Tell Us About is a monthly blogging prompt where a group of us come together to write about the same theme, each sharing our own personal take on it. It’s always fun to see how differently everyone interprets the topic! Last month I had the pleasure of choosing the theme Style Icons, which led to some wonderful and inspiring posts. This month’s theme is Festivals, and as you’ll soon discover… my relationship with them is a little complicated!
When the prompt Festivals came up for this month’s Tell Us About, I had to laugh a little. Because if there’s one thing about me that might surprise people, it’s this: I’m really not a festival person. Never have been.
You see, crowds and I don’t have the best relationship. Large seas of people make me a bit uneasy, and if things get really busy I start to feel quite claustrophobic. The kind where your heart starts beating a little faster and you suddenly become very aware that there are far too many humans around you. So when festival season rolls around each year, I tend to admire it all from a safe distance!
I’m not entirely sure where this aversion began, but I suspect it goes back to when I was younger and living in Portugal. During Carnaval (spelt with an “a” here), some people would get a bit… let’s say enthusiastic. And by enthusiastic, I mean throwing eggs at passing cars and generally behaving in ways that made me want to hide indoors. Needless to say, I wasn’t a fan.
To this day, I usually avoid Carnaval completely. In fact, if it’s particularly lively, I’ll happily stay home and wait for it all to pass. That said, I do quite enjoy seeing photos afterwards when everything looks colourful and joyful without the chaos attached!
Portugal actually has a lot of festivals. Music festivals, religious festivals, food festivals… you name it, we probably have it somewhere. Some are absolutely huge now, drawing crowds from all over the world.
Take the Black and White Night Festival in Carvoeiro, for example. It’s a big summer event where everyone dresses entirely in black or white, and the streets fill with music, dancing and entertainment. Visually it looks incredible — imagine a sea of monochrome outfits glowing under the summer lights.
But the crowds? Apparently shoulder-to-shoulder. Which means I admire it from afar.
I have actually been to one music festival in my life. And while I thoroughly enjoyed the music itself, I couldn’t quite get past the feeling of being surrounded by so many people. At one point I remember thinking, I can’t breathe properly in here! So that ended up being both my first and last music festival.
I love the idea of festivals like Coachella though. Seeing the fashion afterwards is one of my favourite things — all those floaty dresses, glitter, boots and bohemian vibes. It looks magical in photos. But attending in person? I suspect I’d last about twenty minutes.
And Glastonbury? All that mud! I know people absolutely love it, but the thought of standing ankle-deep in mud while thousands of people squeeze past me makes me feel tired just thinking about it.
I sound a bit like Scrooge, don’t I?
That said, there is one festival here in the Algarve that I genuinely enjoy: the Silves Medieval Festival. Silves is a beautiful historic town not far from where we live. It’s full of cobbled streets, ancient walls and one of the best-preserved castles in the region, so it’s the perfect setting for something like this.
Every August the town transforms into a medieval world. Streets close to traffic, stall holders and performers dress in medieval clothing, and suddenly you’re surrounded by knights, musicians, dancers and food vendors serving things you might imagine people eating centuries ago. There’s even jousting.
Visitors are encouraged to dress up too, and many people really go all out with cloaks, corsets and flowing gowns. I’ve never done that myself though, purely because August in the Algarve is very hot. The idea of wearing layers of medieval clothing in 30+ degree heat is simply more than I can handle! Still, it’s a lovely event and feels a bit more relaxed than some of the larger festivals.
That said, not much changes from year to year, so we haven’t actually been for the last couple of summers. But who knows… maybe this year.
Even if I’m not the world’s biggest festival-goer, I do appreciate the magic they bring. The music, the costumes, the food, the sense of community. Festivals can be wonderful ways to celebrate culture and creativity. I just happen to prefer enjoying them quietly… preferably with plenty of personal space!
So while you might find me scrolling through photos of Coachella fashion or admiring pictures of crowded Portuguese street festivals online, the reality is I’ll most likely be at home with a cup of tea (or a beer!), perfectly happy in my calm little corner of the world. And honestly? That suits me just fine.
If you enjoyed reading my thoughts on festivals (or even if you’re a devoted festival-goer and completely disagree with me!), be sure to check out how my fellow co-hosts interpreted this month’s theme. It’s always fascinating to see the different angles everyone takes. You can find their posts here:
- Sally — Sally talks about the Winter Carnival that was and the one that wasn’t. Within a World of My Own
- Marsha — Marsha grew up just outside a small town. When she thinks of festivals, it isn’t music that comes to mind. It’s something else entirely! Marsha In The Middle
- Rosie — Rosie asks, what is it about festivals that draw people to them? Rosie Amber
- Debbie — Debbie’s favourite festival is Tumbafest, an annual festival of music, food and wine in her small hometown of Tumbarumba. It’s gearing up to celebrate 30 years in 2027 which is an amazing achievement given many festivals are folding after just a few years. Deb’s World
- Leslie — It’s almost time for El Paso’s annual Poppy Fest. But will the guest of honor make an appearance at this year’s celebration? Once Upon a Time Happily Ever After.
- Catherine — A Typical 60.
