September 7/8, 2024
A tiny and incomparably friendly festival of music, comedy and lovely people set in a magical woodland in deepest Sussex
Important info and FAQs...please read if you've never been before!
Contact: Please email all queries to festivalofjim@gmail.com
The festival site: The festival takes place in a clearing in a private woodland, with camping among the surrounding trees. There are a limited number of parking spaces about 300 metres away via a woodland path, so you'll need to be prepared to carry your stuff along this.
Camping: There is ample space for camping as close to or as far from the stage area as you wish. Fires are not allowed, but there is a big communal camp fire close to the stage area.
Food: We provide a free hot meal for you on Saturday evening, with both vegan and meat options, which you'll need to book when buying your tickets. There is also the option of buying a festival fry-up or breakfast roll for Sunday morning (these need to be booked with your festival ticket). Otherwise, please bring your own food.
Drinks: There will be a bar run by the excellent local craft brewery Only With Love. Tea, coffee, soft drinks and cakes are available in return for donations.
Toilets: There are four composting toilets on site. These are rudimentary: please don't expect toilet luxury! There is water and soap outside them for handwashing.
Water: We have no piped water on site, with a very limited amount brought in for hand-washing only, so you will need to bring all your own drinking water plus hand sanitising gel. We will not hand out any water if asked as it is not suitable for drinking.
Lighting: There is lighting in the stage area and path towards the car park but nowhere else, so it is vital that everyone has a good torch with them as the rest of the woods get very dark at night!
Getting to the woods: The woods are close to Laughton, East Sussex, about 7 miles from Lewes. Ticket holders will be emailed directions to the site and a map closer to the time of the festival. We have very limited parking spaces, so we really encourage lift-sharing and use of public transport. We can try to match you up with drivers who have space in their cars coming from London, Brighton or Lewes. There is a regular bus service from Lewes that stops within 300 metres from the festival entrance. Taxis from Lewes cost about £20; we can also try to match up taxi-sharers.
Start time: The gate opens at 12 on the Saturday, and the first act usually begins 2.30 to 3pm.
Children: The very small size of the festival makes it a safe, calm environment for children, but younger children cannot be left unattended in the children's area or anywhere else, and you leave older children unattended at your and their own risk.
Safety: The woodland directly surrounding the festival site is as any typical woodland, with hazards such as roots on the ground or dead branches falling. Beyond that are unfenced hazards like deep ponds and open workshops, so it is up to parents to monitor their children carefully, and to not wander yourself into these areas. The festival organisers cannot be held responsible for any injury resulting from these natural and man-made hazards. If you have young children who need to go to bed early, you can camp close to the stage area to make it easier checking on them.
Covid: This is an entirely outdoor event, with ample space for the small number of guests who attend (maximum 300 including all staff and performers). We will have ample hand-washing water and alcohol gel (though we ask guests to please bring their own gel, too). No additional measures or requirements are planned as of now, but we will let ticket holders know if the situation changes.
Dogs: Sorry but because of the small festival area and wildlife in the woods, we don't permit dogs (other than guide dogs). Please don't ask to bring yours in.
Need to know more? Read our FAQs below...
Can I get a refund if I can't come any more?
No, tickets are non-refundable whether or not we've sold out.
Can I transfer my ticket to someone else? Yes, but you must let us know by email two weeks before the festival. After that, it's not possible.
What if the festival has to be cancelled by the organisers? You'll receive a full refund, but you will need to be patient as these can take several weeks to be processed by Stripe, the card payment service we use.
I'm a performer who'd like to play at the festival. Who do I contact?
We welcome performers to approach us.....we are very keen to book up-and-coming bands, comedians or children's performers who want to play to a very appreciative audience at a very special festival. Please email festivalofjim@gmail.com with links to your website, soundcloud, etc.
Can I bring a camper van or similar?
We have a limited number of spaces for vehicles over 4 metres in length. You won't be able park your van wherever you like, with lots of space around it. Our parking areas are extremely restricted, and the festival can only work if we squeeze in as many vehicles as possible.
I couldn't book a car space. Can I still bring my car to drop stuff off?
You can do this only if you have arranged with us first (at festivalofjim@gmail.com) and agree to unload your car entirely at the drop-off point then taking the car off-site before taking your stuff up to the festival area. Unbooked cars absolutely cannot be left unattended on site as they will block other vehicles. Anyone doing this will be asked to leave the festival and refused entry to future ones. Sorry to sound harsh, but people doing in this in the past have created real problems for us.
Can I come to the woods before gates open, or stay after the festival has ended?
Generally, no, although we may ask for volunteers to help set up, who would be free to come any time from the Friday. Everyone must leave the site by 2pm on the Sunday.
I want to bring along an extra person in my car, but you've sold out of tickets.
No problem but you/they must email us at festivalofjim@gmail.com no later than one week before the festival, and they'll need to pay in advance.
Any more questions, please email us at festivalofjim@gmail.com