A HEARTWARMING video shows the moment that two music-loving festival-goers get engaged – before immediately being surrounded in a circle pit of celebration.
Harvey Bainbridge, 25 met partner Erin McGuigan, 26 at Download Festival in Donington Park, Leicestershire last year and knew they had an instant connection.
Despite originally living ten hours apart, the couple sparked up a long-distance relationship and eventually moved in together this year in Harvey’s hometown of Andover, Hampshire.
Two weeks ago, the two returned to the festival they first met – which would play host again to the couple’s biggest moment yet.
Video shows festival-goers dancing in a field next to Download Festival’s cocktail bar as ABBA’s Dancing Queen plays in the background.
Harvey and Erin can be seen in the middle of the throngs of people as the former begins to get down on one knee, whilst Erin clasps her hand to her mouth.
The DJ quickly notices, saying: “I think we’ve got a proposal happening in the middle.”
A cheer erupts from fellow festival-goers, who gather round the couple in a circle as the DJ adds: “We’ve got our first-ever Rocktail Cocktail proposal!”
Harvey presents the ring and pops the question, before Erin answers and bends down to kiss him as the crowd screams in excitement.
The DJ then shouts: “Make some noise for the happy couple!”
As the two stand up to embrace, she adds: “Circle pit around them, let’s f***ing go! Let’s go!”
The crowd then begins what starts as a circle pit and turns into more of a chaotic mosh pit around the newly engaged couple – all to the tune of Dancing Queen.
The video was uploaded to TikTok by Download’s DJ – Hang the DJs – on Friday, where it has attracted over 9,400 likes and more than 90 comments from touched users.
One user wrote: “And this is why this community is so special.”
Another commented: “Not gonna lie, a clockwise pit is pretty rare!”
A third wrote: “Omg what a feeling that circle afterwards must have felt!”
Another said: “And yet people say we’re scary. Love it.”
A fifth replied: “This made me cry, why is this so romantic.”
Speaking today Harvey said: “Download Festival was the place that we first met each other just one year ago.
“Erin – my now fiancée – is from Glasgow and I live down in the south of England in a place called Andover.
“After meeting at Download for a total of around ten hours we had an instant connection and after the festival ended we stayed in contact.
“Erin asked me if I wanted to fly to Madrid with her to go to another festival to watch Metallica so from there our first official date together was meeting at an airport and flying off on holiday together!
“From that holiday onwards it consisted of many long drives, flights, trains from Glasgow to Andover in order to see each other and make it work and now as of recent months Erin is now living with me down in Andover.
“Then Download festival came around for another year and this time around we were going together and as a couple, not only for the great music but for a celebration of where we met .
“Two days into the festival while dancing at Rocktail Cocktail I had a sudden big wave of wanting to propose to her, a feeling that I have never experienced before.
“It was so strong so I told my brother and friends who were with me at the time what my plan was and then told them to tell Erin I am going to the toilet…instead I went to a nearby stall and bought a ring.
“The DJ’s Zavi and Tasmin from Hang the DJs were in on the plan and then there was a circle pit for ABBA’s Dancing Queen where I promptly pulled Erin into the middle with me where she thought I was going to make her dance but instead I dropped to one knee and the rest is history.”
Also speaking today, Erin said: “We met last year for that short period of time at Download originally and we continued talking until our trip to Malaga.
“We had apps where we counted down each day until we saw one another again, honestly it was immediate love for me.
“I thought he was pulling me into the centre of the circle to make me dance some more and I thought everyone would be looking so I ran off but alas even more attention was brought to me while he’s down on one knee declaring his love for me.
“Right before he ran off to get a ring, he asked me ‘So have I got you forever?’ And I said yes and he asked ‘Promise?’
“I couldn’t believe he’d asked me but our relationship is the furthest thing from normal you’ve ever seen so the idea of a proposal doesn’t strike me as shocking.
“I’m just extremely happy he’s asked me and this is now my little life. Download is just blooming mental, it’s a marvellous place.
“Not much has been planned yet and it will take a while as our families live so far apart but I think it will be gothic or elven themed.”
