Winter‘s not even half-way yet and so we dream of warm bones, birds that chirp, green leaves, smiling friends in the park, and getting sloshed with 70.000 other people to then pass out in the sun or run around shouting and sweating at one another in huge tents. Ah yes, The Festival. Rhythm, food, sleep, mood-altering substances and safety in numbers, it is a call back to primordial joys; the human being at his happiest.

Best to write about it now; purchasing tickets for a summer event in the summer is damn-near impossible, unless you‘re willing to pay up to five-fold to get a ticket that sells out like a hot cake. First case in question: Fusion Festival, occurring just outside Berlin at the end of June. The three-day fantasy communist village with a non-stop techno soundtrack, sold out it‘s 53.000 tickets in what seems just days. Second case in question: Worthy Farm‘s Glastonbury mudfest, also at the end of June, and until cancellations are put back up in the running- sold out.

It seems our thirst for beer and hunger for grease lies then in the hands of what is in fact a pearl of a festival occurring in the entirely reclaimed lands of Flevoland, the Netherlands. Boasting eight music podiums ranging from intimate and open-air to huge and raining condensation droplets, A Campingflight to Lowlands Paradise (note that the site is stuck on 2009) offers 3 days of the finest music, theatre, cinema, readings, stand-up comedy and cabaret. And Grolsch beer. The atmosphere is truly fantastic, and a wide range of musical genres means an eclectic crowd is brought together. Besides, the Dutch do love their beer and sunshine, and provide a solid basis for a kind and energetic festival that is happily accommodating of the English, Americans, Scandinavians, Eastern Europeans, and other festival-goers from around the world.

The line up is as of yet undisclosed, but previous years have never failed to live up, including such names as Grace Jones, Digitalism, Paul Kalkbrenner, Sigur Ros, Incubus, The Editors, N*E*R*D, Kings of Leon, and Underworld, as well as a myriad of new and still-obscure talent.

Lowlands Festival takes place this year on August 20- August 23. Tickets will be around 150 euros for three festival days and four camping nights, with online ticket sales starting Sunday February 21.