The third Body & Soul festival at Ballinlough Castle in Co Westmeath was the most ambitious yet and, over two days of sunshine and rain, revelers witnessed first-hand the telltale signs of the festival's growth over the years. A direct sign of the festival's upward momentum was in the ticket sales, with all 5,000 tickets snapped up, affording us the opportunity to see how the relative newcomer to the scene would cope when its resources were stretched.
Festival-goers were clearly subjected to some sort of meteorological reprieve when it came to the weather. Despite the scaremongering, Saturday's weather wasn't as bad as anticipated and as for Sunday's sunshine; well that was just a glorious and unexpected surprise.
The rain prior to the festival was definitely a factor though, reducing the grounds to one big squelchy mess of mud and puddles. You really have to feel for the poor soul responsible for the upkeep of the once pristine grounds of the castle, he's got his work cut out for him over the next few months.
What sets festivals like Body & Soul, and its big sister Electric Picnic, apart from the rest is their non-reliance on the standard festival fare of stages/bars/merch stand/toilets and an understanding that some of the best times punters have at festivals doesn't necessarily involve music. Walks through the woods reveal hidden gems, bog cottages and other such delights which underline the inherent creativity at Body & Soul's core.
