This year's series of concerts at Westonbirt Arboretum have come to an end but should people give them a try next year?
The Forest Live concert series is a yearly staple at the nearby botanical garden, and this year's gigs saw Gregory Porter, Anne Marie, The Corrs and Nile Rogers and CHIC become the latest acts to head to the stage there.
I was fortunate enough to be able to attend for both Anne Marie and The Corrs having previously enjoyed Rag'n'Bone Man and Texas, and I can safely say that there is something truly special about Westonbirt as a music venue.
Anne Marie was first up and we drove there, which was relatively straightforward with a small amount of queuing, but this was well managed with event staff, and then after a short walk my wife and I sat in the middle of the arena in my camping chair waiting for the popular pop star and enjoying her support acts Devon and Georgia.
We were in The Glade VIP area which was a new addition from my previous visit. This was a segregated area on one side of the stage with its own toilets, bar and food vendors for short queues and a great view of the acts owing to the smaller crowd numbers.
(Image: Newsquest) This area will set you back, on top of the normal ticket price, but I found the convenience and seclusion of it added to my experience greatly, as there were significantly fewer other people to contend with and you could get much closer to the stage while still sitting down.
The only issue on that day was the Great British weather, which decided to chuck it down to such an extent that the only option was to eventually abandon the camping chairs which were developing a puddle and stand up.
Anne Marie, on the other hand, was great, bringing to Westonbirt the exact same performance and set as her impressively staged Glastonbury set a week or so beforehand and really delivering on her selection of hits such as 'Psycho' and '2002'.
We left at the beginning of the encore because we were quite saturated at that point despite our coat's best efforts, but it was a great time, nonetheless.
(Image: Newsquest) We returned the day after for The Corrs, supported by Marisha Wallace who had an incredible voice and the Germein Sisters who were also great.
The Corrs were superb as the headline act, playing the music videos of their iconic songs on the big screen and whistling through their hits, complete with several Irish whistle interludes and jigs, all enhanced by the natural woodland setting that surrounded us, the fresh air, and yes, finally, some sunshine.
I had a great time over the two days and I can’t recommend Forest Live enough, although I suspect for most people it would depend on which artists are on the line-up.
And on top of being entertained, the events also help raise money for Forestry England revealing that this year’s were the most attended ever.
Rhodri Jones, Forestry England’s National Events Programme Manager, said: “This was a transformational year for Forest Live. We welcomed record numbers of audiences, raised funds for the work of Forestry England and gave fans a chance to experience world-class artists in beautiful natural surroundings.
“It was our first year presenting in partnership with Cuffe & Taylor, which brought sustainable coach and shuttle bus services, enhanced concert production values and one of the best line-ups Forest Live has ever seen. The audience feedback has been fantastic, and we will now look to continue to develop and improve Forest Live for future years.”
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