Luminate Festival “Spoiled for choice”
Occasional GB Weekly reporter Hannah Campbell shares her personal impressions of this year’s Luminate Festival.
It is exactly mid-way between summer solstice and autumn equinox, and we’ve just arrived at Canaan Downs on a Friday afternoon with a car and trailer packed to the teeth with everything we could possibly need for five days of camping and revelling at the fourth Luminate Festival.
We set ourselves up in the dark, cool beech forest with numerous other families of friends, and I felt the building excitement and anticipation flooding my system. Not far from our yellow-and-pink flag-heralded site was one set of purpose-built composting toilets, and beyond a paddock full of vans, buses, tents, bicycles and outrageous freaks. “I love this place,” I breathed to myself as I frantically pumped up the airbed in a crouch, hair tickling the tent ceiling. The airbed that promptly deflated. This was to become a recurring occurrence.
It was my first time at Luminate, an innocent amongst the experienced, though I’ve been to my share of festivals and dance parties. This one was different. I’ve been asking myself “Why Hannah, why?” ever since, and can only point my fluorescent-orange nails in one direction: the focussed vision and dedication of the Luminate creators, GB locals Jules and Rita, and the manifestation of that energy into the most beautiful gathering of people in one place.
Canaan Downs has drawn people in many guises for years, and seems to be a hotspot for consciousness-raising and highly fun musical events. This Luminate spanned nearly a week (and there are hopes to extend it further next year), and it encompassed more than just some heaving dance floors out under the stars.
Created by the Luminate Festival Educational and Spiritual Trust, this was never just about music. Though it boasts a line-up of local, national and international musical gems and heavyweights at the two main music stages, you also had a choice of three zones full of workshops, plus a kids’ zone and tribal zone. You are spoiled for choice to the point of having to miss out.
For the first time at such an event, I noticed the huge number of children of all ages participating, or just romping around in gangs on bicycles. Children are welcome here; in fact children are catered for, with circus equipment, movies and workshops just for them. We were surrounded by children the entire time, from infants to teenagers, some of whom even graced the stage to belt out some music themselves.
This is a safe, friendly event that left me wanting more: after three nights of making the most of my limited capacity for foot-stomping, I was too worn out to experience the numerous workshops and healing sessions I was keen for.
And so we left, back to the real world with a thud, and chomping at the bit for next year. Next time, let’s go for a MONTH! See www.luminatefestival.co.nz for more info.
Hannah Campbell
