Latitude Festival, Suffolk, UK

High Quality Folk, Indie, Disco, Funk & Soul Wonderland

​My journey from Bournemouth to the Latitude Festival in Southwold, Suffolk, was epic to say the least. But the 7-hour trip of trains, tubes and buses was well worth it once I’d arrived.
 
Here festivalgoers from all over the country come to celebrate with some of the biggest bands in folk, indie, electronic, dance, disco and soul. The atmosphere is incredibly welcoming, with a mix of young people, families and hardcore band fanatics all merging together united by a shared love of music.
 
Albeit pretty middle class – it has a Waitrose on site – Latitude Festival is an absolute delight. The bar staff, market traders, servers and local volunteers were standout and the famous vibrantly dyed sheep were a must see.

Sheep dreams are made of these... Image courtesy of Litro Magazine

Musical highlights from Latitude Festival
 
Mavis Staples
At 78, Mavis has spent the past 67 years curating her own brand of ‘real’. Throughout her set she serenaded the crowd with gospel, rhythm and blues, soul, funk and new jack swing.
 
Since her early days with The Staples Sisters, she’s collaborated with every musician on the planet including Prince, Bob Dylan, Curtis Mayfield and The Gorillaz.
 
Surprisingly, there weren’t many people watching her at first, but 20 minutes into her set the field filled to capacity. As she performed, her infectious smile let everyone know that she loved every minute of her performance - a memorable masterclass in originality, powerful vocals and joyful stories.
 
Her new album Living on a High Note is out now.

The supremely talented Mavis Staples

Mumford & Sons
I’m not a big fan of folk bands, but Mumford and Sons took my breath away with their unbelievable energy and vocal synergy with Senegalese front man Baba Mall - something I’ll never forget.
 
Sadler’s Wells
Set on the beautiful Waterfront Dance stage, dance supremos Sadler’s Wells’ presented ‘Voices of the Amazon, a jaw dropping and imaginative immersive performance.
 
Disco dancing
I’m a huge fan of rare disco, funk, Italian disco, New York Boogie and 80s disco infused electronica and Latitude proudly had all of these in abundance. I couldn’t have been happier!
 
During the daytime, Peckham’s hallowed Eccentrics Disco set the standard at the luxurious Oatly Bar and Every tune– all on vinyl – was in my top 20 of all time. When the sun went down, the fun-filled funk boys at Disco Shed kept everybody moving. And to top it off, legendary S Express icon Mark Moore played a host of classics that kept the crowd dancing into the early morning hours.

Is it Pimms O'Clock yet?

The Quintessentially English Pimms O’ Clock at Croquet East
 
Another unforgettable experience during Latitude was enjoying a refreshing Pimms on the croquet lawn, hosted by London’s very own croquet club, Croquet East. Donned with straw hats, pin stripe suits and hipster moustaches, they made Pimms O’Clock an important addition to festivalgoer’s daily schedules.
 
Delicious food at Latitude
 
Baz & Fred
The heavenly homemade pizza from Baz & Fred took an hour to make but every bite was well worth the wait. The posh ingredients and fresh dough were exceptional and enjoying it in the middle of a field in the idyllic Suffolk countryside made it all the more special.
 
Blixen
Blixen ran a very efficient operation. With its deluxe marquee akin to a sleek London nightspot, fine-dining-style service, super cocktails and nightly DJs, it was impeccable in every way. Their sensational espresso martini shots made my festival!
 
Overall, it was a fabulous festival with something for everyone to enjoy. 

Ben Ricci

*During Latitude I was hosted my Pimms. All opinions are my own.