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Some Quick Thoughts on EMF Camp 2026

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I've performed a talk at the last three EMFs - so this time I decided to go purely as a tourist. It made things much more relaxing. No waking up from a stress dream that my laptop didn't work. No casually dropping my talk into every conversation to build up an audience. No queueing for the loos five minutes before going on. No adrenaline spikes or come downs. It was bliss!

After several volunteer shifts over the years, I also decided to be utterly selfish and do none this year. Again, rather nice being on the customer side of the bar without worrying that I'd cocked up someone's order.

Similarly, I had thought about doing an art "thing" or building something for the badge. In the end all I did was ask my friend Skylar to set up a shortcode so people could ring 26262 (BNANA) for an audio surprise.

To be clear - you should absolutely propose a talk, pitch an installation, and volunteer. It's a great way of experiencing the festival and giving back. But I was exhausted after a 6,379 Km Interrail journey and, frankly, wanted a change of pace.

Everyone has a different EMF. I mostly went to talks and looked at cool art. Some people were focussed on playing all the games. Some gorgeous people were just there to strut about in their amazing costumes. A few people delighted in showing off all their cool toys. It really is about seven festivals in one. I'm still bemused by some of the things - I've no idea what a challenge coin is, I'm hazy about how the various puzzles work, I didn't know about the cool musicians until it was too late.

Still, I came away physically exhausted and mentally refreshed - so a success!

What Worked

  • We took our Walkie Talkies. So much easier to use Push-To-Talk rather than hoping a text was seen. Worked all the way across the field.
  • I took lots of Thermal Images - and people seemed to like them!
  • Handed out a million stickers for OpenBenches - and met several people who'd used and enjoyed the site.
  • I hired an electric van to lug our stuff. It was quick and easy to charge on the way up and back. Much more relaxing to drive than our enormous camper from last time.

What Almost Worked

  • We got an inflatable tent so we didn't have to faff too much putting it up. In the end we needed a bit of help (thanks Lucy and Parker). The tent was an excellent size. The blackout stuff kept us reasonably cool and there was good airflow. But, fuck me, sleeping on an airbed in a tent in a heatwave just isn't my scene!
  • Similarly, dragging our stuff from the car park to our village was a slog. Damien from Hacky Racers gave our kit a lift using his Ghost Rider go-kart which saved my aching back.
  • The queue for the showers was a bit long - our village members sent back regular queue updates. Once I got in, it was pretty decent. Obviously I felt time pressure to clean up quickly, but the water pressure was decent and there was enough space to hang my pants without getting them soaked. Of course, I dropped my t-shirt into a puddle because I'm incompetent!
  • It was hard to meet everyone I said I'd see there. I kept getting distracted - sorry if we were due to chat!

What Didn't Work

Some of these are no-one's fault, just circumstances. Others are just not the way I'd have done things.

  • One of the food stalls served the worst veggie burger I've ever had. No sauce, no veg, no condiments or pickles. Just a bun tasting of sadness. Bleh. Rest of the food was decent for a festival.
  • Given the heat it was unfortunate that the water pressure was so iffy. There was plenty to drink, but it trickled out slowly at times. Other festivals regularly water the paths to prevent so much dust from being kicked up. That might have helped here.
  • I'm terrible at remembering people's names - especially if I only met them once a few years ago, or they're dressed as a Furry. As much as I love the EMF badge, I wish it were smaller, lighter, and mandatory for people to wear it in a prominent position. Ideally their forehead.
  • There's a general lack of signage at EMF. The webmap was useful - but a few wayfinding posts would have helped me and others.
  • It is loud. Some of the music overwhelmed the people who were speaking on stage. I guess it is hard to put soundproofing in a tent 😆

2028?

I'm still on the fence about going next time. Not because of anything the organisers did or didn't do. I just can't stand camping in an actual tent. Small camper vans are frustrating to live out of - even for a long weekend. A big mobile home is a pain in the arse to drive. Perhaps I need a glamping yurt? Or someone to chauffeur me in a tour bus?

In short, wandering in the dark and tripping over guy ropes when I'm desperate for a piss isn't the way I like to spend my time!

I'm also conscious that events like these rely on a steady stream of new blood. Having attended three in person and one remotely, I'm aware that I'm taking up space which could go to someone who would have their mind blown by the delightful madness contained in that field.

Previous years have allowed people to get a guaranteed ticket in exchange for one volunteer shift. This year you needed two shifts. I think that's a great way to diversify the festival and stop it just becoming the same faces over-and-over again.

I know that if I don't go I'll suffer from intense FOMO and will vicariously follow all the social media posts. But I don't know if that will outweigh smelling like a rancid turnip and getting stressed that the queue for the loo will be unbearable.

Let's see what the next two years brings, eh?

Photos

Anyway, here are a few of my favourite photos. Click through to see some more on Mastodon.

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13 thoughts on “Some Quick Thoughts on EMF Camp 2026”

  2. @Edent When me and my +1 went to EMF in 2022 it was the first time we'd ever been to a "hacker camp" / "outdoor technology-centric festival for weird nerds", and we stayed in a holiday rental apartment about 10mins drive away because we really weren't sure what to expect. It was great waking up in an actual bed, not to mention having a proper bathroom and kitchen - no late night Dalek Karaoke though sadturtle

    Strong recommend for anyone thinking "is this my kind of event?" or just not keen on camping - but it is a bit spendy. Part of me wonders whether a pop-up dorm could be an in-between option, like CCC do around Congress - could be as simple as hiring something like a scout hut and having the bus stop there. Then again, EMF is already somewhat complicated as events go, so let's just keep this idea to ourselves...

    Reply | Reply to original comment on martinh.net

  6. @blog @Edent as a pre-teen Cub Scout and teenage scout I thought I was a hard as nails camper. I mean, I once sewed my tent back together in a rainstorm.

    But that heat made it unbearable and not a lot of fun. I spent most of the time slightly dazed from lack of sleep and water, but still had a lot of fun.

    I still should have had the courage to do a talk on weird London planning restrictions. Maybe next time…

    Reply | Reply to original comment on mastodon.online

  9. In 2024, I stayed at the George Hotel in Newent, about eleven miles away from EMF, and commuted. It was decent and inexpensive. I tried a live-in vehicle at EMF this year and... it wasn't the best of both worlds by having both the staying-on-site nature and the "not a tent" nature, it was a source of stress and partly the worst of both worlds, even despite being a very capable van.

    If I EMF again (it's absolutely brilliant, I wholeheartedly recommend it, and I recognise it's also not a great fit for me so maybe I should let someone who is a great fit for it go instead) then I would very seriously consider hotel-ing again. And yet it feels like not being in the spirit of the thing, and so I'm not convinced it's the right option either...

    Reply

  12. @Edent There were name stickers in the Info tent and I wore one for the entire weekend. As someone who suffers from face blindness (I often fail to recognise people even when I know them quite well) I thought these would be very helpful. I didn’t see many others doing the same however. If you ever bump into me and I don’t recognise you, just remind me where you know me from and don’t take it personally that I didn’t recognise you.

    Reply | Reply to original comment on fosstodon.org

  13. @Edent

    > One of the food stalls served the worst veggie burger I've ever had. No sauce, no veg, no condiments or pickles. Just a bun tasting of sadness. Bleh. Rest of the food was decent for a festival.

    The salad and sauces were self service - they had a bunch in the center. Including pickles. I've heard lots of complaints about this though, they could have pointed it out better!

    Reply | Reply to original comment on hachyderm.io

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