We know that getting away isn’t easy right now, so we’ve put together a blog series helping you to find your own little bit of paradise, right here in London. We’ve got plenty of suggestions, from eating and drinking like you’re on holiday through to entertaining your children and setting up the perfect alfresco dining spot in your garden: enough to make you take a look at your home with fresh eyes this summer.
This weekend, thousands of lucky ticket holders should be enjoying themselves at one of the best parties in the world: Glastonbury. While the cancellation of the festival’s 50th anniversary has been big disappointment for many, it’s sure to come back bigger and better in future years. For now, it’s down to you to bring the party home- here’s how.
Set the scene
First of all, you’ll want to clear a place for a dancefloor. The beauty of doing this at home is that you can switch up your location based on the weather: no face-planting into knee-deep mud or accidentally burning to a crisp! Some lighting will help set the scene: children will like this colourful disco ball or if you’ll mostly be missing Shangri la or Block9 at the weekend this strobe light will do the trick. Grab these glow sticks to wave along to your favourite artists, and you’re all set.
A couple of these balloon arches from John Lewis would look great strung up in your designated dancing area. No Glastonbury crowd is complete without plenty of flags, usually used by canny groups as a marker so they can all stick together. Now you might not have the same problem at home, but these flags from Party Delights will be a nice nostalgia-inducing addition. Pass one of these inflatable balls between your household as you wait for a new act to start and you won’t feel like you’re missing out!
If you usually like to make a trip to the Stone Circle, you could go all out and order one or two of these boulders for your garden. Slightly lower-effort would be a classic-style fire pit from Fire Pits UK- perfect for keeping warm while spending all night relaxing outdoors.
Organise your schedule
Now that you’ve mastered your Glastonbury setting, you’ll want to stream the festival. Browse through the 2020 virtual line-up: have a listen to the artists that would have been performing, or choose a playlist showcasing the best from previous years. From Thursday through Monday, the BBC are running a special iPlayer channel dedicated the highlights of years gone by- check out the timetable here. Not sure where to start? Following one of these checklists is a great way to expand your musical horizons. If you’re more gutted about missing your favourite artists who were due to play this year, have a listen to this Glastonbury 2020 Spotify playlist.
To hear the artists in all their glory, you can’t get better than these Naim speakers. They’re a bit of splurge but come highly rated by WhatHifi for sound quality. On the cheaper end of the spectrum is this portable, waterproof speaker from Ultimate Ears- the fun colourways are perfect for getting into a party mood too. If you want to improve the sound of your TV a Sonos Playbar will do the trick.
Eat the best street food
Unlike other festivals where you’ll be lucky to get anything more exciting than undercooked chips and a questionable burger, Glastonbury is well-known for hosting some of the best street food vendors around. Ticket holders are always spoilt for choice: you’ll be sure to satisfy whatever cravings come your way with high-quality food of every cuisine imaginable.
Luckily enough, we live in a city where it’s easy to recreate the feeling of finding new and exciting food. Traders selling hot meals and coffee are now allowed to operate at Borough Market (as long as you eat off-site). Many bricks-and-mortar favourites are opening up for takeaway or delivery: to recreate the proper Glastonbury food experience, we’d recommend going for something you’ve never tried before. London institution Roti King (Euston) or new classic BAO London (Fitzrovia and Borough) are good places to start. Ottolenghi Notting Hill and Islington are now open; we’d suggest grabbing a takeaway salad to freshen up after a night of partying. If you need something substantial to keep you going, Home Slice pizza or an Honest Burger (both with branches across London) will do the trick. A kebab from Fez Mangal (Ladbroke Grove) comes highly recommended or if you’re craving Greek street food then order from Hungry Donkey (Spitalfields).
Beyond the music
There’s a lot to be said for camping at home: enjoying the getting-away feeling while still having showers and clean loos whenever you want is a winner in our books. Millets have a pop-up tent that sleeps four (no need to squeeze in due to copious amounts of luggage), or we love this sweet option for children. If the Tipi Village is more your thing, then Taunton Leisure have plenty of options for the full experience.
A trip to the Healing Fields is another quintessential Glastonbury experience: a chance to open your mind to alternative ways of living. While nothing quite beats wandering around and not knowing what you’ll come across, you can create your own Healing Fields experience online. Start with a visit to The Glastonbury Tarot, where you can have any questions answered by tarot cards with imagery of the Glastonbury area and its surrounding myths, legends and sacred sites. Want to try something new? Try Laughter Yoga, currently running online sessions which will combine the physiological benefits of yoga with the psychological benefits of laughing. On Sunday or Monday we suggest partaking in a virtual sound therapy session from About Gong, the perfect way to wind down from your at-home Glastonbury experience.
Enjoyed this article? Head over to the rest of the Marsh & Parsons blog for more suggestions on bringing your summer holiday home. If you’re bringing Glastonbury to you this weekend, we want to see- tag us using @marshandparsons #mylittlebitofparadise
Go Back