Gottwood Reminded Me What Grassroots Festivals are Supposed to Feel Like

5 days ago 23

From vinyl-only sets to a floating restaurant on the lake, Welsh festival Gottwood did everything right as it celebrated its 15th edition in style.

There’s a particular kind of magic that happens when a festival simply refuses to cut any corners. Every complaint I have ever heard about an event, Gottwood managed to do the exact opposite. Capped at 5,000 attendees on the gorgeous Carreglwyd Estate in Anglesey, Wales, this felt less like a festival and more like a mystical little party tucked into the woods.

Now in its 15th year, Gottwood celebrated this anniversary with a new 24-hour license, allowing the four-day event to go all night long. The festival hosted some of the most prominent names in underground UK and European dance music, with collectives like Butter Side Up, Trommel, and Ba Dum Tish all hosting a stage, giving them the freedom to plan their own lineups.

Coming from Los Angeles, where festivals have sometimes felt more like brand activations than music events, Gottwood hit differently.

There was no title sponsor across every stage, nothing to sell at every turn, just a small team of people who clearly love this music putting on the event they’d want to attend themselves. It’s the kind of grassroots feeling that’s gotten harder and harder to find back home for me.

Hosted over the weekend of June 11-14, all 10 stages were in full force. We were lucky enough to have some great weather as well, with it being quite hot during the day and cold at night. It was something very special.

Boutique camping options made it very easy to travel long distances for the festival.

Traveling from LA, my partner and I upgraded to boutique camping from the Woodville Project, one of the two pre-built tent options. It was absolutely worth the extra cost. The pre-pitched bell tent, dedicated showers, a cafe, real bathrooms, and a pamper station made the entire festival so much more comfortable, especially if you wanted to rest in between sets.

The on-site cafe was great, offering coffee and breakfast in the morning and sandwiches in the afternoon, with plenty of seating available for attendees. Often, it was a place for folks to hang out and get ready for the day, which was a nice reset as we all prepared to explore the many sets throughout the weekend.

When it came to sets, Heartbreak Hombres, Shonky, and more were among the many acts that stood tall at Gottwood.

I hadn’t realized that Heartbreak Hombres, the duo project of Baby Rollén and Wilba, were on the lineup until I spotted their name on the schedule. Catching them at the Lighthouse Stage in the middle of the day, right on the lake with plenty of room to actually dance, turned into a two-hour masterclass in “no-nonsense” dancefloor house.

The duo leaned on their own debut, HB01 on Slump Recordings, keeping the groove steady and hypnotic. Hearing “Sneaky Pants” live, in the exact kind of open-air, lakeside setting it feels built for, was the standout set of my entire trip. Their debut has already garnered support from serious names across the scene, including Raresh, Ben UFO, Chris Stussy, and NTS’s Louise Chen.

Other highlights of mine included Shonky at the Walled Garden stage. He brought his curated selection from decades of experience. Another highlight was the Alec Falconer and Captain Wallop B2B at Ricky’s Disco for the label Ba Dum Tish. That groovy garage house they played is exactly what that label is becoming known for, and it was so much fun to be in a crowd for it. Sadly, Jane Fitz had to drop out of the festival because she wasn’t feeling well.

The festival had great sound too.

Every stage had Funktion-One sound systems, so whether it was the Lawn, the brand new Curve stage, or the Barn, all the stages had amazing sound. This, along with the layout, encouraged a lot of exploration, which I appreciated. It was just as easy to sit in the grass and enjoy music from across the lake for a moment of rest.

Gottwood’s floating restaurant, The Nest, was also super special. While they had a very simple menu of fried chicken and vegetarian options, it was nice to sit properly and enjoy a real meal. Food throughout the festival was very good, as were the prices. Additional options included everything from pizza to Thai and Greek food for those who wanted some spice, all available at all hours of the day. The festival also had plenty of free water stations and even sunscreen if you needed it.

The mature atmosphere and grassroots nature of Gottwood were refreshing, making it a must-attend experience for those looking to break from the norm.

The crowds at each stage were well behaved and represented a wide range of ages, from 20-somethings to people well into their 60s. Gottwood is a festival for everyone, and I think that is what makes it so special, a place to just hang out with old and new friends, enjoying great music and a magical location.

Since this was their 15th year, Gottwood really felt well put together. While some might argue it wasn’t perfect, coming from Southern California festivals, we just have nothing like it. From the location and setting to the lineup of DJs, not picked because of some quota but because they are just really good curators. Gottwood felt grassroots, put on by a small group of people who share the same passion for music as the artists or attendees, and that’s something we need more of in the scene.

Tickets for the 2027 edition of Gottwood will be available soon. Early bird tickets have already sold out, but you can sign up for the waitlist via the official website. Don’t miss this festival, it’s something magical.