Information & FAQs

The 70th Sidmouth Folk Festival begins on Friday 2nd August and runs through until the evening of Friday 9th August. There are Pre-Festival events on Thursday 1st August & Friday 2nd August  The Festival Campsite is open for arrivals from noon on Wednesday 31st August, and closes on Saturday 10th August.

The week ends with a torchlight procession and firework display on Friday 9th August.

The Festival takes places in multiple venues across the Regency seaside town of Sidmouth, East Devon, South West England. Sidmouth on the English Channel and Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site.

BY ROAD: Sidmouth is on the East Devon Coast, 10 miles from junction 30 of the M5 and 9 miles from Honiton. 

BY COACH: National Express Coaches arrive in nearby Exeter and there’s a regular bus service to Sidmouth. 

BY RAIL: There are fast trains from London Waterloo to Honiton, and a regular bus service from Honiton station to Sidmouth (except on Sundays). Trains from the North, the Midlands and London Paddington arrive into Exeter St Davids. Take a bus from the train station to Exeter bus station, and connect with the regular bus service to Sidmouth. Visitors are advised to consult Stagecoach Devon and National Rail Enquiries. 

BY BOAT: Travel to Sidmouth in sustainable style by boat! Stuart Line Cruises will be departing from Exmouth on select dates during the festival and landing in Sidmouth beach, in the heart of the festival. Passengers will be able to spend 3 hours ashore before returning to Exmouth by boat but if you’d prefer to have longer at the festival, just request a one-way ticket. 

Not only is this a more environmentally conscious mode of transport, but you can also discover the UNESCO World Heritage Site Jurassic Coast along the way, with a live commentary from the Skipper on the fascinating history, geology, and wildlife east Devon’s magnificent coastline. Advanced booking is strongly recommended. More information and online booking via their website here. 

BY AIR: Exeter airport is 30 minutes from Sidmouth. Scheduled services for domestic and international flights. 

An institution all of its own! You can pay per journey (cash only!) or buy a day or a week ticket. Festival Buses run regularly to and from the entrance of the campsite, from early morning until after all events are finished for the night.

Available from Friday 2 to Friday 9 August 2024 with reduced services on Wednesday 31 July, Thursday 1 August and Saturday 10 August 2024.

Detailed times, routes and charges will be available in the Festival Programme.

Week Festival Bus passes can be bought in advance online . Week and Day Festival Bus passes can be purchased in person from the Campsite Box Office and the Ham Box Office. Individual single trips also available on the bus, cash only.

Festival Car Park at Bulverton
The Festival car park is situated just above the Bulverton Marquee. It allows direct access to the Marquee and avoids delays of finding parking in the town. Follow the signs from the A3052, down Bulverton Road, past the campsite. Use the one way system (following the ‘diversion’ signs), up Broadway, turn right into Bickwell Lane then left into Higher Greenway Lane. The route is along country lanes, so please drive very carefully, especially when wet.

Exit signs will direct you round the remainder of the one-way system back onto the Bulverton Road just below the campsite. To access the town from the car park, walk past the Bulverton Marquee, down the hill to the bus stop opposite the Campsite entrance.

For non-season ticket holders, parking costs £6 per car per day for arrivals before 5.30pm and £3 per car per day after 5.30pm. The festival car park is NOT suitable for anyone with mobility issues because the walk to the bus stop is uneven and sloping.

Other Car Parks:

The Ham East, The Ham West and Roxburgh short stay car parks (EDDC)
The Ham car parks are on Ham Lane, just off the eastern end of the Esplanade (EX10 8XR). The Roxburgh car park is on Russell Street. Charges are made 8am to 6pm daily. 3 hours maximum stay: No return within 1 hour. 7 Day Tickets/Permits: Ticket/Permit valid for one visit only of up to 3 hours in each day. No return that same day. Annual Parking Permits: Permit valid for one visit only of up to 3 hours in each day. No return that same day.

Manor Road car park (EDDC)
The Manor car park is at the western end of Manor Road, opposite the Westcliff Hotel. Charging Period: 24 hours daily. 24 hours maximum stay: no return within 1 hour. 7 Day Tickets/Permits: 24 hours maximum stay. No return within 1 hour. Annual Parking Permits: 24 hours maximum stay, no return within 1 hour.

Cricket Club (Festival Donor)
The Cricket Club operates a car park during the festival: charges are made for the day and part day.

Rugby Club (Festival Donor)
The Rugby Club operates a car park during festival: charges are made for the day and part day.

Bedford Lawn car park (Festival Donor)
Located next to the Bedford Hotel, on the Esplanade, at the end of the B3176. Pay as you enter.

A word about motor homes … Each year the festival organisers consult with the Council, police, fire service and local residents, to ensure that our arrangements are safe and considerate of the local community, as well as meeting legal requirements. We have become concerned in recent years about the growing number of people sleeping in motor homes on the streets, and camping on verges, during the festival. Apart from the disturbance this can cause to residents, it is illegal and may cause a hazard to traffic and put lives at risk. We would therefore ask visitors to the Festival to ensure that you do not put yourself or others at risk in this way. The police have also asked us to warn you that they will be regularly monitoring the situation once again this year.

Please note motorhomes are only permitted to park in East Devon District Council (EDDC) car parks between 8am to 10pm.

Yes! There’s an online version & interactive Google maps here, plus the map is in the Festival Programme.

We produce a Taster Programme in Spring, a free Children’s Festival Programme & the Full Festival Programme (£7) in July. Details are also available on the website & the programmes can be downloaded once published.

All in One & Week Season ticket holder get a programme with their tickets. You can order more online for collection at the Festival and in person at the Festival Box Office during the festival.

Well behaved dogs on leads are welcome on the Festival Campsite, at The Hub, in Connaught Gardens, the Anchor Garden and in Blackmore Gardens. No dogs are allowed within festival venues* except recognised assistance dogs.  

*Please note festival venues include Peacock Lawn and the Blackmore Gardens Marquee. There are selected areas of Sidmouth’s beach that are dog friendly all year around but do check local signs for the latest information.    

We use a whole host of venues, many of which are undercover, so there’s always something to do!

However, In the event of wet or windy weather some outdoor events, or those in temporary venues,  may be combined, others may be cancelled.

See Information notice boards & online communications for details. If conditions at the campsite or any temporary car parks operated by The Sidmouth Folk Festival become too wet, vehicular access to and from such sites may be restricted for safety reasons.

For many, a fully immersive festival experience starts with the buzz of a festival campsite. Our Official Festival Campsite offers great atmosphere, stunning views across the valley, and a convenient location near The Bulverton. Read more.

Buy Camping Passes here. 

There are two rates – Ticket holder & Non-Ticket holder (NT) rates, and an additional charge for Live in Vehicles.

A large section of our campsite is pedestrian only, with no vehicles allowed. Campers will be able to drop and collect on arrival and departure at the top of the campsite.

Free car parking is available at the Festival Car Park adjacent to the Bulverton Marquee for the days of your Camping Pass.

If you want to park your car on the campsite your car cannot be moved on and off the campsite during your stay.

Should you wish to have the option to use your vehicle during the week, you must park at the Festival Car Park.

Special arrangements may be made for mobility vehicles by prior arrangement, please email access@sidmouthfolkfestival.co.uk.

Please note that some areas of the campsite may not be suitable for people with mobility difficulties. Please contact us to discuss requirements and pre-book space in the more accessible areas.

You can request camping within the Accessibility Area of the Festival Campsite by emailing access@sidmouthfolkfestival.co.uk.

Special arrangements may be made for mobility vehicles by prior arrangement, please email access@sidmouthfolkfestival.co.uk.

Please note that some areas of the campsite may not be suitable for people with
mobility difficulties.

We do provide facilities for charging personal mobility devices.

There is a range of accommodation available in Sidmouth, from hotels and B&B to self-catering cottages. More information.

The festival campsite is arranged on a first come, first served basis. Space cannot be reserved but our on-site volunteers will do their best to accommodate reasonable requests and groups usually find themselves together.

A large section of our campsite is pedestrian only, with no vehicles allowed. Campers will be able to drop and collect on arrival and departure at the top of the campsite.

Free car parking is available at the Festival Car Park adjacent to the Bulverton Marquee for the days of your Camping Pass.

If you want to park your car on the campsite your car cannot be moved on and off the campsite during your stay.

Should you wish to have the option to use your vehicle during the week, you must park at the Festival Car Park.

Special arrangements may be made for mobility vehicles by prior arrangement, please email access@sidmouthfolkfestival.co.uk.

Please note that some areas of the campsite may not be suitable for people with mobility difficulties.

There is a dedicated camping field for live in vehicles. Remember to buy your Live In Vehicle pass here.

There are water points & Elsan Disposal points. We regret there are no electric hook ups available.

Well behaved dogs on leads are welcome on the Festival Campsite. Please pick up after them!

Dogs (other than assistant dogs) are not allowed inside Festival venues but are welcome at The Hub, in Connaught Gardens, the Anchor Garden and in Blackmore Gardens (except the Marquee). The main beach at Sidmouth has restrictions for dogs between 1st May and 30th September but there are selected areas that are dog friendly all year around. Many Sidmouth shops & pubs are dog friendly. Check local signs for the latest information.

Venues Map

An excellent programme of music awaits at our two largest concert venues, The Ham, a seated concert marquee at the seafront, and The Bulverton, a large marquee, home to a lively programme of standing concerts and ceilidhs, located opposite the Festival Campsite.  

Venues Map

Child (0-11) tickets allow entry to all events as for Adult tickets except for The Bulverton Late Night events after 2230. Children 0 to 11 years (and Youths under 16 for Bulverton Late Night Extra events) must be accompanied by a ticket-holding adult at main festival events. Stewards reserve the right to refuse admission to Children and Youths under the requisite ages not accompanied by a ticket-holding adult.

Under 16s must be accompanied by a responsible adult in any licensed bar area. Under 18s must be booked with a responsible adult on the Festival Campsite. 25 & Unders must provide appropriate photographic ID that includes date of birth (eg passport, driving licence) when collecting tickets.

Children’s Festival events held on Peacock Lawn are free to Children (0-11), subject to availability.

Some workshops for over 6’s are progressive and may lead to a final performance. Priority at these events will be given to children who have attended previous sessions. These events are indicated in the Children’s Programme.

Pay on the door Family Tickets for Family Concerts and Ceilidhs are for 2 adults and up to 2 children or 1 adult and up to 3 children.

6 to 11 year olds need to be signed into some Children’s Festival workshops once the venue and stewards are ready to receive them. Children must be collected when the workshop ends.

Adults responsible for young children attending the Children’s Festival should check the Children’s Programme for events where children must be accompanied by an adult.

Seats are not numbered or pre-allocated. The Bulverton is a standing venue with only some limited seating for people with mobility issues.

Queues at some events will be inevitable. There are tight turnarounds between events for artists and our teams. Please be patient and co-operate fully with our volunteer stewards who will let you in as soon as they are able. 

Priority is given to season ticket holders up to 10mins before advertised start time.

We produce a Festival newsletter for the start of the Week which highlights any changes, this is also available online. Once the festival starts, any changes will be notified on the website (news section), socials, and signage at the venues. If relevant, ticket holders may also be notified by email.

Smoking or vaping is not permitted in any Festival venue. Please note that this includes Peacock Lawn.

Dogs are not allowed within festival venues with the exception of recognised assistance dogs. Please note that this includes Peacock Lawn and The Blackmore Gardens Marquee.

Well behaved dogs on leads are welcome on the Festival Campsite, at The Hub, in Connaught Gardens, the Anchor Garden and in Blackmore Gardens.

Buy Online here

Sidmouth Resident Discount tickets can only be purchased in person with relevant identifying documents (proof of address and ID).

Buying In Person / By Phone / By Post
The Sidmouth TIC provides a Festival Box Office until Sunday 28 July 2024 at 1600.

• December-March, Monday-Saturday 1000–1330, Sundays closed.
• April, daily 1000-1600.
• May-September, Monday-Saturday 1000-1700, Sundays & Bank Holidays 1000-1600.

Sidmouth Tourist Information Centre Box Office, Ham Lane, Sidmouth, EX10 8XR. Tel: 01395 577952

Ham Box Office – from Monday 29 July 2024

• 29 July 1200-2000
• 30 July to 8 August 0900-2000
• 9 August 0900-1800

The Ham Box Office is sited near the Swimming Pool and Tourist Information Centre. Tel: 01395 577952

Please see Terms & Conditions for full details.

For detailed lists of what is included with each ticket, please refer to Terms & Conditions. Our handy comparison table may be helpful too! See Buy Tickets.

All Super Early Bird seasons available from 12 December 2023 until sold out. All Camping, Bus and Workshop passes available from 12 December 2023. All Early Bird seasons available when the Super Early Bird tickets have sold out. All Full price seasons available when the Early Bird tickets have sold out. Ham, Bulverton and Manor event tickets available in the spring, please check website for details.

The age categories are determined by the age on 2 August 2024:

Adults (aged 26+)

25 & Under (aged 18-25)

Youths (aged 12-17)

Children (aged 0-11)

These tickets give guaranteed admission to specific events at the Ham, Manor Pavilion and Bulverton venues.

The number of advance tickets available for each event is limited.

All advance event ticket buyers will be issued with an e-ticket for that event which includes a QR code. Having this code either printed or available on your mobile device is essential in order to gain entry at the venue. There are no physical event tickets to collect from any box office.

There are no advance event tickets available for any other venues.

Event tickets are available at the door for most events, subject to capacity (for the Bulverton Late Night Extra please see below). Admission will be from 10 minutes before the event starts, after all Festival ticket and Advance Event ticket holders have been admitted.

Please note that ‘Advance Tickets no longer on sale’ for any specific event means that any tickets not taken up will be available on the door, on sale from about 10 minutes before the event starts.

Bulverton Late Night Extra (LNE) Event Tickets. Entry to the LNE events are included in the Bulverton evening concert ticket for the same night, apart from the last Friday where there is a separate ticket. These are available in advance. Entrance on any other night to the LNE alone is only possible by paying on the door.

All Festival Season ticket holders are admitted to workshops free of charge on the day/s of their tickets except for Bulverton-in-One Seasons (admitted to workshops at the Bulverton only).

Customers without an appropriate Festival Season can buy a Workshop Book online, from the Festival Box Offices or on the door of any workshop.

The Workshop Book is a single ticket with 6 passes on it, the book can be ‘traded in’ at all workshops marked with ‘W’ in the Festival Programme until all the passes are marked off.

You can share the book with another person, one pass marked off per person per workshop.

You can buy more than one book.

Alternatively, customers may pay on the door for individual workshops.

All workshop admission is subject to space being available.

Personal Assistant Ticket
• This is available to a person requiring assistance to attend the festival.
• Tickets can be booked online and in order to qualify you will need to provide the
box office at the festival with one of the following when collecting your tickets:
Front page of DLA / PIP award letter (no specific rate) / Front page of Attendance Allowance letter (no specific rate) / Evidence that registered severely sight impaired (blind) / Recognised Assistance Dog ID card
• All Personal Assistant Tickets are collection only.
• The qualifying documentation must be an original and current as of the dates of the festival.
• All Personal Assistants should be aged 18+ years.
• If special requirements exist, such as positioning of a wheelchair, it is the ticket holder’s responsibility to contact the venue management early to make sure that their requirements are known. Venue stewards will do their best to accommodate all such requests.
• Please address any accessibility enquiries to access@sidmouthfolkfestival.co.uk.

All advance season ticket and campsite pass buyers will be issued with email receipts which include QR codes. Having these codes either printed or available on your mobile device is essential in order to collect your wristband/s or tickets from your selected box office collection point.

When booking advance seasons or camping passes you will be asked to select a box office collection point:

Ham Box Office – for orders that do not include camping passes.

Campsite Box Office – for orders that include camping passes.

If no collection point is selected then bookings that include camping passes will be held for collection at the Campsite Box Office and the others will be held at the Ham Box Office.

All advance event ticket buyers will be issued with an e-ticket for that event which includes a QR code. Having this code either printed or available on your mobile device is essential in order to gain entry at the venue. There are no physical event tickets to collect from any box office.

No. All advance season ticket and campsite pass buyers will be issued with email receipts which include QR codes. Having these codes either printed or available on your mobile device is essential in order to collect your wristband/s or tickets from your selected box office collection point.

When booking advance seasons or camping passes you will be asked to select a box office collection point:

Ham Box Office – for orders that do not include camping passes.

Campsite Box Office – for orders that include camping passes.

If no collection point is selected then bookings that include camping passes will be held for collection at the Campsite Box Office and the others will be held at the Ham Box Office.

All advance event ticket buyers will be issued with an e-ticket for that event which includes a QR code. Having this code either printed or available on your mobile device is essential in order to gain entry at the venue. There are no physical event tickets to collect from any box office.

Absolutely! Day tickets are on sale here, and you can buy campsite tickets for individual nights. Event tickets will also be available in spring.

There are also plenty of free events throughout the day, marked Collection in the Programme.

Discounts available to residents who to live within the Sidmouth Town Council area for Pre-Festivals, Ham Afternoon concerts, Ham Evening concerts, Bulverton evening and Bulverton Late Night Extra events.

Available only in advance at the TIC and the Box Office in person with identifying documents.

Not available on the door.

You’ll need to bring the Confirmation email with QR code sent on receipt of payment in order to collect your ticket, or gain admittance to the venue.

ID is required for Under 25, Youth and Child tickets, Resident or Season ticket discounts, and Personal Assistant tickets.

Contact us at tickets@sidmouthfolkfestival.co.uk for ticket related queries.

Contact us at tickets@sidmouthfolkfestival.co.uk with the details of the purchase and we can resend this to you.

There are no refunds or exchanges on any tickets and lost tickets cannot be replaced. We advise you taking out appropriate cancellation or holiday insurance that covers the cost of your tickets should you unfortunately need to cancel your attendance at the Festival for any reason.  

Both of our box offices take card and cash payments as do the festival merchandise stalls. We do not take cheques.  We are starting to introduce card payment facilities for ’On the Door’ event tickets but we still advise that you bring cash with you as a) the signal for card readers can be limited when town is very busy and b) not all events yet have this facility.

​Most traders and caterers on-site take card payments. Please be aware there are limited cash machines in Sidmouth and they can run out during the Festival week!

We pride ourselves on providing a range of delicious, good-value food at the festival. There’s plenty to choose from at the food stall area at The Ham, In Blackmore Gardens, The Bulverton & The Campsite. 

With well stocked and staffed bars at The Ham, Blackmore Gardens, & Betsy’s at the Bulverton. you are never far from an excellent range of ales and lager, ciders and all manner of wines, spirits and soft drinks. 

The Bars at Blackmore and Bulverton are run by festival volunteers, and will be serving a range of beers from local breweries – Branscombe, Exeter, Hanlons and Powerkeg  – cider from Sandford plus zero and low alcohol beers, spirits, wine and soft drinks

There are plenty of restaurants, takeaways, cafes and pubs in Sidmouth town. Please look out for those displaying Festival Supporter posters!

We have been using re-usable drinking cups at our bars for many years. There’s a nominal charge and they can be re-used at all out Bars. Single-use plastics are not permitted.

We produce a Taster Programme in Spring, a free Children’s Festival Programme & the Full Festival Programme (£7) in July. Details are also available on the website & the programmes can be downloaded once published.

All in One & Week Season ticket holder get a programme with their tickets. You can order more online for collection at the Festival and in person at the Festival Box Office during the festival.

We have some stunning new t-shirt designs to celebrate our 70th Festival which can be pre-ordered online (and collected at the Festival). Featuring both the iconic Sidmouth fiddler, and our seaside hometown’s glorious red cliffs, these t-shirts are an ideal memento for festival goers.
At the Festival we have Merchandise stalls at Blackmore Gardens &  The Ham with a whole host of goodies celebrating this year and vintage merchandise.

If Artists have merchandise available they will sell it after their performance/s.  Some artists with us all week will have merchandise available at our Ham Merchandise stall.

Applications are open!

We’re looking for enthusiastic and friendly people to join the Sidmouth Volunteer Team and support our fabulous festival. You can get involved in a whole range of roles from helping in venues, with processions, on the campsite, collecting donations right through to working in artist liaison, the box offices and admin roles.

Click here to see the range of roles & teams at the Festival

In return for your time you will get:

• a free festival pass (same benefits as a standard season ticket)
• free festival camping
• one free Ham Evening Concert (subject to availability)
• discount on Pre-Festivals and other Ham evening concerts
• discounts at all the festival caterers
• discounted week youth season tickets
• discounted festival bus pass

Discounts and choice of Ham evening tickets are redeemable at the festival, not in advance.

We are always happy to hear of artists wishing to perform at The Sidmouth Folk Festival, or hear your suggestions, although it is true to say that most artists booked are through personal sightings by the artistic team or recommendations by our advisors.

Please send any available music links to artists@sidmouthfolkfestival.co.uk. Please note that we receive many hundreds of such requests and cannot respond to them all

The Festival books traders for the free entry Craft & Music Fayre at Blackmore Gardens. Any other traders, including those on the seafront are organised independently and don’t contribute to the Festival.

We prioritise local businesses. Contact our Craft & Music Fayre Manager.

The Festival organises catering at The Bulverton, Festival Campsite and The Ham. Any other pop up caterers, including those on the seafront, are organised independently and don’t contribute to the Festival.

We prioritise local businesses. Contact our Catering Concessions Booker .

We don’t require any applications from alcohol suppliers, The Anchors Away team & Blackmore/Bulverton Volunteers team supply our bars.

The programme and website contain details of venue accessibility. Our volunteer stewards are always ready to assist with any special needs. Please contact us if you’d like us to be aware of any requirements in advance.

You can request camping within the Accessibility Area of the Festival Campsite by emailing access@sidmouthfolkfestival.co.uk.

Special arrangements may be made for mobility vehicles by prior arrangement, please email access@sidmouthfolkfestival.co.uk.

Please note that some areas of the campsite may not be suitable for people with
mobility difficulties.

We do provide facilities for charging personal mobility devices.

This is available to a person requiring assistance to attend the festival. Tickets can be booked online and in order to qualify you will need to provide the box office at the festival with qualifying documentation when collecting. See Terms & Conditions for further details.

If special requirements exist, such as positioning of a wheelchair, it is the ticket holder’s responsibility to contact the venue management early to make sure that their requirements are known. Venue stewards will do their best to accommodate all such requests.

Please address any accessibility enquiries to access@sidmouthfolkfestival.co.uk.

The Sidmouth Folk Festival is organised by Sidmouth FolkWeek Productions Ltd which is a non-distributing trading company. There are two Voluntary Company Directors.

Freelancers – Alan Bearman Music, TDEM, JR Event Services and Knight Time Music are contracted for their roles in Marketing, Artist, Event Management and General Management respectively.

SFWP Ltd plans to become a Community Interest Company in the next year.

The Sidmouth Folk Festival welcome back JR Event Services to deliver the Festival Event Management after a two year sabbatical.

About Us

Fringe festival events are part of The Sidmouth Folk Festival experience, complementing the main festival but not organised by it so Sidmouth Folk Festival is not responsible for it. Some of the venues where Fringe events take place including Dukes, the Middle and Main Bars of the Anchor Inn, The Swan Inn and The Volunteer Inn are active supporters of the festival. Collections at these venues are an important part of the festival’s income.
“Sidmouth Fringe Sessions” is not part of The Sidmouth Folk Festival.

East Devon District Council control trading on the Esplanade and benefit from the income generated, not the Festival. The Festival negotiated larger dedicated performance spaces in 2016 in order to preserve the atmosphere generated by informal performance and programmed dance displays.

Approximately 70% of the festival’s income comes from ticket income. The balance is made up of trading and catering income, craft and music fair, merchandising, grants, sponsorship, collections, programme adverts etc. Any surplus achieved is invested in the festival. No dividends are paid to the company directors.

For licensing reasons and in consideration of the Market Square shopkeepers, The Sidmouth Folk Festival only programmes the dance events that take place after 5pm each day. The street theatre that takes place during the day is not programmed by the Festival so it does not benefit from any of their collections.

Many of the town shops and businesses support the festival through sponsorship and advertising. These businesses display a Sponsor or Business Supporter poster in their windows and so are easily identified as supporters. They really appreciate your trade. Please do support them as well as Official Festival Traders displaying the Festival Trader poster on our sites such as Blackmore Gardens & The Ham Hub.

Please note that there are many stalls and trading areas that spring up during festival week that have no connection to the festival, and are not our responsibility.

A separate festival charity, Sidmouth FolkWeek Ltd, exists to support the long-term success of the festival through assisting with fundraising, including street collections, a Friends scheme and legacies. See the Support Us section of the website for further details.