Body&Soul will take place from the 23rd to 25th of June 2017 at Ballinlough Castle - here are just five things you can't miss.
1. The Music
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Okay, this might sound obvious, but the line-up at Body & Soul really is something to be reckoned with. This is not a festival for the chart toppers or teeny boppers; this is a three-day celebration of fresh beats, electronic madness and performance innovation.
Whether you live for the musical stylings of electronic group Metronomy, the psych-punk rock sounds of La Femme, the bravado of King Kong Company, the trans-formative sounds of Lambchop or the disco and soul tracks from DJ Kelly Anne Byrne, Body&Soul truly has something for everyone.
2. The Food
In our books, food can make or break a festival. When you're two days in, slightly dehydrated, you legs are falling off from bouncing around in wellies and you've managed to grab a whole four hours kip in a tent... a mushed-up sandwich and packet of crisps just ain't gonna cut it.
Thankfully, this place is food truck heaven, filled to the brim with good quality dinners and extra-tasty snacks.
With classic toasties from Improper Butter to fruit & veg ice pops from Wellnice Pops and grilled Irish steak burgers from Fire & Food, you won't go hungry at Body&Soul. Additionally, the festival organisers say their "gastronomic indulgences" are as locally sourced and Fair Trade as possible.
3. The Aesthetics
Festivals are the ultimate form of escapism for adults; it's the chance to forget your day to day tasks, your desk job and your endless responsibilities for a blissful weekend of running around a field wearing glitter and a cowboy hat.
This year’s theme is 'Second Skin', so the B&S team suggest that visitors 'channel their most creative selves for a weekend that subverts their everyday norms and tantalises with unexpected happenings'.
Basically, go dress up as the sparkly woodland creature you always wanted to be. Throw on a flower crown, paint your face, go crazy with your hair and do your best to wear every colour of the rainbow over the weekend.
Don't worry if you're feeling self-conscious on the way down - once you step onto the grounds of Ballinlough Castle, you'll feel right at home. From award-winning theatre companies to up-and-coming performers, the grounds of the festival will be transformed into a summer haven.
Top Tip: If you really love to dress up, don't miss out on the Masquerade Ball on Saturday, 24th June. You don’t need a ticket to go to the ball, but masks are essential for entry.
4. Rest and Relaxation
Once you've finished bopping about between the Body&Soul tent, the Midnight Circus and the Woodland stage, you may need a little R&R.
Luckily, there will be an Immerse Spa Experience complete with hot tubs, cold water cascades and private baths with Fucus Serratus Seaweed from the West Coast of Ireland and Epsom salts. Sign. Me. Up.
If a bath in the woods isn't your thing, why not go for a treatment? The Sanctuary will offer Deep Tissue Massage, Holistic Massage, Indian Head Massage, Japanese Massage, Lomi Lomi Massage, Myofascial Release, Traditional Thai Massage... you get the idea. Chill out.
5. All the Extras
This is a festival made for wandering, so don't spend all three days stuck to the main stage.
The amazing Emmet Kirwan will be found in the Library of Progress along with numerous other performers discussing and celebrating "human curiosity, the scientific method and critical thinking".
If you need a laugh, check out the Vodaphone Comedy Tent and let Joanne McNally, Al Porter, Fred Cooke, Eleanor Tiernan and more give you a giggle.
The Lighthouse Cinema will screen an incredible selection of cinematic genius including Spiceworld, Aladdin, Stop Making Sense and The Rocky Horror Picture Show. NB: For those of you comfortable crying in public, My Girl will screen on Friday at 9:30pm.
Elsewhere you'll find the Science Gallery, Wonderlust, the Soul Kids area, and the many lounges and bars that will feature an eclectic variety of talent, from Lords of Strut and Jimmy Cake to Fixity and Cormac Begley.
There is so much to see at Body&Soul; be sure to have a good aul wander, and don't forget that flower crown.
Body&Soul takes place from June 23rd – 25th 2017 at Ballinlough Castle, Clonmellon, Co. Westmeath. More information here.
