Vantastival – Ireland’s First Campervan and Motor Scooter Oriented Music Festival
Kila, Jack L, Mick Flannery, FRED and The Dublin City Ramblers are among the musical acts heading to the beautiful Dunany Estate in Co. Louth this May bank holiday weekend to perform at the inaugural Vantastival festival. Sponsored by Louth Local Authorities, the amazing line up at the North-East’s newest festival is expected to attract up to 3,000 music lovers from all over Ireland. There was a huge turnout at the recent launch in The Complex in Smithfield, when Bell X1’s David Geraghty and others took to the stage to give a taster of what will be on offer at the festival.
While it’s a popular concept in the UK, Vantastival is the first festival in this country which focuses particularly on the needs of campervan and motor scooter enthusiasts, with a host of attractions including a trade area, competitions, and vehicle-based workshops providing the perfect occasion for camper and scooter owners and admirers to share their passions in a fun festival atmosphere. The vehicle theme was in evidence at the launch, with a 1972 Volkswagen campervan and vintage Vespa scooters parked amongst yurts and Indian tents, creating a festival feel inside the large concrete venue. However, you don’t have to be a vehicle nut to enjoy the music, craic, children’s activities, swing-dancing, healing area, food and craft fair, and lots more on offer in May. Two separate campsites will be available – one for tent campers and a second catering to campervans and residential vehicles.
Some of the featured activities at the festival are a campervan cook-off, a homebrew workshop, and a ‘scrapheap challenge’ involving the renovation of two old vans into campers to be raffled off for local charities. If you have any old caravans suitable for parts donations, the organisers would be delighted to hear from you.
The Gramophone Disco of Electric Picnic and Glastonbury renown will provide a late night speakeasy offering vintage visuals and sounds played on wind up gramophones and classic vinyl records, and The Lockup will showcase the final year soundscape projects of local students from the Masters in Music Technology at Dundalk Institute of Technology.
Vantastival is a family-friendly event and will have a full range of children’s entertainment and a dedicated family camping area. It runs from Friday 30 April to Sunday 2 May and ticket prices are very recession friendly at €85 for three nights camping, with €40 day tickets available, €30 entry for 14-17 year olds and free entry for children under 14. Tickets can be purchased online from the website, and from the Dice Bar in Smithfield and the Spirit Store in Dundalk. Check the website for further details – www.vantastival.com.
