AD: A Festival Built On Dreams, You Say? Here's The Low-down...

Festivals have become something of an institution over the past number of years. Whereas a while back, they were purely platforms for a collection of artists to come together, nowadays, they've just as much become about the atmosphere and the crowd as they are about anything else.

And so, step forward the latest type of festival, in this case, 'Mandala Festival' to take place in the Netherlands from the 3rd to the 6th of June and I assure you, it's going to be unlike anything you've ever seen before. Most interestingly of all? This is all the brainchild of a literal child, the four-year-old daughter of Marcel Mingers, co-founder of Solar and Extrema Festival after she drew a picture for her Dad that said the following:

"This is Mandala, a festival for you and me and all nice people.”

With this very simple little seed, a beautiful idea was born. Be under no illusions, though, this no kids playground. No, this is a coming together of all things art, culture and fun. This is a celebration of all things beautiful and special about this world and everything on it. Think music, think art, think delicious artisan food and drinks, think games and workshops, think the most colourful of all entertainment, think yoga, think retreats, think pop-up parties and most important of all, think fun.

So what, apart from all of the above, of course, what really separates Mandala from the rest? Well, first of all, this isn't your average, stuck in a field, going muddy after three days, kind of affair. No, this is a very unique location. This is, after all, a 'holiday built on dreams'. Not only are you entering into a sort of wonderland of forest, beach, lake and an Island only reachable via raft, no less, but you're also entering a land whereby freedom is the language and anything goes.

Music and art come in the form of tribes, of which there will be 13 in total. Each tribe will be based on a totally different theme, each unique and each containing its own sound, taste, smell and sights. Music at Mandala isn't your average, either. There are no main stage acts, as such, instead, there are small music areas with a little of something for everyone, from electronic music to hip-hop, to singer-songwriters to soul music and everything and anything in between. Think of a non-stop atmospheric feast for the ears and the eyes, with a visual light art festival taking place at night, transforming and captivating everyone into a state of blissful serenity and you're on the right path.

If this all sounds like something you'd be interested in (and if not, why not?), then there a number of options and ways for you to get involved. See the website or Facebook page for more information and click here for tickets. See you in June!