Information & Frequently Asked Questions
Our main venues, campsite and free car park are based at the West Midlands Showground in Shrewsbury.
Festival Office
Office opening hours before the festival weekend are 9am-5pm Monday-Friday. Tel number 01743 892 800.
Onsite ticket/information office opening hours during the festival weekend are; Friday 10am-10pm, Saturday 10am-9pm, Sunday 10am-9pm & Monday 10am-5pm.
Tickets and wristbands
Tickets will be posted to everyone no matter which way you book (no more email etickets to print at home but you will still receive a confirmation email – this is pretty much instant!). Email confirmations will not be exchanged for tickets.
Tickets will be delivered by secure courier or Royal Mail Special Delivery which may require a signature to ensure they arrive safely to the correct person.
If lost there will be no ticket replacement. Please keep your tickets safe and bring them with you when you come to the festival because you will need to exchange the entire ticket (both parts intact) for your wristbands when you arrive. Wristbands cannot be issued without physical tickets.
Wristbands cannot be replaced if lost and will be fitted on to your wrist at the ticket office when you arrive. Wristbands are not transferable and must be displayed at all times.
Anyone found in possession of a cut/defaced wristband will be asked to leave the festival site. Thank you for your understanding – if you have paid for a ticket we are sure you won’t want other people on site that haven’t!
Tickets give unlimited access to all events subject to individual venue capacity.
We do not sell specific artist/event tickets.
Tickets for customer’s resident outside the UK will be held for collection on site. Please bring your confirmation email with you and we will exchange it for your wristbands.
Friday
Tickets are valid from 5pm-midnight
Saturday & Sunday
Tickets are valid from 10am-midnight
Monday
Tickets are valid from 10am-6.30pm
Full Weekend
Tickets are valid from Friday to Monday inclusive. When individual day tickets sell out weekend tickets are still valid for four days.
Concessionary Tickets (adult full weekend tickets only)
- Full Time Students
- Senior Citizens (60+)
- People claiming Jobseeker's Allowance
- Employment and Support Allowance (Incapacity Benefit and Income Support) paid because of an illness or disability
Please provide proof of entitlement when you collect your tickets, or the full price will be charged.
Customers requiring a carer may also purchase a second full weekend ticket at the concessionary price.
Proof of entitlement will be required when purchasing tickets during the festival weekend. This ticket does not include camping (camping can be purchased at the standard rate).
Child and Youth Tickets and Camping for the under 18s
All under 18s tickets are priced according to age (0-4yrs go free) – please see the ticket price list available here.
Youth (12-17yrs) tickets can only be bought in conjunction with a designated Adult ticket. Youths must be accompanied on arrival to the event by their named responsible Adult. Under no circumstances will Youths be permitted entrance to Shrewsbury Folk Festival without accompaniment. NB - if camping is required the Adult must be booked and camp with or next to the Youth’s camping pitch.
Camping is free for everyone aged 0-17yrs.
ALL UNDER 18s MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY AN ADULT.
Family Ticket
A family ticket is for 2 adults and 2 youths aged 12-17yrs
If you think your age will be questioned please bring personal identification
All prices include VAT. All prices are per person.
How to Book:
Online
Gigantic Tickets Limited will manage our online ticket sales. You can pay using Visa, Visa Debit, Electron, MasterCard, Maestro, Solo, JCB and American Express cards. Tickets will be delivered (£4.95 per order) by courier and may need to be signed for.
Telephone
Tickets can be booked over the telephone (Monday-Friday 9am-5pm) by contacting Gigantic Tickets Limited on 0115 959 7908 or (+44 115 959 7908 from outside the UK). Tickets will be delivered (£4.95 per order) by courier and may need to be signed for.
Post
Send a cheque (name and address on back please - made payable to Shrewsbury Folk Festival) and a completed booking form to Shrewsbury Folk Festival, PO Box 106, Worthen, Shrewsbury, SY5 9XG. SAE not required. All cheques will be given 5 working days to clear. Cheques will be accepted up to and including 10th August 2012. Any postal bookings received after 10th August will be held for collection at the festival. Tickets will be delivered (£5.95 per order) by Royal Mail Special Delivery and will need to be signed for.
Tickets will be posted once a fortnight whichever way you book.
Camping
Camping costs £20 per adult (weekend ticket holders only) and covers four nights - Friday to Monday inclusive. Camping for 0-17yrs is free and does not need to be booked. The campsite is open from 10am Friday to 12 noon Tuesday. Please do not arrive in Shrewsbury before 10am as access to the campsite will not be permitted until it officially opens at 10am. Thursday camping is not permitted. We allow reasonable size tents but do expect you to be considerate and not erect all the berths of a 15 berth tent when there are only two of you! Cars can be parked next to tents, caravans, campervans and motorhomes etc. and can be moved on and off site unless the weather is very wet. Camping pitches are not pre-bookable – just turn up and choose your spot. Camping pitches can be saved for friends. There is no electric hook up available. Camping is not permitted in the car park field. We have designated quiet, late night and family areas. The campsite is suitable for seasoned and novice campers alike and is completely flat with roadways throughout the site. Please note festival stewards will already be onsite when you arrive.
Refunds
Refunds will be given consideration on written request before 1st June 2012 and will be subject to a 50% administration fee. Sorry, NO REFUNDS after 1st June 2012.
All tickets are subject to availability and terms and conditions.
How can I buy a souvenir programme or find out when artists are performing?
Artist’s performance days are listed on the Who is on When page. Times are released in mid August when our souvenir programme will be available. You can pre-order a programme with your tickets, or buy a programme onsite at the ticket office when you arrive. Programmes will NOT be posted until 15th August. If you are away from home after this date i.e. on holiday, please don’t order one. If you live locally, programmes will be available (from the 15th August) at the Visitor Information Centre (Rowley’s House in Barker Street, Shrewsbury).
Artists and Programmed Events
SFF reserves the right to amend or cancel events should circumstances dictate. However, every effort will be made to carry out programmed events as advertised.
Workshops
FF will be running a large number of workshops that cover just about every aspect of the folk tradition. A workshop programme will be posted on the web site later in the year.
What time does the music start and finish?
Friday 24th 5pm-11.30pm, Saturday 25th and Sunday 26th 12noon-11.30pm, Monday 27th 12noon-6.30pm. Workshops start at 10am (not Friday). Sessions start at 12 noon (not Friday). All timings are approximate.
Toilets, Showers and Washing Facilities
There are over 100 permanent toilets and 50 sinks on the showground which is more than ample for our needs. Temporary loo blocks will be situated near the dance tent and marquee 2. Free showers are available again this year and they will remain open 24hrs a day. Please queue patiently and be as quick as you possibly can so as to allow others to use them and not miss any of the shows. Certain times of the day are busier than others. If you choose to take a shower at peak times you will encounter queues and you would be advised to try and take a shower at a quiet time. Although the showers are connected to the main water supply pressure can be unreliable so please be patient. Drinking water taps must not be used for washing up dishes or yourselves. Please fill a suitable container and take it back to your tent or caravan. Chemical loo waste (caravan toilets) must be emptied into the Elsan points. Under no circumstances must you clean your toilets with the drinking water taps and do not empty them into the temporary loo blocks - the chemicals don’t mix!
Access and facilities for people with disabilities
We try our best to make sure the festival is accommodating for people with disabilities. There is wheelchair access at most venues and a limited number of accessible viewing spaces in both concert marquees. There is also a designated camping area (not bookable in advance but big enough to accommodate everyone) situated close to wheelchair accessible flushing toilets and showers. The whole site is totally flat and has tarmac roadways. Battery charging is available for electric scooters and wheelchairs. For further information please call 01743 892 800 or email sandra@shrewsburyfolkfestival.co.uk
Recycling and green issues
During the festival weekend please place your rubbish in the bins or skips. Our waste is recycled by Veolia Environmental Services. All caterers are strongly urged to use biodegradable plastic, paper or wooden serving containers, plates, cups and knives & forks. Beer glasses will be made of reusable hard plastic. All of the bottled water for our artists comes from Two Distribute Ltd.; (run entirely by volunteers) they will be providing One Water. ALL the profits that One Water and Two Distribute make are donated to providing clean water in Africa through the installation of PlayPumps. The water is bottled at source in Powys and their bottles are recyclable.
First Aid/Medical Cover
If you need to have minor medical ailments dealt with at the festival we have a high quality first aid response team on hand to help. The first aid team will be out and about on site or at the first aid building situated right next to gate 2. Alternatively they can be contacted by any steward with a radio. In an emergency never hesitate to dial 999 from a mobile phone telling the operator that you are on the West Mid Showground, Berwick Road, Shrewsbury, SY1 2PF.
Where is the nearest train station?
Shrewsbury railway station is situated in Castle Gates which is only 10/15 mins walk from the festival site. For directions and maps from the station go to our main menu or click here. National Rail enquiries can be contacted on 08457 48 49 50 or go to www.nationalrail.co.uk
By Bus and Coach
The National Express run coaches into Shrewsbury, please call 08705 808080 or go to www.nationalexpress.com
For details of Bus routes and times within the county, please call the Shropshire Traveline on 0870 6082608 or contact a Tourist Information Centre.
Security, Safety & Lost Property
Shrewsbury Folk Festival has a reputation for being a family friendly festival with a pleasant atmosphere in which to enjoy music, song and dance. Our security team are a friendly bunch who adopt a low profile and are here to make sure things stay safe and that our event remains as friendly as ever. To help us, please look after one another and take care of your valuables by keeping them out of site, possibly by locking them in your car. Lost property should be handed into and collected from our ticket office onsite before you leave the festival.
Free Onsite Car Park
Ample free car parking is available for people who are not camping. Camping is not permitted on the car park field.
Bicycles
For those of you who bring bicycles, thank you, it helps keep cars off the road and reduces our carbon footprint. There are no specific areas where you can leave bicycles but one side of the festival perimeter is a chain link fence which bicycles can be chained to.
Festival site address and post code for Sat Navs (do not post anything to this address)
West Midlands Showground, Berwick Road, Shrewsbury, SY1 2PF.
Dogs
Dogs are welcome at the festival but they are NOT allowed in venues unless they are assistance dogs. Dogs must always be kept under strict control and on short leads. Always clean up after your dog and don’t let them ‘go’ near our drinking water taps. Free poop bags are available from the campsite wardens. Owners will be responsible for any damage caused by their dogs. If your dog does not have a friendly temperament please don’t bring it.
Accommodation
Hotel and B & B details are available from this website or from Shrewsbury Visitor Information Centre on 01743 281 200 or email www.visitorinfo@shrewsbury.gov.uk
Catering, Bars and Festival Shop
There will be a great selection of meat, vegetarian and vegan dishes available including Mexican wraps, Paella, Thai dishes, pie & mash, Caribbean jerk chicken, healthy salads, sweet and savoury crepes, homemade ice cream, jacket potatoes, burgers, hotdogs, chips, sandwiches, full English breakfasts, speciality teas, real coffee, juices, smoothies and four real ale bars stocking all your favourite tipples. There should be no need to go hungry or thirsty!
Pomona (festival shop) will be selling newspapers, fruit, veg, eggs, bacon, sausages, bread, cheese, butter, milk, tea, coffee, sugar and other staples that make up the camping cook’s larder.
BBQs and Fires
Off the ground BBQs and braziers are permitted but open fires on the grass are not allowed.
Is there a cash machine?
Unfortunately there are no cash machines onsite. The nearest ones are in town; HSBC and Barclays are two that we know about.
Battery charging
The campsite wardens will charge mobile phone batteries if you supply the appropriate charger. They will also be able to recharge laptops and disability scooter batteries. A small donation to Hope House would be greatly appreciated.
Free Festival Bus
A free shuttle bus service (Saturday and Sunday from 9am to 6pm) runs every 15/20 mins to take you into town and back. If you walk along the Pig Trough it will take about 20/30 mins. A bus timetable will be available at the festival.
Official Photos, Visual & Audio Promotion
Ticket holders consent to inclusion in official photographic, visual and audio promotion of the festival.
Craft Fair
Our Craft Fair offers all manner of things from semi precious silver jewellery, children’s books & games, pottery, hats, bags and shoes etc. Many of the stalls will be offering handmade and unique items. And for those of you with aches and pains we even have a qualified osteopath and masseur with us again this year. And last but not least more music stalls for those special treats.
Venues
Marquee 1
No changes here. We will again be using big screens and keeping the stage height and the seat row spacing the same.
This has worked really well over the last few years and we are sure you will continue to enjoy your time in this venue.
Marquee 2
This venue will be in the same location as last year which gave good protection from sound crossover from Marquee 1. Marquee 2 has a fairly laid back atmosphere and often has some of our more traditional artists performing there.
Dance Marquee
This year the new dance marquee will be supplied by Danco Marquees, it will be the same width as before but five metres longer to give you more seating room. It will also have a cassette floor which should prove to be much better and safer than the previous dance floor.
Sabrina Marquee and the GKN Pavilion
These venues are used for acoustic concerts, folk clubs, singarounds and workshops. The Sabrina marquee will be sited just outside the GKN Pavilion, right in the middle of the action but far enough away from the big marquees to protect it from sound cross over.
Seats
All venues have seats – you do not need to bring your own.
Volunteer Stewards
If you are interested in becoming a steward more information is here
These Terms and Conditions are subject to change at any time without prior notice.
