What we all missed at Godiva Festival...

ONE of the highlights of Coventry’s music calendar Godiva Festival -was set to take place last weekend.

The cancellation due to the coronavirus pandemic was a massive blow for the event, which has for years offered families from across Coventry and Warwickshire a weekend of music and activities.

But, while the event itself can’t take place, here at the Telegraph we’re keen to look back at Godiva Festival and its highlights from years gone by.

While we can’t have the festival itself, we’re making do with our list of top five things from Godiva Festival that we’ll miss the most.

Here they are. Amazing crowds: This is perhaps the biggest miss especially because we don’t yet know when we might see large crowd gatherings again, anywhere.

A crowdless Godiva Festival would be no festival at all. After all it is the thousands of locals who flock to War Memorial Park that gives it such a lively atmosphere.

For years the festival was free, and though a charge has more recently been introduced, the accessible nature of the festival has always attracted whole families, and large groups of friends.

And it is this mix of people all joined together to enjoy a fun weekend what makes it so much fun.

Food for thought: Though lockdown closed bars and restaurants, many were able to continue trading by offering delivery and takeaway services, and many are now open again.

But, as good as this has been, it just isn’t the same as wandering around the park, and having the choice of all of the different food and drink vendors.

Godiva truly has something for everyone and - particularly the years when the weather plays ball, enjoying a cool pint while enjoying the music is simply unbeatable.

Big name acts: Compared to many UK festivals, Godiva isn’t exactly a big budget affair.

But what it does mean, is that the big acts who top the bill each each tend to catch the eye. And credit where due to the organisers, they tend to deliver.

Over the years we have seen big names such as Biffy Clyro, Kasabian, and Scouting for Girls wow crowds with their performances. Some of the names aren’t necessarily widely known at the time of their Godiva performance either - before going on to big things years later.

As a result, it is a great place to see the stars of the future - and one day, you’ll get to tell everyone that you saw them before they were famous.

Local talent on display: Of course, Godiva is about more than just securing big name acts - as it gives artists from across Coventry and Warwickshire a real platform.

Local rockers The Enemy were no strangers to Godiva’s main stage over the years, and The Selecter are a real treat every time that they appear - though they are by no means the only ones.

In the last couple of years, the Godiva Calling competition was launched, giving local acts the chance to compete, with slots at Godiva up for grabs.

As a result, we’ve seen the likes of Reece Bahia and Harry Holles representing the city on the big stage - and it wouldn’t be a surprise if we heard those names a lot more over the years

Nostalgia acts: As great as it is to see the stars of the future, nostalgia is a real big hit too.

Glastonbury started the Sunday trend of introducing a legends slot, and while Godiva hasn’t exactly followed suit, plenty of throwbacks have featured prominently on the bill.

Just last year, Busted were on hand to remind us of our younger days - wowing the crowd in their headline spot.

And further back, we’ve seen Fun Lovin’ Criminals, Go West, and other acts who may have fallen under the radar a little bit, but, come Godiva, they remind us of what made them so good.

So while losing Godiva Festival this year is a real blow, we at least have something to look forward to next year. Here’s to 2021.