Soaking up the ambience while overlooking the festival site after sunset from the top of the hill. Hearing laughter from inside the magic teapot and watching the glittering lights and buzz of the arena was a good feeling.
Marvelling at the incredible array of creative costumes – this year did not disappoint! The costume parade is a Standon Calling staple and walking through the whole festival site with the Pandemonium Drummers and the sea of colourful Standoners is always a highlight for me.
This was a great addition this year! This made access to the pool fair and quick which kept everyone happy (including my family!)
For me, and lots of other people I spoke to straight after on Saturday night, this was a special performance. Winning new fans and increasing the adoration of those who already know and love Loyle Carner, it was the perfect headline showcase of his unbelievably smooth voice and charismatic, uplifting delivery. Really grateful this was the one act I saw for more than five minutes over the weekend!
Comedy on the lawn launched in 2017 and has grown to become such a big part of the festival weekend. This summer the tent was packed and filled with laughter, a real pleasure to witness.
An important part of the Standon Calling tapestry since the very start, Groove Garden has enjoyed many homes across the festival in that time – I think 2022, in its tropical woodland yurt, was the best ever for magic late night dancing.
SCALPING are not your typical band but with a unique heavy mix of guitar and electronic they worked perfectly on the Dive Bar. This Bristol based four-piece put on a one-of-a-kind live show so if you haven’t seen them perform in the flesh then get on it! They’ve got a handful of UK dates before the year is out.
After seeing Lynks pack out Beefy Melons in 2021, I knew we had to have him back. With his non-stop choreographed dancing and tongue-in-cheek lyrics, Lynks bought the energy to kickstart Friday night. If you ever get a chance to see Lynks live, it’s a show not to be missed.
Mimi Barks is what the The Dive Bar was built for. Sophie and I managed to grab the first couple songs of Mimi’s dark but lively set. She had the crowd ready to let loose and they went wild!
A highly awaited, incredible performance from one of the very best! I was feeling all the feels as they started playing Screamadelica tunes. Andrew Weatherall passed on one of my first days working at the festival back in February 2020 and given the rollercoaster we’ve been on since then, finally hearing this live at Standon Calling on Sunday night was a real moment.
As a gig obsessed teenager I saw The Cribs a lot in the noughties. It’s been a while but they’ve still got such good energy! A mix of serious nostalgia and excellent new music – loved it.
I love this dance stage and the set build this year was unreal (hats off to the creative team!) There’s a great intimate vibe in the Cowshed and it’s the perfect setting for the high energy DJ’s and MC’s that play there until the early hours.
My number one highlight was watching the Sugababes during their first reunion tour since the noughties! They had a nostalgic mix of garage and pop.
Watching Kelly Lee Owen’s hypnotic performance on Saturday night at Laundry Meadows was really special. The music was convention-blurring and exciting. I was definitely in a trance watching!
I loved walking with the weird and wonderful Costume Parade. The theme this year was: ‘Who Let The Toys Out’ and it didn’t disappoint. Seeing everyone in their imaginative and colourful costumes smiling ear to ear was really special.
A Standon Calling staple, People’s Front Room is where we head when the main stage comes to a close and we’re not quite ready for the night to end. I’ve seen some of the best undiscovered and impromptu music in this tent! This year my friend’s son joined in a jamming session and got the whole tent up on their feet. It was a very special moment.
Sleaford Mods headlining Laundry Meadows was one of the best sets I’ve seen this summer. With their non-stop dancing and energy, I’ve never seen a show like it.
Third time lucky and it well and truly paid off! What a way to wrap up such a special Standon Calling.
There’s nothing quite like walking around an empty festival site, waiting for the gates to open and seeing everyone’s hard work over the past year come to life. It puts all the hours of work into perspective and I can’t wait for the weekend to begin!
I was walking past Laundry Meadows and I caught my friends line dancing (badly!) to CMAT’s “I Wanna Be A Cowboy, Baby’. They all looked so happy and in the moment, it was lovely to catch that.
What a way to end Sunday night! Only a handful of people were in the Dive bar and we all had a proper boogie.