Forest Live is one of the most picturesque locations you could possibly dream of for a concert! Set amongst a woodland area with clean air to fill your lungs, what more could you ask for?

We attend Forest Live events at Westonbirt Arboretum annually and the grounds are always free from rubbish and free from stress and always attract a very calm and respectful crowd.

Over the years, we have only had general admission and never had an issue getting close to the front, however, we like sitting at the back and relaxing in our camp chairs as the view is great wherever you are.

This year marked the first year we attended with Glade VIP passes. With regular tickets for our show (Snow Patrol) being around £65-70 for general admission, the Glade VIP were priced at £99. So with that in mind, was the extra £30 odd worth it? (prices vary per show).

With the Glade VIP pass, as well as your ticket to the show you receive the following;

• Views right at the front of the stage: experience an excellent view of all the performances up close.
• Dedicated VIP entry lane: breeze through our separate VIP lane for a smooth arrival.
• Souvenir wristband: take home a Forest Live wristband as a cherished keepsake.
• Spacious comfort: relish the relaxed atmosphere and extra space to dance.
• Luxury facilities: access our premium flushable toilet facilities.
• Exclusive bar: enjoy refreshing drinks that you can purchase from our vibrant Glade VIP bar.
• High-quality food: soak up the ambience and indulge in some superb food options available for purchase.

VIP entrance was a breeze and we had no queue getting in at all. The wristband is the same as many you would get at a festival but still a lovely keepsake.

For us, having nice flushable and clean toilets with plenty of toilet roll is always one of the most important things. These toilets never had a queue so it was easy to run in and out between songs without missing anything but of course, we could have just been lucky.

The view to the stage was perfect. We arrived a fair while after gates had opened and still managed to secure a decent spot for our chairs and have plenty of space around us. From what I could see, if you wanted to be close to the front and standing, you wouldn’t have had much of an issue. The Glade takes up half of the front of the stage whereas general admission takes the other half. The Glade then goes back about half way of the arena and around to the side away from the stage and then is fenced off for the general admission to be behind you. So if you were general admission and on the Glade side of the stage, then you couldn’t get any closer due to the fences.

It was extremely relaxing and spacious for the entirety of our experience and we absolutely loved it. With the toilets being close and of great view, we could find our way back to our seats easily (we had kids with us so was important to find each other easily)

The bar, as expected, had queues and is what you would imagine from any bar at a festival. Prices were as you would expect as were the range of drinks on offer.

The food vendors were limited, just a Mexican food vendor, street food and a coffee one but you still had access to all the other food outlets in the main arena so variety wasn’t really an issue especially as everything was within close proximity.

Do I think it was worth it? For us, yes! A lot of events charge much more than £30 extra for VIP area so it didn’t seem too steep, however, if you add up the costs per person then it makes a bigger difference. Upgrading to Glade VIP will always be down to personal choice. I love the peace of mind of better toilets, space for the kids to feel safe and a good spot to just sit and relax. It really was lovely for us and we felt very lucky.

Do I think anything can be added? Yes, possibly! I would like perhaps VIP parking to be added. Getting out of the car park was a nightmare and I have no experience of dealing with the chaos of that but I do wonder if there is a possibility of a VIP area even to just have it closer to the arena.

Forest Live at Westonbirt Arboretum in general is just lovely for a good evening out and if you are a huge fan of the acts you are seeing then that is a massive bonus. We love it there and we hope to go every year.