Body & Soul Festival 2014

ghostdancer

Roudolph wrote: »

Are there not drink restrictions at most festivals? Any festival I've been to, you are not allowed bring alcohol into the main arena. Also the last few electric picnics that I have been to, the number of slabs of beer that our group were bringing in was checked and counted by security. Each person could only bring in a certain quantity. While the limits may be lower for Body and Soul this year, there are limits at most festivals. Also I feel that the free flow at this years festival makes up for this lower limit.

at EP you were only supposed to be allowed 48cans, which obviously almost no-one would get near consuming, it's more to stop people bringing in slabs and selling them inside from what i can gather.
i can't see this on their site anymore and i'm pretty sure it was dropped at least one year, so maybe it's completely gone.
Indiependence for example doesn't have any restrictions on the amount you can bring in. neither did Life festival, which is also held in Westmeath a month before B&S, and is about the same capacity.

added to that, you can go out to the car at other festivals and get more alcohol if you like, or pop down to the shop on Sunday morning and buy some more if you're running low etc.
so in practice, there aren't really limits at other festivals at all.

you're not restricted at EP from bringing in unopened bottles of water to the campsite, nor is there any restriction on bringing in soft drinks to the campsite.
this is the same as every other camping festival i'm aware of in Ireland, bar B&S, which stopped people last year bringing in both water and soft drinks to the campsite on the Sunday (possibly the Saturday too, i didn't try then). of course, we were told that if we wanted to have a soft-drink in the campsite, there were plenty of shops inside to buy from. :rolleyes:

the only festival which is completely different is Castlepalooza, which no alcohol is allowed in, but slabs can be purchased once you're there. this is apparently a condition of their licence with the County Council. there are no limits on how many cans you can purchase inside.

lynchy

On a different point of note, by any chance does anyone know someone who might be selling their campervan ticket. I'm after getting my caravan back in order quicker than I have expected and Im looking to bring it tot the festival. If anyone knows it would be great

Eroticplants

They released a second batch of campervan tickets you might get lucky on ticket master.

dulux99

bodhrandude wrote: »

Apart from the drink allowance its a great little festival, I'm on my way there on Sunday so working the prefest, if you are working or volunteering there you don't get that problem because the crew camp is connected to the arena, but you still get searched at the main campsite going into the arena again.

Absolutely, best festival in Ireland in my opinion, once you get over the drink laws.

grudgehugger

ghostdancer wrote: »

... bar B&S, which stopped people last year bringing in both water and soft drinks to the campsite on the Sunday ...

That's a disgrace, to be fair. Is that part of their official policy or just what the security people on the gate were told to do unofficially?

Milkypops

anyone selling 2 tickets for this??

bodhrandude

Anyone heading down from Galway early Sunday morning 15th I have to be onsite for 11 am or Saurday afternoon 14th to Ballinlough, will help with fuel costs etc.

taa

Im organising a bus from cork, 30 euro leaving at 2 on friday and coming back at 12 on monday. I have a few spaces left to fill so if anyone is interested drop me a message.

nxbyveromdwjpg

Eroticplants wrote: »

They released a second batch of campervan tickets you might get lucky on ticket master.

Don't bother, when I arrived last year with my campervan ticket I was directed to the car park because the camper van area was full. Not a big hassle for me but I felt like a mug having a €60 camper ticket in my pocket, unscanned, camping beside everyone else there in the closest carpark who had just rocked up.

posie 1980

John_Mc wrote: »

I'm sorry but you pay for your ticket to cover these costs. The festival is also sponsored, and makes money from the vendors selling food and drink.

There's absolutely no reason why they need to introduce these restrictions when the ticket is €100-€150. The lineup is not exactly amazing so it can't be that expensive.

Thats no the case. A huge part of their revenue comes from the bar. The free flow this year is great. I think the drinks allowance would keep most going until sunday when you will have to put your hand in your pocket for pints. They are a business after all and are out to make a few quid. Nothing wrong with that. Only being allowed your full drink quota on first entrance on the other hand is bloody ridiculous. Im going in with kids, how ill manage it in one run i dont know. I can hardly abandon my booze to go bk out to car to get my tent!

John_Mc

posie 1980 wrote: »

Thats no the case. A huge part of their revenue comes from the bar. The free flow this year is great. I think the drinks allowance would keep most going until sunday when you will have to put your hand in your pocket for pints. They are a business after all and are out to make a few quid. Nothing wrong with that. Only being allowed your full drink quota on first entrance on the other hand is bloody ridiculous. Im going in with kids, how ill manage it in one run i dont know. I can hardly abandon my booze to go bk out to car to get my tent!

Of course a huge part of their revenue comes from the bar when they enforce these restrictions.

What happens on Sunday night when the bar closes at 10pm? No drink then, that's what.

Instead of doing the early bird, or by reducing the discount by some amount, they wouldn't have to have these restrictions and pi$$ everyone off.

Eroticplants

For a festival that was inspired from Burning Man - A moneyless festival, they sure seem concerned about how much they make.

posie 1980

John_Mc wrote: »

Of course a huge part of their revenue comes from the bar when they enforce these restrictions.

What happens on Sunday night when the bar closes at 10pm? No drink then, that's what.

Instead of doing the early bird, or by reducing the discount by some amount, they wouldn't have to have these restrictions and pi$$ everyone off.

Keep a close eye on the cafes in the forest and you'll never run dry. Sunday night is their busiest night

Grimebox

John_Mc wrote: »

Of course a huge part of their revenue comes from the bar when they enforce these restrictions.

What happens on Sunday night when the bar closes at 10pm? No drink then, that's what.

Instead of doing the early bird, or by reducing the discount by some amount, they wouldn't have to have these restrictions and pi$$ everyone off.

Do the lights not come on and everyone sings the national anthem?

ghostdancer

posie 1980 wrote: »

Thats no the case. A huge part of their revenue comes from the bar.

don't think that's true.

my understanding from other festivals is that beer companies offer X amount for sponsorship and pouring rights.
the festival takes this money.
the money taken at the bars goes to the beer company (or at least a large percentage of it).

perhaps they've worked out a split of some amount of the bar takings, or the beer company offered more money for these restrictions, but either way, the company running the bars will almost certainly be taking most, if not all, of the money that is made there.


anyway, if every other festival in the country, all of them with bars needing to make money, can get away without these restrictions, why are B&S imposing them? i've still yet to hear a good reason why they're in place.....

not allowing soft drinks in would lead me to believe that they've charged not only the bars, but also the vendors more for being there, on the reasoning that punters will spend more money inside. more guaranteed money for B&S, likely more money for vendors.

ghostdancer

grudgehugger wrote: »

That's a disgrace, to be fair. Is that part of their official policy or just what the security people on the gate were told to do unofficially?

i didn't see it mentioned officially anywhere before the festival, but on the Sunday there was a sign as you were entering from the carpark into the campsite informing you that no liquids were allowed in, so it was clearly something that was planned if they had bothered making up a sign....

jimosterberg

Bar opened far later than 10 last year.

posie 1980

I just think it's the same for most irish festivals. I always make sure I've some booze left come sunday night and if I don't, you can always find it under the counter. It's up to you to make sure you've something left by buying a pint here and there. If you havent, it's your own fault you've run dry, not the festivals

John_Mc

posie 1980 wrote: »

I just think it's the same for most irish festivals. I always make sure I've some booze left come sunday night and if I don't, you can always find it under the counter. It's up to you to make sure you've something left by buying a pint here and there. If you havent, it's your own fault you've run dry, not the festivals

Completely disagree with everything you said. No other festival has limits that are so low and has security staff rigorously enforces them.

To defect the blame onto the punter and away from the festival is simply foolish.

posie 1980

John_Mc wrote: »

Completely disagree with everything you said. No other festival has limits that are so low and has security staff rigorously enforces them.

To defect the blame onto the punter and away from the festival is simply foolish.

It's a business! What makes you think you should get everything cheap as chips? 24 cans +2 bottles of wine/a litre of spirits + 2 bottle of wine isn't a bad allowance. If your clever you can hide more in your bags. I really don't get why you feel so hard done by. Forbidden fruit, you couldn't bring your drink into. A gig you pay 60-80 in a venue you can't bring your drink into. Budget before the festival, budget your booze in there and put your hand in your pocket now and then. It's not a free ride

bodhrandude

Eroticplants wrote: »

For a festival that was inspired from Burning Man - A moneyless festival, they sure seem concerned about how much they make.

You still have to pay for a weekend or is it a week long ticket though for Burning Man, like they have to afford to book and pay for the headliners, then you've got that lengthy journey across the desert to get there, add to that your flight ticket and getting to an Irish airport in first place. Of course its all a bartering system once you get there, but it can be pricey enough to make it there. I don't know many festivals in Ireland that have survived without having a drink sponsor, Look at No Place Like Dome, it was a great idea to have no drink sponsor but what happened to that.

LostinKildare

bodhrandude wrote: »

I don't know many festivals in Ireland that have survived without having a drink sponsor, Look at No Place Like Dome, it was a great idea to have no drink sponsor but what happened to that.

Knockanstockan?

bodhrandude

LostinKildare wrote: »

Knockanstockan?

I've not been to that one yet, but I might just try and make it this year, so there are no bars at Knockanstockan?

LostinKildare

bodhrandude wrote: »

I've not been to that one yet, but I might just try and make it this year, so there are no bars at Knockanstockan?

Oh definitely check it out. It's a great little laidback, friendly party. And especially go if the weather's nice; the site is a beauty.

It's BYOB (says it on the poster) and IIRC there's no limit. I'm not much of a drinker so I take little notice, but my husband says yes there is a bar there but it's private, not a corporate outlet.

John_Mc

posie 1980 wrote: »

It's a business! What makes you think you should get everything cheap as chips? 24 cans +2 bottles of wine/a litre of spirits + 2 bottle of wine isn't a bad allowance. If your clever you can hide more in your bags. I really don't get why you feel so hard done by. Forbidden fruit, you couldn't bring your drink into. A gig you pay 60-80 in a venue you can't bring your drink into. Budget before the festival, budget your booze in there and put your hand in your pocket now and then. It's not a free ride

It's 24 cans OR 2 bottles of wine OR a litre of spirits for an entire weekend where you are in a field with your mates having a party. Do you think that's a reasonable limit?

Who said anything about cheap as chips? The pints will probably be €6 and there'll only be a choice of one type of beer. Cocktails will be €8-9.

Forbidden fruit was a one day festival 2pm - 11pm so it's understandable that they don't allow you to bring drink in.

As for being a business, the ticket of €150 plus the food you'll consume over the entire weekend, plus the drink you might buy, as well as sponsorship should give them more than enough revenue to make a profit. All they need to do is provide food and services to a high standard and that people want, the same principle that any business needs to adhere to.

That's obviously not enough for them though. This festival with a hippy appearance is really only about making money and that's made blatantly obvious by this rule that they're enforcing for the 2nd year running (despite plenty of complaints on their Facebook page last year).

grudgehugger

John_Mc wrote: »

It's 24 cans OR 2 bottles of wine OR a litre of spirits for an entire weekend where you are in a field with your mates having a party. Do you think that's a reasonable limit?

Fact-check time!

The website says you can either bring:
A) 24 cans and 2 bottles of wine
Or
1 litre spirits and 2 bottles of wine

So beer and spirits aren't a good mix to bring....

To be honest, I do think that's a fairly reasonable limit (just about)

Grimebox

grudgehugger wrote: »

Fact-check time!

The website says you can either bring:
A) 24 cans and 2 bottles of wine
Or
1 litre spirits and 2 bottles of wine

So beer and spirits aren't a good mix to bring....

To be honest, I do think that's a fairly reasonable limit (just about)

That's not so bad actually. I thought it was the aforementioned too.

Grimebox

Although it doesn't make much sense to me why they divide it like that

posie 1980

John_Mc wrote: »

It's 24 cans OR 2 bottles of wine OR a litre of spirits for an entire weekend where you are in a field with your mates having a party. Do you think that's a reasonable limit?

Who said anything about cheap as chips? The pints will probably be €6 and there'll only be a choice of one type of beer. Cocktails will be €8-9.

Forbidden fruit was a one day festival 2pm - 11pm so it's understandable that they don't allow you to bring drink in.

As for being a business, the ticket of €150 plus the food you'll consume over the entire weekend, plus the drink you might buy, as well as sponsorship should give them more than enough revenue to make a profit. All they need to do is provide food and services to a high standard and that people want, the same principle that any business needs to adhere to.

That's obviously not enough for them though. This festival with a hippy appearance is really only about making money and that's made blatantly obvious by this rule that they're enforcing for the 2nd year running (despite plenty of complaints on their Facebook page last year).

No it is 24 cans + 2xwine/btl of spirits+ 2xwine. I think that's enough of an allowance, not enough for the entire weekend. I also don't think it's too much of them to ask of you to put your hand in your pocket over the weekend. You have food on top of that. Of course you do! You have to eat. That's your personal responsibility, not theirs! They never said they weren't about making money. Why wouldn't they? Under 150 for three days, less than 50 a day for 18 odd hrs of entertainment. It's far from a rip off. I think your expecting too much

posie 1980

Grimebox wrote: »

Although it doesn't make much sense to me why they divide it like that

There really should be a beer+spirits option too