Summer in the UK means a lot of things. Complaining that it’s too hot? Check. Applying far too much sun lotion? Check. A positively brimming calendar of music festivals? Check.
Though heavy hitters like Download, Glastonbury, and Creamfields South have been and gone, the nation’s prolific festival season is merely warming up, with July and August alone packing in more excuses to practise your tent assembly skills than you can count on your hands.
Getting down and dirty in the 30-degree heat, however, isn’t for everyone. Through the wonders of modern technology, the reliability of full fibre broadband, and a bit of imagination, there’s no reason you can’t have a festival in your garden! While you won’t be able to bag Elton John to play on your patio, here are a few ways of having a festival at your front door.
The right speakers
It won’t surprise anyone that a festival, be it for 250,000 people or just five, needs good speakers. What good is your finest summer song selection if you haven’t got the right tech to pump it out with dials turned to 11?
For a worthy outdoor speaker, you’ll be looking for punchy bass, well-balanced sound dynamics (the fancy term for variations in volume across a track) and, if you fancy pulling the traditional all-nighter, solid battery life.
Fortunately, there are plenty of options that tick all these boxes across every price bracket. Check out Which’s helpful guide to get started. If you’re planning on linking up speakers to pack some extra punch you’ll need robust broadband to keep your music on track with full fibre being your best bet for a reliable multi-device connection.
The right streams
You won’t get very far at your home festival without music. Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and Tidal are obvious choices for your tunes but what if you’re looking to stream the real deal?
More and more music festivals are taking advantage of streaming platforms to rope in listeners outside the main stage with Glastonbury and Wireless being commonly featured across BBC iPlayer. Be sure to look ahead to see if your favourite fests are streaming their sets this year.
Remember – both music and live-streaming services will require a robust broadband connection so switch to full fibre to keep your festival running smoothly.
The right visuals
‘Bring Your Own Festival 2023’ is sounding quite good but doesn’t quite look the part. Festivals demand lights, lasers, and confetti to pack some glitz into your glamour.
Your best bet is to grab a home projector, shine it on a blank bit of wall, and beam up whatever light show best suits your DIY fest’s vibe!
This also provides the perfect way to watch any festival live streams if you’d rather watch the pros.
Check out Which’s handy list of the best ways to get your hands on your own big screen.
The right broadband
There is only so much, however, that the right tech can do for your home-grown festival.
If you’re relying on Victorian-age, copper-based Superfast connections that aren’t capable of supporting the modern demand of technology, extending this connection won’t provide any benefit. The last thing your festival needs is buffering live streams, Spotify playlists that won’t start, or incredible visuals that cut out after a few tracks.
The best way to keep your show on the road is by switching to full fibre broadband. With speeds 11x faster than Superfast networks your garden can be your very own outdoor arena, and, if you’re lucky, maybe even a tour stop for the Arctic Monkeys!
That’s why we’re rolling out our full-fibre networks across rural, hard-to-reach areas across the East of England following a combined £146m private investment. Our progress is well underway, having connected thousands of homes and businesses to the vital gigabit-speed network they require, ensuring villages across the region are ready for the future.
Find out if our network is already available in your area or if we’re planning to connect your village.
