‘The hills were alive with the sound of music’: Music fans walk up to seven hours to ‘Britain’s most remote gig’ – at a reservoir deep in the mountains of Snowdonia
That is a remarkable walk.
Hundreds of music fans recently headed to the ‘Britain’s most remote gig’, deep in Wales’ Snowdonia National Park.
At the Off-Grid Gig, part of Columbia Hike Society’s HikeFest, a new hiking festival, the crowd laced up their hiking boots and trudged through fields, hills and mountain trails to reach the natural and very remote location.
May Beaufort, ambassador for the Columbia Hike Society who attended the off-grid gig, said: ‘Walking to Britain’s most remote gig was absolutely wild.
‘We hiked up a mountain, along a ridge and down into a remote valley where we were treated to beautiful live music.
Hundreds of music fans recently headed to ‘Britain’s most remote gig’ deep in Wales’ Snowdonia National Park
At the Off-Grid Gig, part of Columbia Hike Society’s HikeFest, a new hiking festival, the crowd laced up their hiking boots and trudged through fields, hills and mountain trails to reach the natural and very remote location.
May Beaufort, ambassador for the Columbia Hike Society who attended the off-grid gig, said: ‘Walking to Britain’s most remote gig was absolutely wild’
Jack Cullen, an English-Irish singer-songwriter and Alice Boyd, a composer, sound artist and field recordist, performed during the remote performance
May said: ‘It was like being at a festival with thousands of fans singing back. It was really moving’
‘The hills came alive with the sound of the music.
‘The artist’s voice echoed among the mountains – it was like being at a festival with thousands of fans singing back. It was really moving.’
Participants could choose from five walks to reach the location the easiest takes two hours and the hardest seven.
Attendees were sent the coordinates of the May 18 performance on the morning of the event before being led to the performance by the walk leaders.
Participants could choose from five walks to reach the site, with the easiest taking two hours and the most difficult seven
Participants were sent the coordinates of the May 18 performance on the morning of the event before being led to the performance by walk leaders
Several hundred hikers attended the event because the area was so remote that there was no telephone signal. Above is artist Jack Cullen
The event was organized by the Columbia Hike Society in collaboration with Sofar Sounds
Everyone who walked through Snowdonia ended their journey at the Ffynnon Llugwy Reservoir in the Carneddau mountains – a natural amphitheater where an intimate, acoustic performance took place.
Several hundred walkers attended the event, while the area was so remote that no telephone signal existed, leaving listeners with only the music and natural beautiful surroundings to captivate them.
May commented: ‘It was great to see people from all over Britain traveling to be part of it. That’s what it’s all about: connecting people and making friendships.’
During this experience, two emerging artists performed an outdoor set for the audience.
The lineup included Jack Cullen, an English-Irish singer-songwriter known for his “soft indie pop soundscapes and gentle guitar playing,” and Alice Boyd, a composer, sound artist and field recordist whose songs and sound are inspired by nature .
The event was organized by the Columbia Hike Society in collaboration with Sofar Sounds.
The hiking community and the global music movement have joined forces ahead of the Columbia Hike Society’s HikeFest, which launched a series of more than 40 free guided walks across the UK this summer.
May added: ‘We’d love for new people to join us on one of the 40 free walks this summer.’
Visit for tickets to one of the Columbia Hike Society’s free hikes this summer columbiasportswear.co.uk/l/columbia-hike-society.