Bacardi B-Live Arena

Yes, it was a shallow marketing exercise, but it was a great shallow marketing exercise. Most company’s are happy to throw up a tent and throw freebies at people, but Bacardi really went all out. Two bars, a big dance area, and not-​terrible tunes for the whole weekend. Plus it wasn’t a total rip-​off relative to the rest of the festival. € 6 for a bacardi & mixer was okay, especially considering the strict rules about drink in the main festival area.

Maybe some will think I’m just being weird writing a review on, let’s face it, a marquee but the Bacardi B-​Live Arena that graces Oxegen and The Electric Picnic as well as numerous festivals around the world is nothing short of awe-​inspiring. This marquee is a self contained nightclub equipped with a full sized nightclub, a v-​shaped bar or matching straight bars, depending on the event, a VIP area, a VIP garden, VIP toilets, on site catering for staff a full sized stage including dj setup and a PA that would skin a yeti at 4 metres!
The staff are hand selected in a baord room of Edward Dillon’s Bacardi headquarters in East Point business park from a list of the top cocktail bartenders in Ireland. These dudes aren’t just fast and good but they’re great fun too which gives the B-​Live arena its tinglingly electric atmosphere. Entertainment usually includes top acts like Beardyman and Krafty Kuts with Basil on the conga drums and even the odd guest appearance of Shovell, percussionist with the M People and a really really dead sound bloke!
At EP, the vibe is really cool as it’s not unusual to see full families raving away on the dance floor. The bar prices are reasonable considering it’s cocktails and it’s a festival. They start at € 6.50 and breezers are also available along with bacardi superior rum and bacardi oro served with mixers.
Put it this way, if you get a ticket to one of these festivals, and you DON’T visit the B-​Live arena, there’s something seriously wrong. Mojitos all the way!!!