Review: STARFIELDS 2021

Helen Dorothea Jorgensen, Head Writer

Ever year The St Andrews Fashion Show hosts Starfields, the largest event of Freshers Week. The two-day festival attracts top artists from the music industry to perform for over 2,300 students, and for this year’s event Riton and Jax Jones were invited. Both artists have impressive track records, having released several albums and performing all over the UK. Jax Jones has recently announced his 2022 Tour, with cities and dates found on his website.

When I arrived at the Friday Session at around 7, there wasn’t much of a crowd and my friend and I quickly went to get drinks to take advantage of the empty line. Not even fifteen minutes later, North Haugh Lawn was filled with students ready to enjoy their night. Getting drinks was quite the wait for the rest of the event, but definitely worth it as they were at union prices. Saturday’s Night Session was the highlight of Starfields as it was the last event of Freshers Week. I only arrived ten minutes after the doors opened and the venue was already packed.

Both nights finally kicked off when it was dark and the music amplified. After a year-and-half of missing out on events due to COVID, everyone was having the time of their life. As someone who is not well-rounded on electronic music, I was still able to enjoy the music and dance with my friends, especially when an Abba remix was played!

As for food vendors, FS nailed it. On Friday night, I had the pizza at Stubborn Slice, and it was amazing and well priced, about 4.50 per slice. On Saturday, I had the burger and rosemary fries at Screaming Peacock. The food was once again delicious; I still think about the rosemary fries to this day. I hope both food vendors come back to future FS events!

I wasn’t sure what to wear to Starfields, and was nervous that I would look out of place as glitter and crazy outfits aren’t my style. I decided to wear black jeans and a Pink Floyd crop top. When I arrived I saw that there wasn’t an unspoken dress code, but that everyone wore what they were comfortable with. Some people wore statement outfits, others came in blue jeans and a comfortable sweater. Everyone was just there to have fun! Here are a few outfits that really showcase the diversity in style at Starfields:

As a third year student, I was not only excited to experience my first Starfields but also see how it sets expectations for future events in the post-covid era. For both night sessions, it honestly felt like coming back to St Andrews pre-pandemic. From great music and vibes, inexpensive drinks, and tasty food the bar is set high for the rest of the academic year!