Kaleidoscope 2023

The Davestator

All parking is on grass and was fine. Lots of people, myself included were cooking with gas in full view of the security staff in the campervan area without issue. One thing to note is that you cant leave your car with your caravan, you have to move it to another car park once you've unloaded.

jamesd

That's excellent and thank you, was worried about parking in the grass and getting stuck but assuming it's all good.

Great on the gas, means we can cook away and use the gas oven in the camper as well.

Is there anywhere to empty the toilet cassette or best to use the onsite toilets ?

The Davestator

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122418343#Comment_122418343

there is a chemical toilet but only one and it was a ages away from where i was parked so didnt use it.

jamesd

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122419055#Comment_122419055

Will bring 2 cassettes to be safe as I have a spare one.

jamesd

Back again - What is parking like up there for campervans ? All on grass but good parking ?

Patser

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123423147#Comment_123423147

Last few years it been on grass. Last year the campevans were in an area close to Main Entrance, below to car parks and close to House - seperated by trees from campsites.

Ground was good, but sloped. If there was really heavy rain in build up it can become muddy, but unlike car parks most campervans come in for weekends and don't move, so there's less churning of the ground.

Patser

And since we're 2 months out, my annual traditional rant about the line up.

Headliners are actually really good this year. Texas, Ocean Colour Scene, The Coronas - that's actually very solid!

Some great reliables there too - Jerry Fish really brings a show, and can't recommend Niall de Burca the story teller enough - he always has kids in our group captivated - but where are King Kong Company! They've been there every year!

And what's with all the tribute acts - Abbaesque, Daft Punk Tribute (DJs in helmets basically), Grunge Music Tribute (going to fun seeing 8 years olds hearing Killing in the Name of) , Smiths/Morrisey tribute (because yeah, feck them kids, they don't need happiness in their lives)

jamesd

Thanks, Id get over the slope for the weekend, hopefully its dry for it as would hate to get stuck there.

Looking forward to it as its the kids first concert (6yrs and 10yrs old).

Is it ok for getting out on the Sunday evening as I have work on the Monday morning.

jamesd

Do they allow campervans in on the Thursday, what time onwards ? Id like to get up and be parked up before it gets too busy there.

The Davestator

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123424632#Comment_123424632

Its one of the best weekends we had as a family. Sharing the music and dancing was brilliant and my kids were similar in age to yours. We booked some of the activities on the Saturday as the music doesn't start till later (foot gold, gaming van etc). It does add up, but it's fairly easy to smuggle cans in so you don't spend a fortune at their bars! Haven't left on Sunday, but can't see any issues, its a fairly small festival. Food is pricey and mixed but there are BBQ areas and we used the cooker in the caravan without any problem and lots around us were doing the same.

Fatnacho

Any ideas on when they are gonna announce the daily schedules? Can only do a day trip so would be nice to know what acts or entertainment is on apart from the headliners before buying the tickets.

jamesd

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123424984#Comment_123424984

Thank you, where can you book the activities from ?

Patser

I've never bothered with the paid activities, there's enough arts/science/story telling stuff on - even just walking around watching what's going on burns up loads of time.

Having cans/wine etc back in tent - and being able to go back and forward to relax - is great too. This is not a big party and drinks weekend, too many kids around. It's more a sip and relax weekend. Although a lot of parents will bring those 4 wheel trollies with them for gear and as emergency beds for 6 year olds - and allegedly they are good places to put a tray of cans or box of wine under all the gear.

Most people will leave during Sunday - after a long weekend, kids do be wrecked and the appeal of proper beds and showers too much. It'll be the minority that stay til Monday - and if I remember last year's Sunday headliners reflected that, with the main gig being earlyish (6 or 7) and only one DJ tent running late.

The Davestator

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123425329#Comment_123425329

They'll be on the site closer. The zip line and aerial course normally books out, but I think the rest can be done easily enough. There are lots of things on, but we found there wasn't much to do before Sat early afternoon

jamesd

Yes I can picture us heading off Sunday after lunch, kids will be shattered and Id say we will be as well.

Thank you guys.

budgemook

I've always found the Sunday afternoon / evening to be the best bit. It really chills out after a mad busy Saturday.

giz1

Campervan query

Are awnings allowed ?

And can u use semi converted van or does it have to b official campervan.?

Our van has a drive away awning with bedroom pod and portaloo ... we have no cooking facilities beside portable stove that we not bothered if can use or not ( read there is no gas use allowed)..

Fatnacho

Bought day tickets last week and on the payments page there was an option for 2 complimentary adult VIP tickets. Thought it may have been because this is our 4th year going and it was some kind of loyalty perk.
Anyway, paid and ticked the box for the complimentary upgrade. VIP tickets confirmation email came through.
Got an email this afternoon saying this was an error and the VIP tickets have been cancelled and replaced with normal day tickets.
On the one hand, fair enough other customers have paid for the upgrades but on the other it’s not my fault there was an error on Ticketmaster’s side.
They definitely wouldn’t refund me if I’d made a mistake and bought a wrong ticket.
Still gonna go but I think it’s a bad customer experience from them not to honour the original VIP tickets.

Red Silurian

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123541252#Comment_123541252

If this was EP or Glastonbury I'd agree with you. Kaleidoscope are a much smaller and newer festival. Things will go wrong and we should be supportive of something that's specifically laid on for families like this not try to gouge money from them wherever we can

They're also a lot cheaper than the other festivals out there, we got a family ticket for less than €250 so we are a little tempted to book the VIP lounge for one of the afternoons as a result

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123492237#Comment_123492237

Awnings covered on the FAQ section of the official website, I suggest you have a read of that before asking more questions here

Correct, no gas allowed but apparently the rule is not enforced. Personally I'd recommend a few disposable BBQs in case it is enforced this year

Fatnacho

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123552430#Comment_123552430

I’m not saying Kaleidoscope should be held liable for the mistake, it was Ticketmaster that made the error and should honour the tickets that were sent in the confirmation email.
Ticketmaster had revenue of $23bn last year. I’d say the amount of free complimentary VIP tickets given away in error was minuscule but instead of owning their error, they decided to void the VIP access and not provide what was set out at the time of purchase.
Put it this way, if someone accidentally purchased tickets in error on Ticketmaster, I doubt they would cancel them on your behalf but they are quick enough to cancel them when they make a mistake themselves.

Red Silurian

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123552639#Comment_123552639

Depends really on whether the fault was caused by TM or Kaleidoscope. The organisers could have accidentally instructed TM to price the VIP tickets and as such any money you get from TM for that error would fall back on the organisers. There's no real way to know who was at fault or how many tickets were sold in this manner but I wouldn't feel too bad if it was TM at fault and screwing them out of a few €€€

Patser

Still holding out/hoping for last minute King Kong Company announcement.

Them and Jerry Fish only 'every' Kaleidoscope act - and usually one of the highlights.

Need someone to look after the kids

GBX

There doesn't seem to much, if any increase in water stations or toilets going by the map. Apparently they listened to feedback ...

Red Silurian

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123575922#Comment_123575922

Looks to be only 1 jacks and 1 water refill point in the gobblefunk campsite, none in bumfuzzle. Are the Showers in the Campervan site open to all campers?

Patser

I know I say this every year, but looking at the app and scheduling and by God the line up is thin!

3 acts in total on Main stage on Friday, starting at 4pm with hour long gaps.

5 in total on Saturday (if you include Mark the Science Guy!!!) But there's a big blank gap from 6.15 (Riptide Movement) til Texas at 8.45. 2 and half hours of nothing!!! Unless there really is another announcement to be rolled out (c'mon KKC). Meanwhile the Grunge tribute act is on at 4.15 in Zozimus...because Nirvana and Pearl Jam are best enjoyed early afternoon in daylight.

Sunday 6 acts on stage with Mark back on again, and at least less of gap to main act The Coronas and then a DJ set, but all very threadbare.

Telling that one of their main line of attraction in the app is My Lovely Horse, which if I'm reading their events right is a horsebox, run by a charity , looking for donations towards their horses and dogs, but with yoga and pilates with dogs as their main event.

Meanwhile (To keep the bitching going) Wonderland has been moved off the Island, the walled gardens are not being used and instead that's all up where Zozimus tent has been the last few years, with poor old Niall de Burca, the fantastic storyteller that we go see every year, no having the carnival rides and world biggest bouncy castle as neighbours to his chats.

bodhrandude

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123579281#Comment_123579281

Can you not pretend there is more acts and headliners there. 😆

Patser

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123579328#Comment_123579328

Well there is Minecraft the Movie on on the Friday night. Festival organisers could pay for Taylor Swift next year, if they sell popcorn outside that and just replay Chicken Jockey scene repeatedly.

That, genuinely, is Daughters highlight for Friday

Stationmaster

Anyone know what extra is included in the VIP package? We're debating whether or not to go to this - been to EP a few times with the kids and hoping to go again later this year. Would be going to this with the kids also - 10, 12 &14 and have been offered a VIP package but not sure what's in it as there is no VIP section in EP with kids so have no experience of it. Thanks.

Red Silurian

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123579281#Comment_123579281

To be fair it's 1/3rd the price of EP so I expect 1/3rd of the acts. It's probably fairly on target for what we are paying. The only thing I'd say is that with such a thin amount of acts you could have easily avoided having 2 acts on at the same time to allow people attend both acts

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123591395#Comment_123591395

The first result on google gave me this

https://www.kaleidoscopefestival.ie/news/vip-area

Patser

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123592133#Comment_123592133

I'd disagree with this a bit. I get that it's a lot cheaper, and that that should limit quantity of acts, and to an extent quality (tbf this year's headliners are very good). But a 2 1/2 gap on Main Stage on Saturday before headliner? Jerry Fish on at same time as Grunge act, before that gap? A reduction every year in number of acts?

I mean only 2 years ago it was act after act right through the evening on Main stage then Zozimus. I remember Keane and KKC overlapping at peak time, when weather won and everyone ran into KKC as it was in a tent.

Every year they've stripped it back a bit. This year it really is threadbare - looks like fewer activity/arts tents as well. Meanwhile the push for add ons like Gaming Van, Laser Tag is in full flow. As I seen someone say, it's gone less and less a family music and activity festival, to an admission price to a pay as you go funfair with background music. Don't think it's quite that bad, but moving increasingly that way