Retrofest

Why should I go?
To see the acts before they die.

Any interesting titbits of information?
Last year, Boy George lost his luggage on the way to Glasgow and had to buy his stage outfit from Marks & Spencers.

The festival for the Real Radio generation, Retrofest is the place to go for 80s and 90s throwbacks, smatterings of school disco and unashamed reminiscing about your teenage years lost singing ‘I Will Survive’ into your hairbrush whilst quietly weeping.

Pitched at the older bods with families, it’s a kids-friendly festival where teenagers and children get discount tickets; under-5s go free. Aiming to provide the complete retro experience, there are school discos, karaoke bars, a cinema, and the ‘Club Tropicana Cocktail Bar’ in the Retro Village to distract you from the main stage. Thankfully Retrofest is also centrally located in Glasgow city centre, so you can get there using public transport and little else.

The festival boasts two campsites: one ‘party’ site for those who want to keep going after headliners such as Gloria Gaynor and Heaven 17 have finished playing; on the other side they offer the ‘family’ site for those who need to recharge after a day spent running around after small children in legwarmers whilst East 17 sing wistfully in the background.

If camping isn’t your scene, you can splash out on a hotel in Glasgow city centre: the festival website has a set of recommendations.

Ticket price: Adult weekend: £80; adult weekend with camping: £95; VIP weekend ticket: £200.

Accommodation: Camping. No campervans. See the website for information on local hotels.

Site opening: Camping areas are open from noon, Friday 28th August to noon, Monday 31st August. Those campers arriving on Saturday must arrive before 4pm.

Capacity: 10,000

Stages: Main Stage
Other Areas include: 80s Nightclub - Club Tropicana Beach & Cocktail Bar - Mind, Body & Soul Tent, Champagne Bar, VIP Area, Fun Fair, 80s Cinema and Karaoke Express Tent plus more.

Travel: Nearest train stations are Glasgow Central and Glasgow Queen Street; the ‘Retrobus’ to the festival will run from George Square every 15 minutes. Further shuttlebus tickets available from Happy Bus (www.happybus.co.uk)