★★★★

Bestival 2016 did not disappoint. Tens of thousands of fans descended on a festival whose environment was lovingly crafted, and whose musical programme was diverse and vibrant, covering both exciting major artists and lesser known, emerging acts.

It would be difficult to distil the line-up to a single genre, but certainly there was an emphasis on grime acts, with giants of the genre Skepta, Lady Lisa and Kano all performing on the main stage. All drew huge crowds, but Kano, with his live horns section, gave the most engaging performance. It should give an indication of the width of styles at the festival that juxtaposed to these acts were The Cure and Bastille, both of whom played unforgettable sets on the same stage.

Electronic music of all kinds was well represented throughout, particularly at the Spaceport and Bollywood areas. Late at night and into the early morning the styles became increasingly hardcore, straying almost into rave territory.

The likes of Norman Jay, Fatboy Slim and DJ Yoda were all met by rapturous crowds.

Brighton-based bands made a strong showing: Along Came Shifty pulled in passers-by with their dynamic vocalists and new brass section. The huge Carnival Collective and Baruhlo Carnival both played riotous, rhythm-led sets, putting Brighton’s mark on the festival.