Remarkably, Amsterdam is about as far away from London as Edinburgh. So if you’d consider visiting the Fringe festival, it makes sense that you’d consider visiting Lowlands festival near Amsterdam too.
Flights are cheap, from £60 return, and a free shuttle service is provided from Amsterdam to the picturesque festival site around one hour’s drive away.
For the Dutch, Lowlands festival is a bit like Reading & Leeds to us Brits. Its lineup gathers the greatest success stories from the past twelve months of music together for an eclectic party, which is centered around a lake for natural swimming (the Dutch are less reserved about getting their kits off than us, so you needn’t bother bringing swimmers).
This year, British electronic rock group Gorillaz, hip-hop troupe N.E.R.D and US rapper Kendrick Lamar headed the bill, which also celebrated burgeoning UK talents like George FitzGerald alongside famous Dutch bands and rising international talent, like multi-genre boyband Brockhampton and pop starlet Sofi Tukker.
But Lowlands festival offered more than just the music. Being away from home, we noticed a raft of benefits to visiting this mainland Europe festival. Here are the other key attractions at Lowlands festival you’re guaranteed not to find anywhere else.
Rain-proofed stages
Being such a short plane trip away from Blighty, the weather in Holland largely reflects the UK’s. So August is as likely to be sweaty and hot as it is shiver inducingly cold and rainy. Lowlands have remedied this problem with a clever catch-all roofing solution for all their stages, so you can party on even in the pouring rain.
Even the Main Stage, which is technically outdoors, features a large roof, and allows punters from all angles (even those sitting down on the grassy mounds) great views too, as the roof is held up by polls rather than walls.
Legalised weed
You read that right: 5 grams of the Ganja is perfectly legal to bring into Lowlands festival for personal use – and unlike in Blighty, cannabis is perfectly legal and easy to find in shops in Amsterdam before the festival.
Pick up your stash before you get to the festival site though, and make sure to consume carefully if you haven’t been to the Netherlands before and therefore blazing is brilliantly new!
We’d recommend a stroll around the quaint lake, which provides as a lazier and more scenic option for catching the main stage acts, from the comfort of waterside chairs, tables and chill out zones.
Dedicated science and arts arenas
Lowlands is compared to the UK’s Reading & Leeds festivals in scope, but the festival’s commitment to celebrating all manner of culture scheduling is way stronger than it is at our flagship festivals.
Alongside the music, there is a veritable smorgasbord of interesting talent. A dedicated performance tent staged theatre and comedy both in Dutch and English (although the Dutch have impeccable English and are generally tolerant of non-Dutch speakers, the English became the butt of the jokes in some of the Dutch language shows we saw).
The highlight of the cultural calendar for 2018 was Ukrainian ballet dancer Sergei Polunin’s late night show. The performance was the dancer’s first in Europe and felt like a true spectacle, even if the 2am slot meant even the most die-hard fans were drifting off.
The dancer has a history of breaking down barriers for contemporary dance, and purposefully performs in accessible spaces to encourage new fans into the genre.
Another region of the verdant site devoted itself to an in-depth exploration of science, with interactive areas to do with robots and AI and more. A Robot Wars-styled stadium for robot battle was an oddly barmy addition, and at a few minutes’ walk from the main stage, a good alternative if sets began to drag.
Committed Sunday night partying
Even the UK’s mightiest festivals turn into damp squibs by Sunday. Boomtown and Secret Garden Party (RIP) both call last orders by midnight on that fated last night, which is often due to licensing restrictions.
There’s no such thing as a wind down at Lowlands. The roaring nightlife battles on until the very small hours of Monday morning (at least 5am). While Lowlands during the day would make for a suitable family day out, by night the festival becomes another beast entirely.
The best alternative and world-renowned DJs pack the tents, where committed partygoers forego rest to keep the vibe going. The Dutch famously love their partying, and one club from Amsterdam, Sexyland, even has its own residency on site. Be warned though: long queues form to get into the eccentric live entertainment space, so either go early (11pm) or super late (beyond 3am) but other tents have no queues.
Lowlands festival returns in July 2019
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