Less than a year ago I went for the fourth time to a well-known rock/pop festival in Kinross. I now find myself on the other side of the world in a different field (well, Botanic Gardens, but let's not be pedantic) at Womadelaide, a large world music festival.
In terms of climate, genre and scale the two are incomparable. Nevertheless, my Womad experience reinforces my vow last summer never to attend a fifth T in the Park in favour of this style of music festival.
Here are some of the (unfair?) comparisons:
- At both, bags are checked at the gate for alcohol and glass. At the Scottish event, this is primarily to avoid anyone bringing in potential weapons. The Oz event does it to ensure all the people wandering around barefoot don't cut themselves on something nasty.
- Two essentials are finding your way round and knowing what's on what time and where. To find this out in Kinross, you have to shell out another 7GBP-ish on a glossy booklet and lanyard card set. You can buy a glossy programme in Adelaide too, but the basics are in a free (!) compact map and programme listing.
- Toilets: T in the Park: never enough toilets and differing cleanliness; Womad: clean, plenty and little handmade soaps at the sinks!
- At T, you wade through a carpet of rubbish all over the arena. At Womad, you recycle or take your rubbish home with you.
Oh, I could go on forever. In essence, T in the Park just ain't me. Womad is happy, varied, green, pleasant and laid back. It's me.
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