Since 2015, in the depths of the Lincolnshire countryside, Lost Village has been building an otherworldly escape for festival-goers. Founded by Andy George, Jay Jameson, Ben Atkins, and Andy Ellis, the four-dayer has gone from a 5,000-strong crowd to nearly triple the size in just over a decade, becoming known for its genre-bending lineup traversing electronica, techno, house, funk, soul and indie. It’s transitioned from an IYKYK kind of gig to one of the biggest festivals in the UK’s calendar, with some of the most sought-after names in electronic music flying into Norton Disney to grace the stage.

This year’s eclectic lineup catered to every crowd, with heavy-hitters Peggy Gou, Ezra Collective and Overmono taking the prime 9-11 pm headline slots over the weekend. Across the festival’s 11 stages, other highlights included performances from the likes of American electronic duo Fcukers, live sets from DJ Seinfeld, b2bs with Caribou and Solomun and a punchy Sunday night set from Shanti Celeste. One thing to always remember about Lost Village is that what you see on the lineup isn’t all that the festival has in store; its infamous secret sets have offered up some of the best surprise appearances in recent years.

This year, Overmono delivered a secret set on Friday night at The Outpost, offering a slower-paced sound to their headline gig at Burial Ground on Saturday – highlights included a remix of Fonatines D.C.’s newest track, Marianne. Elsewhere across the weekend, other secret sets saw DJ Seinfeld b2b Dan Shake and DJ Boring b2b Atrip. The secrecy of these sets is made possible by the maze-like set-up of the festival, with 11 stages across the site embedded into the woodland. Immersive by nature, the installations offer movie-set-style backdrops with stages such as The Airbase, designed to look like the site of a plane crash; The Junkyard, kitted out with recycled cars and boats sprouting from the ground, ready to be danced upon; and The Street, complete with a karaoke laundrette, arcade bars and an IRL game show.

In previous years, the late August bank holiday has boasted some of the hottest weather on record, but this year was not so lucky. Thankfully, if a break was needed from two-stepping in the mud, the festival’s arts and wellness programme is just as extensive as its music lineup. Inside the ‘Institute of Curious Minds,’ a host of talks dissected topics such as ‘Clickbait Britain’ or ‘Has the beauty industry gotten ugly?’ Meanwhile, in the ‘Lost Theatre’ comedy tent, a host of live performances from the likes of Joe Lycett, Matt Richardson and Sara Pascoe drew crowds almost as big as Peggy Gou. 

The festival’s energy garden offers up a welcome reprieve from the 140bpm that begins to ring in your ears, with a stacked timetable of pilates, yoga, breathwork, soundbaths, massages and tarot readings. Plus, if you’re lucky enough to spoil yourself with a camping spot in the Boutique Sanctuary, you can expect to be pampered with facilities so good that you very nearly forget you’re camping in the British countryside.

It’s impossible to talk about Lost Village and not mention the food, because there aren’t many festivals where you can sit down for a three-course meal cooked by the UK’s top chefs. This year’s ‘Village Feast’ saw Lee Tiernan of FKA Black Axe Mangal, Chet Sharma of London’s Bibi and the team from Sheffield’s Michelin-starred JÖRO each curate a menu to serve in the 120-seater dining hall. Elsewhere, some of London’s favourite eateries upped sticks and set up shop in Norton Disney for the weekend, with Finsbury Park’s Plimsoll pub cooking up an endless supply of Dexter burgers, Pophams Bakery delivering morning pastries, and Borough Market’s beloved Tacos Padre whipping up an array of Mexican delights.

Whether you’re the kind of person who goes to a festival with the intention not to sleep for five days and not so much as touch a baby wipe, or you’re a bed-by-11 pm and 9 am morning yoga and sauna session kind of partier, or you’re a foodie who also loves a solid techno line-up, then Lost Village is probably your idea of a good time. As this festival season comes to a close and we have to wait another 339 days until we’re back in Lincolnshire, we’re having serious withdrawals – even from the thunder and lightning.

Find out more about Lost Village here.