How to start your own festival
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By Time Out editors
Updated: Fri May 23 2008 -
It seems every Tom, Dick and Harry is putting on a festival this summer – from the people behind the spooky Woolfire to this one, run by 29-year-old Alex Trenchard. Standon Calling started in 2001, and takes place in his mum and dad‘s garden. Here, he tells us how to set one up under your own parents‘ gazebo
Having rich parents helps
‘We started it in the garden,’ says Trenchard, ‘and we’ve gradually moved into the fields surrounding. My parents own some of the land and we work with a farmer who lends us a campsite. Last year we had a secret stage, so people were watching New Young Pony Club in the garden of a seventeenth-century house. I think we’re the only festival with a swimming pool, too.’
A good vibe is essential, maan
‘There haven’t been any trashings of the garden. Part of the reason is that we have an amazingly friendly vibe. We’ve grown [Standon Calling] by word of mouth. Until last year , if you wanted to come you had to be invited by somebody who’d been before, so everybody felt more linked into the vibe.’
Use your friends…
‘The first and second year we just had DJs, generally people I knew. The third year we had the first bands. A couple were mates and one was Do Me Bad Things, who I knew through a friend. We didn’t know how to build the stage properly so the drummer ended up in a hole.’
Feature continuesAdvertisement…and family
‘They see me as a slave driver. You always drive your family harder than you’d drive anyone else, but that’s family.’
Always be on the lookout for talent
‘In 2002 this South African guy turned up and spent the entire party at the barbecue. Subsequently I was walking down Portobello Road and saw a food stall selling Spanish meats and it was run by the same guy. So we got him in. This year, because we’re bigger, we want more variety, so I’ve been speaking to stallholders at Borough Market.’
Step 1: move your parents' furniture outside and invite your mates over Rent-free land is essential
‘If you look at most small events they tend to be on property without rent, or they have an agreement with a farmer that should it get to a certain size they’ll look at somewhere else. It’ll be interesting to see, with grain prices going through the roof, if farmers will keep doing that.’
Shake things up a bit
‘We think the process of putting on a festival is like a theatrical production, by which I mean you don’t see the event as being static. We set-design secret areas, open them up at midnight – there’s always something happening. Music is essential, but I put a lot of thought into getting set designers in, artists in, just to try and make it more three-dimensional.’
Standon Calling
When August 1-3
Where Standon, Hertfordshire
Line-up Super Furry Animals, Dan Lec Sac Vs Scroobius Pip, Mystery Jets, Acid Mothers Temple, Johnny Flynn, Late Of The Pier and more
Tickets £120 parent and child ‘early bird’, then £150; £69 ‘early bird’, then £89; free under-13s
Info www.standon-calling.com
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12 comments
Hi i e-mailed you the other week asking if i could just have a little more info on how to start up, because like i said i have all these amazing ideas and i just want to know the ins and outs of how to start up thanks alot
Richard Balman
Lets just say that i dont have rich parents how and were do i get the funding for setting i have really big ideas and i just want to put pen to paper and follow it all threw, if you could tell that would be brilliant.
thanks
Rich
"If you don't want to then there are others who will. " Good Attitude
The festival organisers already carry a huge risk, (e.g.bad weather, poor ticket sales) and many of them are doing it for love not money. So if you want the business, you need to put the investment up front - regard yourself as a partner in the success of the event, take an interest, get to know the organisers and their skills and capabilities.. If you don't want to then there are others who will.
Re caterers, Rob said "If they don't want to pay cash up front, don't let them anywhere near the site". Given the number of festivals that just don't happen/get cancelled, why should a caterer risk paying, say £1000 up front with no guarantee? This is a virtually uninsurable risk. We are happy to pay a deposit up front, but there is an increasing trend to request full payment up front, which is probably funding the festival. The organiser must be prepared to shoulder some of the risk too. If I wanted to invest in festival organising, I would do it instead of catering. If you have confidence in your festival, then a deposit plus a percentage of the caterer's gross sales will show this, plus give you greater rewards for the success of your festival.
If you know someone who knows someone, that can help. Or go and talk to the bands at another gig - you wouldnt book them without hearing them live would you, so ask the organiser for a backstage pass - organisers all network like mad. Otherwise Myspace is good - and you can sometimes sideline the agents who always want to charge far more than the musicians are happy to play for.
Bands need to know the usual stuff: where, when, how much, etc etc - its fairly obvious really.
My biggest thing is how to get the bands.... how do you approach them and what information do they need in order to get them in your lineup? I have plenty of local bands, but I need a headliner to draw the crowd.
hi Paul, You dont say whether you are a caterer or an organiser. If an organiser, its one of the most tricky and important parts of running a festival - and the revenue you get from caterers is vital. If they dont want to pay cash up front, dont let them anywhere near the site...a lot of them will try you on with promises but let you down on the day, so you need to be very firm. Quality and diversity of food is more important than cash!
Hi. Would love to get some feedback on how to organise a catering pitch at music festivals. all the 'Ins and outs' would be appreciated. Cheers
You dont need £250k to start a festival. Here in Kilsyth three of us got together five years ago to start a festival, - KIC (Kilsyth International Carnival) with £46 we made from busking, we begged a little, borrowed a lot, and put in a few grant applications to the Council and the lottery. Five years on, we are pulling bigger crowds every year with some excellent headline acts like the Peatbog Faeries, and we still only charge £2 for admission by programme!
Thanks you've given me inspiration now!
Thanks for a brilliant festival. I didn't get to see the biggest name acts but thoroughly enjoyed the day. The circus skill workshop was a big hit with the children (aged 6 and 9) and meant we all had a good time.
I live close to Clapham and got to here of the festival from a friend in Liverpool! There was very little local publicity and although it was featured in the local paper the week before it clashed with Jools Holland in Bedford park. I mention this only because the attendance may have been a little disappointing for the organiser.
The number of toilets meant there was no queuing and the Bar arrangments were the slick.
Long may the Rhythm Festival continue!