NO FESTIVAL LEFT BEHIND
No festival is too small so we list them all – and love them all
From huge international events showcasing the planet’s biggest stars to small one-day events in tiny spaces where grass-roots performers play to small but appreciative audiences – we believe every festival deserves to be celebrated and recognised…
And in the year of lockdown we are focusing on bringing all of the live streaming events we can find direct to your screen.
Latest News
Our web-bots trawl social media for all the latest announcements from festivals across the country and further afield… you’ll read it here first.
FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS: Billy Strings – "John Henry" | Fretboard Journal
Never-before-seen footage of bluegrass star Billy Strings performing “John Henry” at the Fretboard Journal magazine. Filmed in 2017 and featuring his sunburst Preston Thompson dreadnought with Brazilian rosewood back and[…]
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REDDIT FESTIVAL NEWS How high can you score on this festival quiz?
How high can you score on this festival quiz? View Reddit by TravelBummer – View Source How high can you score on this festival quiz? from festivals TravelBummer
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A few things we love about festivals…
What makes a great festival? With so many shapes and sizes out there that’s not an easy question to answer – but here’s what we think…
CREATIVE PROGRAMMING
It’s all too easy to just book big names and established acts – but a truluy great festival takes risks and scours the horizon for new and emerging performers who may have the talent to be the next generation of top stars.
VALUE FOR MONEY
We know it’s not cheap to stage a great festival, so ticket prices have to reflect this. But festivals need to get their pricing right and also be aware of how much they are charging for food and drink over the event, and how much of an impact this has on the overall experience.
INTERACTION
Going to a festival shouldn’t be a passive experience – it should be immersive and give you the chance to be a part of the action. Festivals that find ways for their audiences to engage with the performance will always find that more people come back year after year.
CUSTOMER CARE
How clean are your festival toilets and how many water points do you have in your campsite? How well briefed are your stewards and how friendly are your security staff? Is signage clear and is your program easy to read and understand? Get these thimngs right and you’ll win a lot of friends.
CASE STUDY
Beautiful Days – a true festival family
Created by the Levellers, a band who epitomise the free spirited philosophy of festivals in their 90s heyday, Beautiful Days ticks al the boxes…
LINE-UP
every year provides audiences with a fantastically curated and eclectic mix of music, theatre and comedy, with careful thought given to the tastes of the crowd but a willingness to try out new things.
THE PRICE IS RIGHT
Ticket prices are sensibly set, and on site food and drink prices are extremely fair.
LOOS
Clean enough to eat your dinner in – say no more.
STAFF WHO CARE
Many of the stewards and security staff are as much regulars as the fans who come back year after year. They know the festival and they interact with guests in the best way possible.
CASE STUDY
More than just an ego trip… Mik Artistik
Whilst festivals have a duty to get things right, performers also need to think about how they package themselves for a festival crowd – and there is probably no better example of this than Mik Artistik’s Ego Trip.
ORIGINALITY
Mik Artistik’s songs are far from formulaic. With subject matter ranging from plastic garden ornaments to leaves stuck under windscreen wipers his themes are heartfelt and obscure in equal measure…and the crowd loves him for it.
AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT
In the manner of a great stand-up comic, Mik reads his audiences like a book and seaks directly to them at every chance he gets – and in so doing wins new fans with every show.
DEDICATION
At Glastonbury 2019 Mik put in at least 11 performances over the weekend (we lost count at that point) – ensuring that as many people as possible got to see himm at least once…
PASSION
There is a sense of fun at every Mik Artistik gig you ever see – but behind that fun is a serious side… the spirit of a man who is fully committed to his craft and puts every ounce of energy into even the smallest show.
Top traders
Here are a few of our favourite stalls from around the festival circuit
Full trader listingsAlthough festival t-shirts are all well and good, most of the best clothes we’ve ever bought from festivals have been from vintage and charity shops. Oxfam often have some great and stylish bargains – but get in quick.
Oxfam
Vintage clothes
It’s simple and unpretentious, but filling, delicious and great value. The portions served up by the Roaming Rotisserie team always have us coming back for more – like Depeche Mode samg, we just can’t get enough!
Roaming Rotisserie
Chicken
The Really Good Bar Co bring a Real Ale selection to festivals – ranging from a small two-cask stillage on the back bar to racking and refrigeration for up to 100 casks. They source all the beers direct from local breweries.
Really Good Bar Co
Real Ale
Get your festival listed… FREE
Festival acts we love
What makes a great festival performance? For us it’s the ability to catch and hold the attention of a passing crowd…so here are just a few of our favourite acts who have what it takes to make your festival a memorable affair…
Kid Kapichi
Blistering indie rock
Beans on Toast
Contemporary poet
Funke and the Two Tone Baby
A one man band with bells on
Nova Twins
Mesmerising and passionate
Pete Bentham and ther Dinner Ladies
Indescribably delicioius
Greentea Peng
Pure roots funk
Samantics
Multi-talented troubadour
The Bar Steward Sons of Val Doonican
To know them is to love them
Contact us
Drop us a line…