The countdown to Latitude Festival 2017 has begun..!

After a whole year of waiting, over 4 months since the line-up was announced, and two months since my last blog post about the acts I’m hoping to see, Latitude festival is now only 8 days away. As soon as July arrives, the countdown starts and I become more and more excited as the days tick by. I spot the signs going up along the A12, I see trucks delivering staging and equipment on my journey home, and I watch people coming and going from the festival site. Henham park becomes a buzz of excitement and activity from early June and it’s exciting to know that I’ll be experiencing the results of that endeavour in just over a week’s time.

I shared my tips for what not to miss at Latitude when the comedy and theatre line-up was announced back in May and since then there have been countless new acts added to the bill. Today I’m browsing the daily line-ups, planning out my time at the Festival to make sure that I see all the performers I love. Just a quick glance at the website tells me that there are more stages than ever this year, and that means even more shows to see.

Even though I’m a die-hard comedy fan and rarely move away from the comedy tent, there are so many theatre, cabaret, art and dance performances that are on my must-see list. A friend who’s just returned from Glastonbury has recommended Jack Garrett and Sigrid ‘a little lady with a huge voice’ so I’m looking forward to tracking down these performances on the BBC Music Stage and in the Sunrise Arena. One stage that looks fantastic is the Alcove Stage presented by DIY; I’m hoping to spot plenty of new talent (and next-year’s headliners!) there.Oh, and another thing that Latitude does really well is the food. With freshly cooked meals, cuisines from around the world and all the falafel you’d ever want to eat, this festival is a foodie’s dream. I am as excited about my breakfast, lunch and dinner as I am about some of the performances, haha 😉In terms of price, I think Latitude is up there as one of the most competitive festivals. It certainly helps that you can buy day tickets rather than committing to a full weekend of camping, and I love to pop down for a day or two when I can. This year I’m already busy on the Friday so it was great to be able to just get a single day ticket rather than spend out for the whole weekend; it’s the thrifty option, and I still get the full festival experience in the space of 24 hours. By the way, you can take a child up to the age of 12 with you for the day for just £5 extra, so it makes for a bargain day out and there’s a whole family area on the site to entertain the little ones.Unbelievably enough, there are still tickets available on the Latitude website – I just checked – so why not join me for a day of fun in the sun? Sure, if you’re coming a long distance to visit the festival go for the whole weekend package – that gives you 4 whole days and nights of entertainment and camping from Thursday 13th to Monday 17th. Bring your tent, some wet wipes and get ready to have the time of your life!

I attended Latitude festival as a member of the press but was not asked to write this blog post. This piece contains my own opinions and experiences of the festival and I am not responsible for your experience of the event.