Strangers into friends: the RALLY meet-up
Some reflections on why we started the Meet Up project - and why we’re bringing it back.
If you’re RALLYing alone this weekend, or keen to make some new connections, head below to join our community Meet Up WhatsApp, or fill out our short questionnaire and we’ll do our best to match you with a like-minded crew before the weekend.
See you in the park.
A stone in your shoe.
You're dancing. There’s something inside your shoe. You shake your foot, hoping it'll move. Eventually you slip your shoe off. A small stone falls onto the floor. It's been there a while but you hadn't noticed. You’re caught up in the energy of the day. "Here you go," someone says, returning with your beer. You met a few days ago on WhatsApp. You hardly know each other, but you understand each other. You like the same music. You have common ground.
Maybe that's what it's like to party with someone you've just met.
You arrive as strangers, and somewhere in between the music you forget to notice the distance between you.
No person is an island.
There’s a beauty in doing things alone.
It takes some grit to do a festival solo. But it can be incredible. Without friends in tow, you don't have the same pull or sway. No one is waiting for you, and you're not waiting for anyone else. You move at your own pace. You can step into a set halfway through, wander into a tent you've never heard of, or watch an unknown DJ.
But as the saying goes, no man or woman is an island.
Festivals are also about everything in between the music. The walk from one stage to another. Sitting on the grass and sharing a beer. The pub before. The party afterwards. The conversations shared under the canopy of music. Those in-between moments are what we remember.
A Reddit Thread
Two summers ago we spotted a Reddit post from someone asking if anyone else was going to RALLY alone. Around the same time we stumbled across a Hinge prompt that simply read: Together we could... RALLY RALLY RALLY.
Same feeling. People wanted someone to dance with.
So we built a WhatsApp group and a questionnaire to match people with similar music tastes and interests. Whether that was exploring the arts programme, linking up for a set, or grabbing a Guinness.
One person still messages the two people they met every day. Another said meeting people beforehand gave them the confidence to come in the first place.
The Brave and the Curious
Watching those friendships form has become one of the best parts of the weekend. A reminder that turning strangers into friends can simply take a little curiosity.
Reaching out can be hard. Music makes it easier. For a day or two, festivals become temporary villages where barriers soften and new faces become friends.
And like the stone in your shoe, you forget the hesitation was ever there.
The RALLY meet up is open for those seeking new connections.