More than a Festival: Mingle in the Dingle ‘25 - Bopping for Hols
It’s safe to say that Mikata has learned a thing or two about festivals over the years. Now in our fifth year of travelling between festival sites, weddings, and private events, we’ve seen it all. All the muddy fields, the starry nights, and the searing sun have made us into festival veterans, so it was only a matter of time before we started our private festival for friends and loved ones. But it’s more than that, it’s a celebration of those whom we hold dear, celebrating the friends we have made and lost along the way. Which, I guess is fair to say, is what makes this event so special to all of us, as life is beautiful, and celebrating it in a meaningful way is fundamentally important.
Mingle in the Dingle is nestled away just outside of Welshpool in the heart of Mid Wales. this magical weekend takes place behind the enchanting grounds of Dingle Nurseries, which just so happens to be owned by one of the festival’s organisers. It’s a location that feels like home, where nature reflects the festival's ideals, working harmoniously to connect and strengthen the Mingle in the Dingle community.
You can’t park there mate…
Making Mingle in the Dingle happen
What makes Mingle so unique is the level of involvement we have in bringing it to life. Unlike other events where we might focus on a single structure or a specific installation, here we’re hands-on with every element of the site.
For this festival, we use our Single Tipi layout with a Canvas Wall extentsion, complete with Dandy Dura matting, Fairy Lights, and a large selection of our Festival decor, that people have come to know and love, including our colourful umbrellas, drapes, and wall hangings. Not only that, we also supplied our own music equipment, including CDJ 2000 Nexus, DJM 900 Nexus mixer, and SM58 Microphone. We also included the “Messy Ferguson” Tractor, our fun take on the Ferguson tractor, which we made for Come Bye Festival. Much like all our other gigs, the tipi serves as a focal point throughout the event, where stories are shared and music is sung and played.
As previously mentioned, there’s more work to be done at the Mingle site, as it’s not just a Tipi build anymore; we have to set up the whole site! Thankfully, we have the kit to make it happen. Whether it be our Stretch tent and abundance of Festival decor to help create a bar area, filled with our Tables and Benches set, or our Festoon lighting illuminating the whole site, creating a tranquil hue at night. however, some amenities do come with the Mingle site, which does help, such as toilets and a boathouse, acting as a second stage during the day.
Community effort, bringing people together
One of the beautiful things that comes out of this festival is the sense of community. As Mingle’s predominant goal is to raise money for charity, everyone in the community comes together and does their bit to help out, whether it be playing music, giving talks, helping with the build of the festival, or providing cooked food. Everyone is looking out for each other in one way or another.
So I might have piqued your interest when I mentioned charity? Well, it’s kind of one of the main purposes of Mingle in the Dingle, so what is it for? The charity is the Hollie Foundation, raising money to help the Mingle community with help pay for therapy for past bereavement, trauma, or any other issues that require professional help. This has helped a lot of people in the last couple of years, and it’s all because of this charity.
What makes Mingle so special?
Whether it be building the festival together, eating together, dancing together, or crying together, Mingle in the Dingle helps bring people together. Having everyone pitch in and help raise money for charity has created an environment that no other festival can replicate, and due to its small size, you enter as strangers but leave as friends. The community it’s built around is a very special thing, and it continues to grow.
Looking onward
Every year, Mingle reminds us why we do what we do. Being able to create spaces where people can feel free, connected, and alive. It’s a celebration of creativity, community, and care. We hope to make it better every year, as Mingle in the Dingle - Bopin’ for Hols, has become an important and meaningful event for us, and will always sit in the forefront of our hearts.
We’re already counting down the days to the next one. Maybe see you there.
If you wish to contribute money to the Hollie Foundation, please don’t hesitate to get in touch either via email or whatsapp.