Venturing into the wilderness and enjoy a weekend at LIMF Festival 2019.
Updated: Sep 6, 2019
Last weekend at LIMF 2019 at Sefton Park (sponsored by The Liverpool Gin Co.) was brilliant and Liverpool is still buzzing in the afterglow. The amount of local talent, international highlights, food, drink and culture was commendable, and it’s easy to see why this modest local festival is growing so quickly and reaching further afield!
As a mum, young adult and friend dealing with numerous invisible illnesses (My original story is here) I made a vow to stay engaged in what life has to offer wherever my body is able, so I jumped at the chance to blog my way through the weekend at LIMF which is luckily enough, right on my doorstep!
Highlights over the weekend included a line up across stages, displaying some energetic local talent and then finishing off with some legendary highlights from well-known acts such as Nao, NAO, SG Lewis, Nial Rodgers and Sister Sledge.
Having an illness which can put me in a wheelchair at any minute obviously fills me with constant worry when attending events like this but that didn’t stop me exploring everything the festival had to offer! I made sure I was well aware of all the emergency points, recruited a fab friend who also happens to have a cracking hidden talent of taking a good photo; then off we went!
I made it my mission to explore all corners of the park from the raving tent full of teenagers to the fish and chip stand on the other side and can honestly say there was something for everyone to enjoy! Accessibility was not an issue at all, and I managed to speak with other hidden illness warriors who ventured out and offered nothing but praise.
The weekend was an absolute hit for me, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t spend days in bed recovering from it! I have a habit of pushing myself so far, I run on nothing but adrenaline, but my bed was ready and waiting for me as soon as Disco Fever was done! Anyone considering venturing into the world of festivals with any hidden anxieties, LIMF Festival is definitely one that comes with my own recommendation, but I do recommend following a few tips.
TOP 5 Tips for Festival Virgins (with hidden disabilities...)
1. Plan in advance what you will do with regards to food and drink – LIMF offered free picnics but alcohol was to be purchased on site which isn’t a bad deal at all!
2. If you have issues with pain and mobility, check out the health and access points. St Johns Ambulance were on hand at LIMF so I felt secure in knowing they could pick up on my medical band if needed (I was lucky a managed the 2 days with no major episodes!)
3. Wear Sunscreen?! It felt 100 degrees this weekend and thanks to Skin Focused Aesthetics reminding me to ALWAYS wear sunscreen to protect my face, I didn’t come out like an old prune!
4. Plan to explore the site – Life is there to be lived, and places like LIMF Festival give a wide range of products, services, experiences, arts and acts all in one place. You can find out really easily what’s happening in the local area and connect with some brilliantly interesting people! I loved all the cute photo points and met with the Liverpool Tate and heard all about their next art exhibition!
5. Plan to rest afterwards. If you’re anything like me, this is the most important point!! The exhaustion following something like this for me is huge and it normally takes days to recover and that’s staying completely sober for the best part, so no hangovers involved! There’s nothing worse than pain/exhaustion putting you off the experience in future, so fully allow yourself the time to recharge.
Other than that, just get out into the festival and enjoy the music and the atmosphere while you’re still able <3