After hitting up some massive festivals this season, Wibbly Woods was the serious switcheroo I didn’t even know I needed. Nestled in the heart of Staffordshire’s countryside, Wibbly’s ethos of intimacy, combined with its focus on wicked tunes, created two days of magic. I spent my weekend going full feral in the woods, surrounded by incredible music, happy people, and a level of pure, unfiltered fun that only comes from festivals this up close and personal.
Now, in its fourth year, the ‘micro-fest’ has seriously levelled up with two new stages and headliners that are big enough to draw in their largest crowd yet. Colossal in spirit, Wibbly’s attitude truly is mega, and I left the weekend with the same pounding head and post-rave euphoria as any major festival.
With its chill vibes, there was no stress about losing your mates, getting swallowed by crowds, or missing the best sets. The tight-knit setup made the weekend a breeze, allowing everyone to roam free, catch multiple acts, and effortlessly make new friends. Even though it’s small, Wibbly’s efforts were anything but. Whether it was vintage clothing, handmade jewellery, bags, or a pop-up record store, it had it all. By the end of the weekend, I was clocking in 50k steps a day (no, seriously) with some pretty questionable blisters to prove it.
Here’s what went down:
FRIDAY
My weekend started with setting up camp in record time. A quick five-minute stroll from the car park to Wibbly’s singular camping field, and boom—half an hour later, we were all set.
After an essential tinny and cig to shake off the setup, we headed straight into the woods to catch North London’s Mr Redly at the Arch.
This year’s new hotspot, The Arch, is Wibbly’s latest addition. Hidden among the trees, wrapped in scaffolding, and decked out with dance platforms, it is the festival’s biggest stage to date.
Created by Loci Studios’ Louis Polturak, Robin Kwon, and Kai Jackson, The Arch integrates seamlessly with its natural surroundings, thanks to its eco-friendly materials and design. “Our goal was to enhance, not detract from, the environment”, says Louis. “We designed the stage with a distinct day-to-night feel, incorporating multiple levels, decking and booths to give people the option to either dive into the lower dancing pit or party alongside the performer.”
Playing late into the afternoon, Redley put the sound system through its paces with steady streams of soulful house. Paired with Redley’s contagiously positive attitude, everyone was up and grooving in no time.
“I loved the intimate nature of the festival”, says Redley. “Everyone was incredibly friendly and looking out for each other. Shouts out to the production team for putting together a wicked stage with good-quality sound. It was an honour to play for the Wibbly crew.”
Next up was Amy Osmaston, BreakTheWire’s leading lady, taking over the M Phillips stage (my personal favourite).
Set deep in the woods, M Phillips feels like nature’s very own rave. The wooden stage blends so seamlessly with the forest that it looks like it sprouted right from the ground. The walkway lit up with colourful lights and Wibbly’s mushroom mascot, sets the scene for the night ahead, letting you know exactly what kind of state you’ll be walking out as.
Amy lit up the woods with her feel-good tunes, serving up classic bangers that had the forest buzzing. “I look forward to Wibbly every year – there’s no other close-knit community festival that matches the energy it brings each time”, says Amy.
“This was my third year playing and I feel so blessed to have grown with the festival. It is so nice to see it getting the recognition it deserves more and more every year”.
As the sun dipped, the M.A.D Records boys, ‘Make a Dance’, took over The Arch. Ben Lewis and Josh Ludlow spun a mix of electro with squelchy, pulsating basslines that transitioned day to night seamlessly. True to their name, all we could do was dance our asses off. So, mission accomplished guys.
There was no time for a break as we made a beeline through the forest, back to M Phillips, for a special bestie B2B with Amy and CASE. The girls served a killer mix of deep electronic and acid tracks, drawing in a massive crowd
“Getting to do a back to back with a really close friend of mine was so special”, says Amy. “We both bring different elements to our sets that just match so well – and , of course, girl energy is unmatched!”
Seeing M Phillips transform in the dark was straight-up wild. Walking into the setup felt like stepping into a rave where you just know you are about to have a sick one. Coloured lasers sliced through the crowd, lighting up the scene (literally and figuratively). Pretty wibbled at this point, I could have sworn the mushrooms were dancing too…..
At 10 pm, the breakbeat queen herself, CASE, took to the decks. After her jaw-dropping set at Gottwood earlier this summer, the anticipation was high – and she did not disappoint. Diving straight into heavy edits and UK bass, CASE delivered a set that was pure, unadulterated fire.
“The energy for my set was sooo insane this year”, says CASE. “Everyone was really up for some breaks. Last year, I didn’t play as many edits and it didn’t land as well. This year, focusing on festival-orientated tunes worked perfectly. “The crowd at Wibbly are so supportive and this year they created big energy – I loved it!”
Wrapping up the night at M Phillips were Wibbly’s headliners: Alien Communications B2B with Harrison BDP. And trust me, it was worth every second. For three solid hours, these legends mixed Alien Comms’ future-forward sounds with Harrison’s breaks-driven techno.
The result of which had everyone absolutely losing their shit (and me crawling back to my tent).
SATURDAY
Saturday’s first stop was The Subbus. New for 2024, this all-in-one stage – housed in a converted school bus – made its debut in the woods. Paired up with the Bassfreight rig cranking out the crispiest sound, it set the perfect vibe for Wibbly’s daytime scene.
Not going to lie, once we plopped ourselves outside the sound system, leaving was nearly impossible. We spent the day soaking up the sun, munching, smoking, and getting wonky to Dry Roasted and Wax Material’s takeovers of the fattest dubs. With ‘The Pub’ just a quick stroll away, we got caught in a never-ending loop of snagging drinks and then racing back to the bus.
Finally prying ourselves away, we were on the hunt for a change of pace, and what better than Jive Talk’s all-day takeover at M Phillips? We caught an hour of Fae’s punchy house set, which was so packed with percussion and groove that losing ourselves in it was pretty much inevitable.
As the sun dipped for the last time that weekend, we were engrossed at M Phillips (of course), bouncing to Jive Talk’s flawless tunes. We wrapped up the night at The Arch, where Rolling Ritmo took us on a ride through uptempo electro, techno-breaks and acid.
With Wibbly’s rapid growth and exciting developments, the future is looking bright. It’s been a blast, and you can count me in next year. “We really upped our game with production this year, adding better stages while keeping our intimate vibe,” says Otto Williams, founder of Wibbly Woods.
“Our goal is to create a safe, music-focused space where everyone can connect, no matter how big we get. Stay tuned – we’re already brainstorming for next year and it’s going to be epic!”