Offset Festival

Why should I go? Because the people at Reading would laugh at your fashion-forward attire.
Any interesting titbits of information? You can take a break from the highs and lows of the festival to help Hainault Forest Country Park staff research owls by rooting through their shit.

Offset is the self-styled refusenik of the boutique festivals. Set up specifically to cock a snook at the proliferation of unimaginative and overly commercial festivals, it laughs in the face of conformity by ferrying the better part of Shoreditch out of London for a weekend of angular art-punk, wonky electro and new indie thrills.
As you’d expect from a festival with such an agenda, the bands that make an appearance are not for the casual punter. If you’re hoping to catch Kasabian kicking up dust as the sun sets, pack your bags for V: last year, seminal post-punk bands Gang of Four and Wire headlined, with the none-less-mainstream likes of Prinzhorn Dance School backing them up.

This year The Slits and Factory Records’ A Certain Ratio hold the fort as influencers, while The Horrors, Future of the Left and scream-core girl fronted Rolo Tomassi are billed as influencees thus far. 150 other acts are yet to be announced. As there’s a fairly big arty element to Offset, you should also prime yourself for performance groups, poetry and installations a-go-go.
In summary then, it’s the art school set’s All Tomorrow’s Parties, which makes it amazing if it’s your bag but probably quite trying if you like to remain unchallenged as you skull your box wine, you uncultured little tinker.
Ticket price: Weekend £35 (without camping), £45 (with camping).

Accommodation: Campsite
Capacity: 5,000

Travel: The easiest way to hit the festival is to jump onto the Central Line on the Underground – it’s just 30 minutes from central London.