Loveland Festival

For years I’d hear my friends talk about their Loveland weekend after the fact. For them it was consistently one of the best weekends of the year. I myself was always on holiday whenever the festival happened. So this year I could finally join, my very first Loveland. I stepped onto the festival grounds for the first time with sky-high expectations, curious whether all that enthusiasm was justified.

Anticipation

My very first Loveland

My friends have been going to Loveland for years and consistently call it one of the best weekends of the year. I myself was always on holiday whenever the festival happened. So this year I could finally join, my very first Loveland. Because my friends were so enthusiastic about it every year, my expectations going in were pretty high. I usually go to smaller-scale parties myself, so this was immediately also a completely different scale to discover.

Here we go

Straight through the check, instantly impressed

I’m lucky enough to have a place to stay in Amsterdam, about a fifteen-minute bike ride from the festival grounds. The first day we were nicely on time, around 1:30pm, and the second day we got in a bit later, around 3:30pm. Both days we pretty much walked straight through the check, no long queues. My first impression? So many people, and such a gorgeous pool. That pool turned out to be no accident, since Loveland started back in 1995 as a party around a pool and house music. Decades later, that combination is still very much alive.

In the thick of it

Front-left at Fire, and a special reunion

People from every country were walking around the festival. I also thoroughly enjoyed the music both days. I’m personally into melodic and progressive house, so Rise was my favorite stage. We also made trips to Fire and Circle. At Fire, the mainstage, I ran into a lot of familiar faces, especially front-left. What maybe struck me most was that everyone had such a huge smile on their face.

A special moment happened among all those thousands of people. I ran into a couple I’d met a week earlier at GoB. We’d had a really lovely conversation there about being open-minded and swinging, and we recognized each other instantly. You’ve technically only met someone once before. But because you already had such an open conversation, it feels different. On the second meeting it’s like you’ve known each other much longer.

The best moment came at the end. Together with all my friends, who actually come from three different friend groups, we closed out the weekend at CamelPhat. Everyone was hugging everyone and we danced out every last bit of energy together. That was one of those moments where everything just clicked.

Turns out front-left isn’t just the best spot for the music.

The Open-Minded Meter

How free did it feel?

I felt super free. The first day I was mostly checking out what kind of people were there and what the average dress style looked like. Turned out to be incredibly wide-ranging. I saw every age group, from preppy types to free-spirited ones and everything in between. Outfits ranged from fairly modest to very sexy. The great thing is that all of it is okay. Nobody stands out for the wrong reasons and everyone shows respect for each other.

The second day was really warm, so I put on a sexy bodysuit with short shorts. Normally I dress a bit more for a festival. Still, as a woman I never once felt unsafe or stared at oddly here. I could just show myself the way I wanted to.

As for making contact, I found the Dutch and Belgian visitors especially approachable. A chat, a hug, and sometimes even a kiss came easily. Visitors from other countries, on the other hand, I generally found a bit more reserved.

Good to know

Tips if you’re going

• It’s a big festival with multiple stages: dive all the way in, don’t just camp at one stage.
• Bring your debit card, you can only pay by card here. No tokens or cash accepted.
• Go for both days: that gives you the full Loveland experience and you won’t feel like you have to cram everything into one day.
• Arrive on time: we walked straight through the check both days, no long queues.

The Morning After

My verdict

The best moment: closing out the weekend at CamelPhat together with all my friends, from three different friend groups. Everyone was hugging everyone and we danced out every last bit of energy together.

This surprised me: that such a massive festival could still feel so intimate. Among thousands of people I kept running into the same faces, and that gave the festival a familiar feel.

Who I’d recommend this to: honestly, everyone. Going to your first festival ever? Usually more into sexy parties, or already a hundred festivals deep? Loveland has something for everyone. Stand front-left and you’ll run into plenty of open-minded people, with a decent shot at some flirting too. That said, the sexual side really doesn’t dominate, it’s more of a fun bonus, like at a lot of festivals really. In short, the music and the atmosphere genuinely come first.

Would I go back: yes, definitely. I’ve already got my ticket for next year. All in all the vibe was amazing and I had a wonderful weekend with my friends.

For me, Loveland is absolutely worth repeating. I usually prefer smaller-scale parties, but despite the size, this weekend has earned a spot on my favorites list. Next year I do hope to run into a few TPC faces though.