People's Republic of Shambala

Now in its 11th year Shambala remains a closely guarded secret passed between campfires and illicit raves - there is no advertising and the musical line-up remains secret until the weekend.

This is all designed to create an intimate atmosphere populated by friendly folk meaning new acquaintances are made in queues for the portable loos, waiting in line at the locally sourced organic cider bars or crawling through netting 10 metres off the ground in the forest arena.

Heavy flooding on the Wednesday initially prompted fears over closure of the festival.However quick thinking by the organisers put Shambala back on track and the muddy conditions didn't dampen any of the carnival atmosphere.

The site looked beautiful despite the mud with an attention to detail that brings a true magic to the festival, with hidden stages accessible only through a four-foot-high blue door, to smaller venues scattered among the trees on the island.

Being much more than a music and arts festival, the focus is on interaction with an eclectic mix of workshops, conspiracy circles, radical politics and dressing up all encouraging free thinking.

While a handful of better-known acts graced the main stage, smaller acts, unsigned groups and musical collectives perform among the diverse smaller stages. 

Friendly Fires brought out the sun with conscious dancehall and when British sound system legend YT came onto the stage the sun truly broke through the clouds, drinks and embraces were passed between strangers and any soggy feet quickly forgotten.

This was British reggae at its best - positive, life-affirming and socially conscious perfectly matching the ethos of The People's Republic of Shambala. The reggae and ska vibe continued throughout the weekend with King Porter Stomp, Smerins Antisocial Club and the Nextmen all joining in the festivities.

The eclectic nature of the music was impressive ranging from Malian kora players, evocative spoken word from Kate Tempest to thumping dubstep from Warrior One.

Shambala festival proved its green credentials once again, this year running completely on wind, sun and vegetable oil. The focus on sustainability extends to transport arrangements with charity Sustrans organising guided cycle rides for festival goers from six different cities.

For those who know it well Shambala is a non-hierarchical institution, with the traditional Shambala Saturday carnival where sound systems are paraded around the site, to the Shambala parliament on the Sunday where feedback and future direction of the festival is planned.

Shambala more than any other festival offers a personal experience - you interact, you feel involved and you leave feeling empowered.

This article was amended on September 7 2010 at 12.03 pm. In the third paragraph we described the festival's portable toilet facilities as portaloos. Because portaloo is a registered trademark of Portakabin Ltd, we changed the wording to a more generic reference.