Reach for the Moon with Moonfields 2016

In 2015, a small, indie event rose up from the depths of anonymity to challenge the great stars of the music festival firmament. Just as Rocky battled Ivan Drago, David battled Goliath, and Rambo battled the metaphor that was the United States government, Moonfields battled the Establishment. This was a war fought with Facebook invites and unrepentant event page spamming, shared posts and cover photo changes. When the dust settled, we wept to find the bloated corpse of our underdog, now more reminiscent of Old Yeller than of Balto. Moonfields had quietly failed, hoisted with its own petard.

One year later, we may witness something almost as incredible as last year. More Rocky V than Rocky IV, Moonfields 2.0 has nonetheless made a powerful impression on at least 78 interested individuals. Perhaps this is a sign of maturity: The first Moonfields reached too high, too quickly, and inevitably collapsed beneath its rapidly accumulated weight. The committee, conscious of their past mistakes, are attempting a natural growth, relying on the classic word of mouth rather than newfangled technology.

But who is this committee? Reputedly, these same individuals were behind last year’s Beneath the Sheet, cancelled due to poor ticket sales and a freak BBQ disaster. Research further implies that the committee has organised non-cancelled events, such as a feminist bruncheon and their annual Crufts viewing party. They have yet to cut their teeth on something as large-scale as a music festival, however this may be the perfect opportunity to reveal their putative talents.

While most of us settle for the stars, Moonfields seeks to do something more than that. It decries tradition while celebrating culture, both rejecting and embracing the social norms that make our society so great. A scathing analysis of contemporary values, the festival will go down in history, cancelled or not, as the single entity that raised its fist to the sky in support of an alternative lifestyle. It reaches for the moon, and we are all better for it.

Moonfields 2016 will probably be held on Saturday, 10th September.