Our weekend at Nozstock the Hidden Valley 2022 was a bold explosion of genius artistic flair, variety and endless fun. With it’s authentic handmade and home grown feel, it’s easy to see how this eccentric, family friendly festival in Hereford has evolved from the local bbq and barn rave that it was over 20 years ago.
PR Invite: Guest post written by Ellen Partridge and Henri Calderon – all pictures taken by Ell or Henri
(Jessi was at Secret Garden Party at the same time)
The Arena & Stages
Strolling around the main arena was a feast for the eyes and it was clear to see the months of planning and craftsmanship that went into designing, building and decorating every inch of the site to honour this year’s theme – ‘Parallel Worlds’.
Space age murals, giant mushrooms and aquatic creatures collided across the stages, immersing us and the rest of the crowd in another dimension. Not one small detail was considered unworthy of being crafted by hand, something that is rare to see in an age of corporate, factory-printed festivals.
Daytime Vibe
Daytime Nozstock offered a tonne of fun activities to blow off the cobwebs and cure even our worst hangovers. We sung sea shanty’s with a chirpy sailor in the Cabinet of Lost Secrets, practiced circus skills, and listened in on a spoken-word workshop. We were also moved by ‘Tat Down’, a photography exhibition following the lives of a local community of travellers.
But the daytime highlight had to be comedy in the Department of Cultural Affairs. We were left sewing up our sides after whacky sets from Charlie Partridge, Sarah Callaghan and Phil Kay. If only we had more time, we could’ve tried our hand at bookbinding, whittling a wooden mushroom or enjoyed a massage in the healing tent – but there’s always next year!
The Music at Nozstock
The line-up at Nozstock is an eclectic mix of pretty much any genre you can think of. New and emerging artists were in plentiful supply across the festival and standouts from the smaller acts were floaty folk group, Lost Tuesday Society, and moody electronic pop duo, Holozoa, who wowed us at the bandstand with their dark dancefloor sounds. I particularly enjoyed a heavy set at the Garden Stage from drum n bass legend, Nicky Blackmarket.
We were treated to a line-up of bigger names too and we danced under the giant disco ball at the main stage to the likes of Craig Charles, Andy C, Gentleman’s Dub Club and Sister Sledge. Our headline highlights were Ibibio Sound Machine, who despite a few sound issues, got the crowd grooving with their African influenced, electronic beats. Bill Bailey also performed a hilariously innovative set which saw him turn the Skype ring tone into a catchy nineties dance anthem.
After hours, we found ourselves hopping between spacey psytrance in a neon forest, pumping house at the Elephant’s Graveyard, disco classics at the Altered State and drum’n’bass in The Cubicles. Eclectic doesn’t quite cover it!
Camping, Eating, and Saving the Planet
With an annual Clean Campsite Award up for grabs, the standard of campsites was comparatively higher than other festivals we have attended and the arena remained spotless throughout. The loos were blasted daily to keep mucky cubicles at bay and it was rare to find a loo without toilet roll or anti bac – luxury! The majority of toilet points also had taps to wash hands and refill bottles. With the handmade feel of the festval, it was unsurprising that there was also a large focus on sustainability, with clearly marked recycling points across the site, a reusable cup and eco-bond scheme and a competition for most sustainable trader!
Food lovers will be happy to hear about the tasty Gyros we sampled from MyGyros, mouth-watering jerk from Tasty Ragga and dreamy Mac’n’Cheese from The Melted Cheese Co. Authentic India provided crispy samosas for a cheap and tasty midday snack too. The drinks menu was simple and unpretentious, and we enjoyed the Rhubarb Cider by the galleon in our reusable cups!
The Nozstock Crowd
The inclusivity and accessibility of both the activities and facilities at Nozstock make it truly unique and open for all to bring the best version of themselves. The crowd is one of the friendliest we have encountered, a crowd that is up for just about anything and even after 22 years, doesn’t take itself too seriously. Young ravers, stood next to families who stood next to elderly couples, and all were there to revel in the fun on offer at every turn and have a good time.
One of our most memorable moments was returning to our tent to find our neighbour having a strange encounter with an Unidentified Sleeping Object nesting under their tent (yes under, not in!). After some brief detective work, we identified a friendly blonde millennial named Tom who had only a pair of pants to his name and no idea where his tent was, or what colour it was. With some further detective work, we returned Tom, in his pants, to his mates at the other end of field. Well done Tom!
Nozstock and it’s small but mighty crowd of 5000 showed us the kind of beautiful, unique and handmade Parallel World we wouldn’t mind living in forever.
From circus skills and spoken word to disco, drum and bass and psytrance, we left the rolling hills of Nozworthy Farm feeling like we really had done it all.
Not been to this one in years. Used to loveeee it. Great to see it’s still going.