In recent year, Bristol has truly put itself on the map as one of England’s most cultured cities and with Love Saves The Day now in its fourth year, FAULT headed west to check it out. LSTD has proved very successful among Bristolians but I was eager to find out how well it stood up against all the other British festivals.

This year’s line-up seemed to have something for everyone and as a day festival, we were never too far from each stage. From the fire spitting ‘Arcadia Afterburner’ stage to the ‘Temple of Lust’ stage, we were always very close to the action.  It was also great to see LSTD trying to cater to all the music tastes of a very diverse crowd. You’ll be hard pressed to find Stormzy, Hot Chip, and Hot 8 Brass Band sharing the same stage anywhere else.

The food on offer was just as diverse as the lineup, you could get anything from jerk chicken wraps to vegan burgers, a far cry from the usual overpriced greasy spoon vendors you see at most other festivals. LSTD isn’t the largest festival but they use the space well. They were able to fit nine music stages, an inflatable rave church and a disco roller rink into Eastville Park without it ever becoming overcrowded.

While only in it’s fifth year, speaking to the Bristolians who attended, it sounds like LSTD is high priority on Bristol cities cultural calendar. I was also surprised to see just how many people travelled from elsewhere to attend the festival which had to compete with London’s We Are FSTVL festival hosted on the same day.

We arrived to MNEK performing to a rather unenthusiastic crowd, people arrive all day to the festival but the party doesn’t truly kick off until late afternoon. Headliners, Everything Everything and Hot Chip performed great sets but it was Craig Richards who stole the show.

So how did LSTD fair against it’s national competition? I’m happy to say, rather well! There’s a much great charm and atmosphere which you rarely find in London Festivals. The vibes were some of the best I’ve ever experienced. Marking the official start of summer (with a fitting sunny day), those that attended were genuinely proud that Bristol claimed ownership of such a fun event.

Was it perfect? No. The queing system to get in was confusing and saw us walk all the way around the park only to arrive back at the very same spot and non of the staff could tell me where the press tent was located. Nevertheless, LSTD is a great day out and by far proved itself to be a great day for anyone, not just bristolians. We’ll definitely be returning next year!