For Defender, one of the toughest SUVs around, tackling a four-day festival is a drive in the park. And for its latest adventure, Defender set its sights on Lost Village's escapist forest paradise, schooling us in its trademark rugged luxury, and we were there to check it all out.
As the official vehicle partner of the festival, Defender's hybrid vehicles supported the event, but in the spirit of adventure, things went way beyond logistics. We went to check out Defender Camp, a secluded fortress within the hidden forest, where nature, food and wellness weaved into the experience.
If you're wondering how Defender and Lost Village come together, take it from festival founders Jay Jameson and Andy George, who incorporated the EV Hybrid into their efforts to offset the event's known carbon emissions. "Using the EV hybrid-Defenders is a huge help whilst still giving us the size and scope to operate effectively," they shared. But practical stuff aside, the duo "enjoyed working with the team and reimagining the spirit of Defender within the weird and wonderful world of [Lost Village]."
At camp, a fleet of Defenders surrounded us, from the De Beauvoir Town favourite, the Defender 90, mid-sized Defender 110, and super spacious and surfboard-sized Defender 130. But it didn't stop there; as the official vehicle sponsor, Defender kitted out "The Outpost" stage with vintage Land Rovers, which doubled as an elevated stage, supporting festival goers' two-steps with its off-road-ready suspension.
A taste of rugged luxury
But before securing our Salomons for the leafy dance floors, Defender teamed up with Dan Smith to line our stomachs with some Michelin star pub grub, where pea tartlets, white asparagus and smoked cod roe went down a treat. For one last pick-me-up, Smith served the Fordwich Arms Snickers, which oozed with caramelised white chocolate, salted caramel and hazelnut parfait and filled us with enough sugar for the night ahead.
After dinner, we half-danced through the crowds to the main stage to soak up Saturday night's headline act, Bicep, who blessed our eardrums with a curated selection of breaks, house, and techno. Accompanying the dance duo's electronic excellence was a trancey light show, transforming the forest's ancient beauty into a futuristic maze. Later into the night, we drifted into the Junkyard, where Aroop Roy's genre-spanning selection took no prisoners and kept us dancing into the night.
Day two shenanigans
In the wake of night one’s antics, we entered into Lost Village’s world of zen, which, for us, meant waking up to the sounds of nature in a sound bath. Basically, it's a much more mindful and civilised way of getting over the sins of the night before than a cold splash of water on your face, and it helped us start the day with something softer. But it wasn't just sound baths on offer. The festival's Energy Garden also offered wood-fired hot tubs, massages, and yoga.
After our mindful morning, it was into the festival and to Defender's "Outpost" stage, where we caught Rebecca Vasmant's afternoon set before sampling the excellent food that was on offer at the festival. Some of London's sickest food spots held pop-ups on the site, including Soho contemporary Indian restaurant Kricket, and east London's purveyors of seriously tasty baked goods, Pophams.
Also joining the festival-food action was Sicilian trattoria Circolo Popolare, who served a full-on feast as the sun set on the final night, dishing out moorish Piccola Caprese and mega mushroom arancini to start. Next came a masterclass in pasta, as Mafaldine al Ragù, Pasta alla Norma and Insalata, and La Gran Carbonara con Datterini e Rucola was dished up. And what do you need when you've swapped the festival madness for a taste of La Dolce Vita? Tiramisu, of course.
Then, it was into the festival to soak up the final night antics, where the Blessed Madonna, was followed by Bombay Bicycle Club to close out the main stage before we got lost in the forest for one final time. Given it was the last night, we went all in on soaking up the weird festival activities, including the Guinness-gulping characters of Frontrunner Bets, a recreation of an old-school betting shop and boozer, and the uncanny delights of Noel's Pawn Cocktail (an on-site pawn shop).
Defender's partnership with Lost Village encapsulated the thrill-seeking spirit of the brand, merging elevated dining experiences with festival escapism in a culture-meets-cars display of contemporary luxury. This was echoed by Defender UK Brand Director Leonie Raistrick, who praised the collaboration for its ability to channel "modern luxury in a rugged engaging way," where Defender's unique capabilities were brought to the British festival.
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