There’s no experience quite like joining the masses in a festival crowd; muddy, smashed and euphoric, you feel invincible, until the inevitable Monday morning crash on the packed train home. Festivals provide a special space, where the rules of society don’t apply in quite the same way , allowing us to embrace the dirt and the elements like a sort of return to nature. With this year’s particularly chaotic festival season drawing to a close, what better time to round up the most shocking festival moments?

#5: The Leeds Fest Tornado

Weather is always something to worry about when heading to a festival, but few people plan for tornadoes. Unhappy campers were treated to strong winds this year at Leeds, causing a few tents and at least one gazebo to take to the skies. The way it swoops back down on them makes things seem almost deliberate. Might be a good idea to pack pegs for next year.

#4: The Reading ‘Piss Wars’

It’s not a war that we’ll be commemorating in 10, 20 or 50 years, but videos that have come out of Reading’s Purple Camp do show carnage worthy of some 20th century battlefield. Campers on either side of the walkway seem to have gotten bored, and started launching bottles, tin mugs, food, piss or whatever else at their opps, who returned fire. Our guide in this video was hit by some custard…I hope.

Videos came out of Leeds too that indicate some kind of pitched battle, with the cries of war and clash of weapons clearly audible.

#3: The Boardmasters Work Crew

Men like digging holes. If you put men on the beach they will dig holes. If you put thousands of men on a beach with copious alcohol and drugs, they will dig an enormous hole. In a nutshell that’s the story of Boardmasters 2022.

#2: Lewis Capaldi’s BeReal

Known for his cheeky charm, Lewis Capaldi is expected to pull a few tricks out of the bag at his gigs, but Kerry Somebody was in for a real treat when Lewis recorded a (admittedly late) BeReal on her phone. Not very real of you Kerry, as he rightly remarked.

Honourable Mention : Alex From Glasto

Though it’s not quite a crowd moment, it’s never wrong to revisit this iconic Glasto bit.

#1: The Oxford Symphony Orchestra Set

Truck Festival was started in 1998 after the Bennett family decided that regular festivals had become too commercial and predictable. Cue the Oxford Symphony Orchestra set of 2022, which gathered a huge crowd and probably the most lively reception that the Ox Symph (to friends) has ever seen. Truly unpredictable.

Bring on Summer 2023!