Being an events management graduate, means there's no such thing as a 'simple' birthday celebration. Not because I particularly enjoy my birthday because there's always a high expectation to have a great day and then it usually ends up being disappointing in one way or another. That being said, I love that its a time I can get all of my favourite people together to party, go to water parks, sleepover and eat pizza or other birthday ideas that are totally acceptable for when you're in your 20s. I kicked off my fun week of festivities by going to my favourite place, the cinema. Then went for a lovely dinner at Truth since my best friend from uni came to visit, and then warmed up for the weekend at The Garden Party and then came home and ate 1/4 of the white chocolate aero cheesecake my mum had made for me. Come Saturday I was surprisingly fine, so we did a quick pit stop at Morrisons to buy doritos and dip and then set off for the Full Moon Party in Barbate.
This has been the second year that my birthday has fallen on a bank holiday, so it means that there are quite a few events happening here and there that weekend. I did think about flying to London for SW4, but when the flights are £250 I think I'd rather play some techno in my room. Luckily, I saw The Full Moon Party Europe pop up on my Facebook and Instagram feed and thought, perfect! I was curious, I hadn't heard of it before and with any event it's a case of - it is going to be any good? is the line-up exciting? are people actually going to go? and in hindsight the answer to those questions is yes. Thanks to Facebook, I could see that over 6000 people had clicked attending and about 50 of those people were Facebook friends. To be honest, all that mattered to me was that I was going to be having fun surrounded by my closest friends and dancing and drinking tinto. That being said, it's always more exciting when the atmosphere is good and you're looking forward to the DJs.
We stayed in Pension Riad Mediterraneo which was in the centre of Barbate and about a 15 minute walk to the festival (Playa De Hierbabuena). It's also important to note the festival didn't take place on the actual beach, which was a relief because I spent a month thinking what shoes can I wear to a festival on the beach that are suitable but I can also throw shapes in?. The hotel was basic but had everything we needed - air con, private bathrooms, a patio and space to pre drink and all dance to In My Feelings in.
We arrived at the festival at around 7:30pm once the sun had gone down a bit, and was probably a good choice as the queue hadn't picked up yet, but there was still a good few hundred people in there. We were graced with flower lei necklaces after passing through security and then there was a short queue to get neon paint on you but we were kind of just ready to go and dance so skipped on that. Andy Galea was playing and the crowd was already dancing and I had already spotted a few familiar faces from back home. The music was a mix of deep house, techno and electronic - so if you're heading to a festival looking for lots of lyrics and sing alongs then this probably wouldn't be the place for you .My friend Gabby isn't one for a lot of untz and every time I looked over at her she glared at me with a 'how do you dance to this for so long?!' So she soon disappeared to the food trucks to eat half a 'Tex Mex' baguette, only to go and eat another full one an hour later. I can also vouch and say this was a top notch baguette - chicken, guacamole, tomato, sour cream and a bunch of other stuff that tasted aaamaaazing.
At about 12:30am things went slightly downhill, as I had put my backpack back on my bag (after keeping it in front of me by the stage the whole time - see pic) when I was waiting for my turn at the portaloos. I got my Iphone stolen that wasn't even a year old ON MY BIRTHDAY - what was the lord punishing me for? After a cry, a tantrum and a kick to the portaloo to release my anger, I decided to put it behind me and go have a bit more of a boogie.
The highlight acts for me were Paco Osuna/Nicole Moudaber and Technasia. The event had a giant 'full moon' near the stage and two giant inflatable Buddhas on either side of the main stage (my friend did point out that one of them looked quite sad). I didn't know what to expect from the event as it was in its first year so I couldn't look at previous photos/videos. I thought there would be more colour and aesthetics and from the advertisement it seemed like there'd have been more entertainment. I have to say the portaloos were probably the dirtiest ones I'd ever come across, they looked like you'd trapped a bunch of pigs in them for 24 hours and they had let their business loose everywhere, so if you've got a weak bladder, try not to drink a lot. The tickets were priced at 25 euros on first release (which is quite decent) and then sold at 40 euros on third release, which is more or less what the events here in Gibraltar can cost you. It's not the kind of festival you'd fly over from UK for, but if you're just looking for somewhere close to go with good music, good food and good vibes then I'd deffo recommend going next year.
The highlight acts for me were Paco Osuna/Nicole Moudaber and Technasia. The event had a giant 'full moon' near the stage and two giant inflatable Buddhas on either side of the main stage (my friend did point out that one of them looked quite sad). I didn't know what to expect from the event as it was in its first year so I couldn't look at previous photos/videos. I thought there would be more colour and aesthetics and from the advertisement it seemed like there'd have been more entertainment. I have to say the portaloos were probably the dirtiest ones I'd ever come across, they looked like you'd trapped a bunch of pigs in them for 24 hours and they had let their business loose everywhere, so if you've got a weak bladder, try not to drink a lot. The tickets were priced at 25 euros on first release (which is quite decent) and then sold at 40 euros on third release, which is more or less what the events here in Gibraltar can cost you. It's not the kind of festival you'd fly over from UK for, but if you're just looking for somewhere close to go with good music, good food and good vibes then I'd deffo recommend going next year.
Had you guys heard of the Full Moon Party Europe? What festivals have you guys been to recently?
G
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* I was given a complimentary ticket for this event but all words and opinions are my own*
* I was given a complimentary ticket for this event but all words and opinions are my own*
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