Festibowl 2018: a very British bash

Summer has finally reached British shores, giving us all an excuse to stay outdoors drinking well into the night. But if an evening lounging about in a pub garden, or eating undercooked chicken at a friend’s barbecue, strikes you as a little dull, you may want to consider a little-known alternative.

Launched in 2015 at the UK’s oldest bowling green, in east London’s Finsbury Square, Festibowl is a celebration of lawn bowls.

For the under-70s out there, this may not sound like the best way to spend a warm Friday evening in the city. Before checking out Festibowl, this 27-year-old reviewer thought the same.

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“We aim to do what 20:20 did for cricket – a faster, more intense and a lot more fun version of the game,” says the festival website. To say the organisers meet that aim would be an understatement.

Over the course of an evening, what begins as a cordial affair on a six-lane bowling green descends – due in part to the ample alcohol on offer – into a maelstrom of wild emotions, ranging from fist-bumping joy to head-in-hands despair.

To those uninitiated into the weird, jargon-heavy world of lawn bowls, never fear – a madcap crash course on the sport starts proceedings, delivered with gusto by one of the festival’s impeccably suited-and-booted bowling experts (with tongue firmly in cheek). Expect surreal jokes, fabricated stories on the history of bowls, and a tidal wave of innuendo.

Festibowl features half-hour playing slots for teams with a minimum of four members, so smaller groups are paired up with total strangers in the quest for lawn-based glory – a daunting prospect but one that allows for great conversation and a uniquely British bonding experience.

Once the last ball has been cast, the players with the highest scores from each team compete in a grand final. The finalists get one shot each – and one shot only – to get as close to the jack as possible, with the winner getting a free drink.

It’s an unexpectedly fun way to spend an evening, and the setting, too, is rather wonderful. This unassuming little pop-up festival takes place beneath the towering office blocks flanking Finsbury Square, where tunes from the 1970s and 1980s blare out amid marquees adorned with cheerful bunting.

If all that vigorous bowling leaves your energy levels depleted, Festibowl has you covered with a number of pop-up food stalls dotted around the site, offering delicious cuisine ranging from hummus and halloumi wraps to truffle chips and pulled-pork burgers.

In the words of The Guardian: “Leave your white trousers (and shoes) at home – this genteel sport is getting a laid-back makeover.” Revamping this most British of games for a more youthful audience has proved a massive hit at this eccentric - and frequently hilarious – festival.

Festibowl is taking place every Friday from 6pm until 3 August. It can also be booked for private events on Thursdays (from 2pm) and Fridays (2pm-6pm) during this period. Tickets start at £15 per person for 30 minutes of bowling. For more details, email info@festibowl.co.uk.