FeastyFest review: Eclectic food and a welcoming atmosphere

Expanding from a local and intimate day event, to what has now become a full weekend two-day festival - Feastyfest is the pride and joy of South London’s Cheam Park. The weather on Saturday’s opening day was particularly uncertain, with only the odd ray of sunlight intermittently bleeding through the grey humid mist. But one thing is for certain upon an initial afternoon recce around the site – the festival has held onto its family and children-oriented outlook, despite its growth.

The middle of the site is choc-bloc full of families sitting on picnic blankets and camping chairs, as the crowds begin soaking up the entertainment from 11am onwards. The meat of the daytime offering is less focussed on music and instead on such shows as the ‘League of Fire’ world title chilli comp, which saw a selection of bright-red-faced competitors blow steam out their ears while tackling an ungodly amount of red chillis. During the breaks, an NBA-inspired kiss cam scopes out couples in the crowd across the afternoon, some embarrassed and others quite happy to flaunt a bit of public affection to the masses.

The perimeter of the site is characterised by a sprawling selection of food stalls, which boasted a hugely diverse selection. From Jamaican jerk and authentic Spanish paella to bulbous German bratwursts and sticky Korean wings, there was not much more you could want from the food options. After a prolonged period of indecision, we decided to grab some Greek souvlakis which was nothing shy of an inspired choice. Every element was cooked to perfection, particularly the well-marinated tzatziki-smeared chunks of chicken.

But it has to be said that most UK festivals these days are swapping greasy white burger vans for more boutique offerings. So for a festival called Feastyfest, one may have expected a slightly more unique and interactive culinary experience. The odd green olive taster was up for grabs, but other than that it was a fairly standard, if a little beefed out, festival food offering.

As dusk began to set in, Leeds-based country folk rockers The Dunwells took to the main stage to present a mix of original tunes and covers alike. Their take on The Beatles’ swaggering ‘Come Together’ was no doubt a set highlight. Nobody could accuse the festival of lacking musical variation, as Ska aficionados Ska Wars were next up to get every Dad-dancer and their dog on their feet re-living their 80s mod era. From the likes of ‘Night Boat to Cairo’, ‘A Message to you Rudy’, to ‘One Step Beyond’, the tribute band, who have been touring the festival circuit for over 15 years now, wheeled out no shortage of classics from such genre-spearheads as Madness and The Specials.

Next up were Hells Bells, aka one of the tightest cover bands out there. Their sound could genuinely be mistaken for ACDC and by this time the festival was really starting to phase into a more energetic beast as nightfall closed in. The appearance of fire performers in sections of the site during Hells Bells’ set epitomised some of the clever attention to detail which takes place on the site. Feastyfest remains a quintessentially ‘local’ event, other than one which is likely to draw in masses from afar just yet. But for families of young children and seniors, Feastyfest is a fantastic riff-raff-free late-summer jaunt where everyone looks thrilled to be there.

Check out our What's On Guide to discover even more rowdy raves and sweaty gigs taking place over the coming weeks and months. For festivals, lifestyle events and more, head on over to our Things To Do page or be inspired by the event selections on our Inspire Me page.