Island Life Magazine Ltd August/September 2014 | Page 42

ENTERTAINMENT

Rob da Bank:

How Bestival is built
A

s the exhilarating Isle of Wight Bestival prepares to move into
its second decade, even curator Rob da Bank admits he is
surprised but delighted at how the eagerly-awaited event has
grown into one of the most popular festivals worldwide.

By Peter White
Around 50,000 revellers will pack into
the Bestival site at the Robin Hill Country
Park from September 4 to 7 to enjoy the
sights and sounds of this year’s theme
‘Desert Island Disco’ - a far cry from 2004
when the first Bestival attracted just a few
thousand locals. Bestival has evolved not
just into a music festival, but an annual
get-together that brings people from far
and wide to enjoy the experience.
Rob, who along with his wife Josie, were
the brains behind the iconic gathering,
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openly admits that when the first Bestival
took place, they were not even thinking of
repeating it the following year.
He said: “We never set out to make it
what it is. We created it as a bit of an
experiment, but since then the bottom
line is that it has been an amazing party
for a lot of people, and that is the most
important thing.
“Each year we get the regulars and new
people coming onto the site at Bestival,
and that is probably the main reason why
we do it. In a way it is a labour of love,
and not a money-making enterprise. Of
course we get paid for doing it, but not

how some people might envisage.”
The great news for Bestival revellers
is that despite his many other
commitments, including a new venture
on national radio, Rob has no plans to
walk away from the annual showpiece.
He said: “If it ever stopped being fun we
wouldn’t do it, but I don’t think there is
any danger of that. And our kids, at the
ages of eight, six and four, are already
talking about, maybe not taking it over,
but I don’t think we could take it away
from them!”
I recall seeing Rob at last year's Bestival,
cup of tea in one hand and sandwich in
the other, wandering around the site at
Bestival, mingling with the masses as if
he was merely one of them, rather than
the man who masterminds the massive
operation. He said: “I do try to enjoy
Bestival, and the place for me to be is out