Forest Fest - Emo, Co. Laois - July 21-23 2023

Thundercats Ho

https://forestfest.ie/

2nd edition of Forest Fest, Friday July 21st to Sunday July 23rd 2023

Might as well set up a separate thread for this festival, as the lineup is taking shape now.

Lineup below *last updated 09.12.2022*

Really happy with those announced so far, and only 40 minutes from home!

Thundercats Ho

From the website

"James have been announced to headline the opening Friday of the Forest Fest weekend in Emo village in Laois next summer."

So that's the Friday headliner boxed off.

sydthebeat

only about 8 mins from me :D

thats a pretty spectacular line up to be playing in Emo to be honest......

Dreamweapon

Dream Wife really stand out in that lineup. As in 'hip young things' rather than 'old codgers'. Odd booking for them i'd have thought.

Thundercats Ho

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119975258#Comment_119975258

Yea it's a great lineup and aimed at the 'maturing' festival goer.

Half man half biscuit are touring again next year and would be a nice fit for this I think.

SteM

Bell X1 headlining the Saturday and Suede the Sunday I guess. Might bring our son to it this year, his first camping festival.

Stillill42

Fair play, that's a very appealing line up to those of us of a certain age. Emo's a gorgeous spot too and reports from last year were very positive (@sydthebeat ?). I'm certainly considering this. Anyone tell me where the camping was last year, what it was like?

sydthebeat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119976015#Comment_119976015

haha dont read my last post in the EP forum then.

a few small gripes with it, but all in all well worth it.

on camping, these were the camp site:

camp site A is the best one (closer to the pubs! pub :D )

ive a feeling it mighty be enlarged for next year though

funnyname

What's it like for kids (last year to get them both in for free), thinking of going with campervan?

sydthebeat

copied from the EP thread:

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119976027#Comment_119976027

Stillill42

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119976057#Comment_119976057

Cheers Syd. A little disappointed with that. Assumed everything was on the estate, actually none of it is, right?

sydthebeat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119976079#Comment_119976079

correct, none of it is within the grounds of Emo Court. its all adjacent.

Emo court would be a fabulous backdrop for a festival, but its OPW now so unlikely it ever will be.

One of the big attractions of Groove festival was it being in the grounds of Kilruddery. with the house being a foundation point of the layout.

sydthebeat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119976060#Comment_119976060

i cant comment on the kids angle as i didnt bring any, but there certainly was plenty of families around during the day

scruff monkey

fcuk it, I am now a two festival person

sydthebeat

Just pulled the trigger myself for 2 weekend tickets.

As sometimes who lives in Laois, we're being spoiled for music festivals lately, between EP, forest fest and the coupler of years we had of "BARE in the woods"

scruff monkey

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119977949#Comment_119977949

Bare in the woods sounds like a dogging festival or if you change the spelling a festival specially for fans of the hairy mano a mano crowd.

Penfailed

Very tempted by this one.

sydthebeat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119978252#Comment_119978252

haha probably not too far off with that description :P

a little bit of debauchery in the bog is never a bad thing :D

(and for our urbanite readers "bog" does not mean toilet!)

princemuzzy

for anyone that went last year was it free flow

Thundercats Ho

Mate of mine was there last year, no free flow and they were seemingly strictly enforcing that.

However all beers were €6 including from 2 craft breweries, Ballykilcavan and Wicklow Wolf.

Not sure about next year, I didn't see it mentioned anywhere.

scruff monkey

For anyone that camped last year, what were their faculities / camping areas like?

Penfailed

Ticket purchased 😊

bodhrandude

That's a pretty decent lineup, was checking if some of the lads from the volunteering admin was gonna be working this one, as I'd jump at the chance of trying a different festival to vary it a bit. None of them have heard anything yet, but hopefully running the volunteering for this one.

scruff monkey

(sighs in having to track two of them now...)

There are 218 sleeps

Thundercats Ho

Day splits released.

Paul Brady added, and Daoiri Farrell for the Fleadh is great news too.

Stillill42

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120014202#Comment_120014202

Wete Bleach Lab on the last announcement? Maybe Dream Wife were feeling a bit lonely. Looks good, no doubt.

LowOdour

James, Ash and Hookie in the one night would be pretty good

Penfailed

How many stages are there at this?

Thundercats Ho

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120016889#Comment_120016889

I wasn't there but a friend of mine said there were 2 main stages, with a 15 minute gap between when a band finished on stage one, and another band starting on stage 2, so no clashes. There was also music in a tent but he didn't really go to that.

There'll be at least 3 next year with the Fleadh, and possibly a 4th would be my guess.

Penfailed

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120021123#Comment_120021123

Nice one. Thank you 😊

sydthebeat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120016889#Comment_120016889

on recollection there was 3 stages

the main stage was the full of the main GAA pitch (Forest Stage, yellow)

there was a smaller circus tent one where the fleetwood mac tribute band were the highlight (Finnegans Wake stage, Red)

and then there was a large canopy / tent style one at teh most remove from the main stage (Forest edge stage, Blue)

There was a 4th stage down at the main Batonis camp site that i didn't go to... and there was DJ in a small canopy that was wayyy too close to the finnegans wake stage for me. The soundbleed was stupid.

For this year, with the line up thats announced, id imagine there will be at least one stage more, if not two. The area given over to the fun fair was quite large so id imagine another stage could be located in there without too much hassle. The actual area the festival can encompass is actually quite immovable. its not like they can just push the boundaries out into adjoining lands.

Penfailed

Soundbleed from stages is very annoying. I'm sure the artists feel the same way as the punters as far as that goes. They'll have to be careful not to make a balls of it.

scruff monkey

https://imgur.com/a/iASTkND

. .

scruff monkey

There are 191 sleeps

dinneenp

I'm hoping that Suede will play Galway Arts Festival. It's on same time as this festival, would be easy for them to play Galway a night or 2 before or after this...

bodhrandude

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120097615#Comment_120097615

They played GIAF in 2016, they tend not to repeat acts, probably more likely to be the Marquee in Cork if they are doing other gigs in Ireland.

gandalfio

Hoping to go this year. Is it free flow? Is it your typical festival camping experience with everything contained within one site ala All Together Now, Body and Soul etc? Very tempted by the lineup.

gandalfio

I ask as I can see a shuttle bus from campsite to the arena on last year's map and am confused about the set up. 

Is there any campsite in the main campus itself that you can walk to and from the main stages from? Where will the glamping campsite be situated? 

Do you need to leave the main arena and head into the town to attend gigs or is everything in the one main arena? 

Really want to go, but depends on the set up. Don't want to be leaving the festival site for any reason whether that be to attend a gig or accommodation.

Cheers in advance.

Penfailed

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120109349#Comment_120109349

The campsite(s) are off site but within walking distance AFAIK.

Thundercats Ho

All music is on the festival site, and campsites are off site, but not far.

Emo is a village, you won't be walking miles or anything.

Haven't been so don't know what the camping facilities are.

It's not free flow, wasn't last year anyway. Standard fare on offer, with craft breweries Ballykilcavan and Wicklow Wolf both having their own bars there.

Fitzieboy

Anyone stay in the caravan park last year. Have booked but can't see details. Can you put up an awning. Is there toilets. How long is the walk to main arena.

scruff monkey

There are 175 sleeps

Did any of you use camping last year and if so what was it like, random field? toilets? showers? security? organisation?

Thundercats Ho

New post on the Forest Fest site, answering some faq's

A couple of filler acts announced, a few more tribute bands, and a couple added to the forest fleadh (including the excellent The Olllam)

https://forestfest.ie/everything-you-wanted-to-know-about-forest-fest-irelands-best-summertime-music-festival/

Latest Lineup as per 02.02.2023

scruff monkey

There are 161 sleeps

paulbok

Did this sell out last year?

Got a weekend ticket recently and looking like I won't be able to go as it's potentially clashing with a family event, so I'll probably have to offload it.

Thundercats Ho

New post by the Forest Fest team. The Fleadh lineup is now finalised and everything else will be finalised by Easter.

"Planning for the second year of the event is at an advanced stage with the full day-by-day programme details and an extended daily bus service to the festival to be announced later this month"

Day-by-day line-up

“We are currently putting the finishing touches to the line-up, finalising details for our food court and refreshments as well as putting in place a more extensive bus service to make it all the more convenient for fans,” outlines promoter Philip Meagher. “We expect to be able to announce all those before Easter so that fans can plan well ahead for what will certainly be one of the highlights of the summer. Campervan camping is already close to selling out and the feedback and reviews on Forest Fest from all over the country is amazing.” 

https://forestfest.ie/fleadh-line-up-for-forest-fest-in-co-laois-in-july-is-finalised/

SteM

OT, but I don't understand why these smaller festivals don't use social media more. @forest_fest haven't tweeted since June 2022 but if you follow small UK fests they're tweeting a lot at this time of year when people are deciding what to do for the summer. FF have a poster for most of their major acts on their instagram page, why not tweet them out too? The more people you reach the more chance there is of you selling a ticket.

rubick

Surprised it took us this long, but herself and I just got tickets for this today. Couldn't have James play here and not turn up! And it would feel weird leaving on the first night. So really, our hands were tied.

Can anyone who was at the last one advise on Late Night Rave options, or is that not a thing here?

bodhrandude

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120383155#Comment_120383155

Bring a bluetooth speaker for yer phone, sorted. :)

Thundercats Ho

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120383155#Comment_120383155

Great stuff Rubick, looks like a nice little festival, circa 5k I think.

Mate of mine was there last year and i don't think you'll be getting any rave options, late night or otherwise!

I'm really looking forward to it.

scruff monkey

There are 115 sleeps