and in my eyes best) donut. The truck stop was the best place to grab a bite to eat on the way to the main stage, and was home to just about every cuisine you could imagine, all sold out of the side of a truck. Last but not least, after hours meal times were best served in the campgrounds, with my personal favourite being the sweet potato chips served right by our friends campsite, because who doesn't love sweet potato chips and mayonnaise?

These lovely people

Bars

For the purpose of saving money we tried to limit the amount of drinking inside the festival, though there were a few notable bars worth checking out. Our most frequented place was the Bundaberg bar, with other interesting sites being the wine bar (for a classy drink or cheese platter) and 'Rumspringer' where you could get a drink whilst seriously questioning the legitimacy of the 'Amish' people in the bar. 

Lionel Richies head

Shopping

As a self confessed shop-a-holic, the festival fashion available in the grounds were vast and somewhat irresistible. The selection of vintage clothes and hand crafted jewellery was pretty incredible. I was proud that I managed to behave myself, though my one big purchase was at the stall for local Byron Bay label Liberated Heart. I purchased a matching set of a crop top and a-line skirt in a psychedelic print, which was perfect for the last day of the festival. 

The big banana

The festival was full of dancing, music, food and good times with a group of amazing people. Bring on Splendour in the Grass 2015!

-Melissa