Check Out Photos From Format Festival
Originally published on undertheradarmag.com
It’s likely that if someone mentioned Bentonville, Arkansas your brain would register little to no thought—unless you’ve taken the time to read the labels on your groceries from Walmart or if you happen to live in the general vicinity. Bentonville is widely known as the birthplace of Wally World. It’s considered the mountain biking Mecca by some and has more recently become the home to the Format Festival. It took time for some locals to catch on to the latter, but when they did, they swiftly responded by marking up Airbnb rates well beyond reason and canceling reservations booked well in advance.
Format’s greatest trait is its inability to be type casted. I dare you to pigeonhole a festival where you can visit a sex therapist, get an honest appraisal of your appearance, ride a hot air balloon, and watch an electronic country artist perform in a venue clevery cloaked as a port-a-potty. The ozarks surprisingly lends itself well to a festival centered around art and innovation. An inaugural festival may seem suspect to some (in lieu of some monumental failures), but Format doesn’t disappoint with its novel quirks, experiences and stellar lineup. Check out our photos from the weekend below—featuring Beach House, Phoenix, The Flaming Lips, Robert Glasper and more!