72: When is a festival not a festival?

Is this the way they say the future’s meant to feel? Or just 20,000 people milling about at the White Claw gazebo?This summer Tom and Chal attended a LOT of different festivals, which got us thinking about not just what makes a festival good, but what makes a festival a festival.As well as rating and slating our 2026 jollies, we look back at the half-forgotten lifestyles that birthed British festival culture in the first place, talk about our personal festival histories (guess who hates camping!) and figure out what distinguishes a proper festival from a temporary cluster of outdoor stages and energy drink activations taking over a city park.Let us know what you think. What makes a festival a festival in your eyes? What are your best and worst festivals – and what’s the saddest festival brand activation you’ve ever witnessed?No Tags is a self-funded project that we squeeze in around our day jobs. If you want to keep us topped up on White Claw and Happy Tuesday pills, consider joining the paid tier. Get full access to No Tags at notagspodcast.substack.com/subscribe