What are we watching? Oh, it’s the one where Lynsay and Gary go to Friendsfest… cool, but what IS Friendsfest, exactly? I’m so glad you asked! Friendsfest is Comedy Central’s yearly celebration of all things Friends - from set design to one-liners and everything in between.
On Friday evening, Gary and I headed along to Victoria Park (or was it Victoria PERK? At least I make myself laugh, you guys) to get a first-look at the event which, for the first time, has arrived in Glasgow for a 10-day residency. I thought I would share a taster of what we did at the festival and what you can expect if you book tickets…
Friendsfest feels like it was created with fans of the classic 90s show in mind - with interactive experiences, set tours, themed snacks and a huge screen showing scenes from Friends’ 10 year run.
When we arrived, we had a look around all of the tents, trucks and pop-ups that had been set up, before heading over to our first activity: recreating those iconic opening titles, complete with sofa, backdrop & umbrellas! It was a lot of fun and I could have posed on that velvet sofa all night if there weren’t so many other things to see.
After popping into Central Perk (which had Smelly Cat karaoke scheduled for the evening!) for a coffee, our next stop was touring the real-life sets from the show. I can’t stress how excited I was for this part! I loved visiting Warner Brothers studios in LA last year, so this was right up my street. We got up close with the sets and props (top tip: if you go, look in the fridge & freezer!) and the attention to detail was INSANE. Chandler and Joey’s apartment was a lot of fun to snoop around in and when we got to Monica’s place, it was a little surreal to be sitting at her kitchen table! Everybody: OH. MY GAHD.
We hit up the food trucks for a bite to eat later and I tried some of the (One With The) cheesecake while Gary ordered a slice at Joey’s Pizza. Other vendors included hot dogs, Mockolate concoctions, soft serve and a fully stocked bar with Friends-inspired cocktails and mocktails.
The costume tents were calling, which give everyone an opportunity to dress up, be silly and have some fun! You can choose from loads of outfits and backdrops (cue the ugly prom dresses, Vegas wedding and cheerleader montage!), but I only had eyes for that turkey head, sunglasses n’ fez combo. One of my best looks to date, dontcha think?
Our last stop was Pheobe’s taxi because I just can’t resist a classic car. One of the things that I liked most about Friendsfest was the fact that we weren’t interacting with cheap replicas - many of the props and sets had proof of authenticty which made it feel even more special.
We didn’t do every single activity on offer, but I think it’s safe to say we picked our favourites (even though there were no Mike props, ha!).
If you’re a fan of Friends, love classic sitcoms, or just fancy a different kind of festival this summer, I would strongly encourage you to check out Friendsfest. We had a ton of fun exploring the event AND it’s on in Glasgow until 15th July - yay! You can find out more and book tickets here!
Will you be visiting Friendsfest this year? Who’s your favourite character from the show?
We were invited to experience Friendsfest as guests of Comedy Central, but all opinions and awkward turkey head dances are my own.
Oh my gosh this looks INSANE!!!! Sounds like you had so much fun!!
Chantelle x
Chantelle, it was honestly so so much fun! I hope it comes back to Glasgow next year - I’d 100% go again! xx