EVERY summer, thousands of partygoers flock to festivals for a weekend of fun and music.

But such events are often accompanied by a real frenzy, with people shouting “Alan!” for example.

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What is the ‘Alan’ meme?

The ‘Alan’ meme isn’t actually new and originated 15 years ago.

In 2009, BBC Earth released their adorable show Walk On The Wild Side.

The show aired on BBC One in the early evening and featured footage of wild animals dubbed with a voice-over, making it seem as if the animals themselves were speaking.

It resembled the popular animated series Creature Comforts, but real animals were used.

Each episode of Walk On The Wild Side also featured the voices of celebrity guests.

But the animal that really put this fun BBC show on the map was a marmot, a large ground squirrel.

The show shows him trying to get the attention of another groundhog, repeatedly shouting “Alan, Alan, Alan!”

It is unknown who voiced the lovable creature in the series, but the character was immensely popular.

Fans loved it so much that people started shouting the song to their friends in pubs and on the streets.

Why do people shout ‘Alan’ at festivals?

Festival goers love a fad, so shouting “Alan” is one of them.

It usually happens in the evening, when some people are trying to sleep, while others are still excited about the day’s festival fun.

Party-goers shout from their tents, “Alan, Alan, Alan!” in the hope that this will set others alight.

Then it continues until they get bored or fall asleep, at which point someone else starts it over again.

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But not everyone is equally enthusiastic about this craze and that is why they are expressing their displeasure on forums.

One disgruntled festival worker posted: “I’m currently working at Creamfields trying to get an hour of well deserved sleep and all I can hear is people shouting Alan. What’s all this about?”

Another wrote: “Yes, Alan, Alan, Alan, Alan, – annoying after a few hours!”

This one also said: “Because of this Alan craze I don’t want to go to festivals anymore!”

Can you still watch Walk On The Wild Side?

Walk On The Wild Side was a huge hit for the BBC.

Fans were able to enjoy two seasons of the show, which aired from 2009 to 2010.

The good news is, you can still watch this cute show.

You can stream all 13 episodes now on BBC iPlayer.

Festival supplies

Festival season is upon us. If you’re going camping for the first time, here are the five things you shouldn’t forget.

• Tent
• Sleeping bag
• Roll mat or air mattress
• Camping chair
• Torch