All our timings will be available on our website closer to the event!

Firstly, we are so excited to hear that you are coming as a group, we can’t wait for you to join us!

We do not allocate particular camping pitches – it is first come, first served on the day. Our campsite is very large so groups tend to be able to camp together. We advise you to arrive as early as you can to avoid any disappointment.

If your group contains 100+ people, please email [email protected] for more information regarding reserving a pitch for your group.

To make everyone on-site as safe as possible, our campsite is vehicle free. This includes the accessible campsite, there is however a car park adjacent to the accessible campsite to make it easier for customers to offload their camping equipment.

When you arrive at the Big Church Festival you will be directed into one of our designated car parks for campers. You’ll need to carry your luggage from there to your camping pitch. 

Before finding a place to pitch you’ll need to visit the camping ticket gate to collect your wristbands, pick up a programme and ask any questions. The campsite team will be on hand to direct you and help you to settle in and our campsite shop will stock essentials that you might have forgotten, such as tent pegs or airbeds. 

Please note that arriving later may mean a slightly longer walk to get to the campsite.

Children under the age of 18 can only attend or camp if accompanied by a responsible adult on site who is over the age of 21. We reserve the right to request proof of age at any time whilst onsite.

Firstly, please note that tents are not included in your camping ticket. You will need to bring your own tent and all your equipment with you.

Included in the ticket is use of toilets, hot showers, standpipes for filling up your water containers and multi-tap units for that all-important teeth brushing! There are also many infrastructure costs involved in getting the campsite ready for you all and the price for your camping ticket contributes to this.

All our tickets, whether camping or for the event, are only a contribution towards the real costs of delivering Big Church Festival and do not cover the true cost of putting on the event which runs at a huge loss each year, with much of the costs being met from generous donors who support the vision of Big Church Festival. 

Please note that if you have purchased a Rent-A-Tent or Glamping tent then you do not need a camping ticket in addition to this.

Camping spots are on a first-come first-served basis, we do not allocate particular pitches. We have plenty of space in the campsite but if you have a specific place in mind or if you’re coming with a larger group, we would advise you to arrive early so you can all camp together. There are no restrictions on tent sizes. 

Everyone (adults, children, under 5’s, carers) camping in the Big Church Campsite must have their own camping wristband. Camping tickets can be purchased on our website.

To keep everyone safe, the campsite is a vehicle-free zone.  Caravans and Campervans will be sited in their own field, which is close to the Tearfund Tea Garden. Unfortunately, if you have friends camping in tents, you won’t be able to have your caravan or motorhome next to their tent. However, you’re free to roam the campsite so you can go and visit them!

Yes this is fine as long as everything fits within your space booked.

Anyone who is camping in a tent or bringing a caravan or motorhome (except for those who have booked a Glamping tent or Rent-A-Tent) will need to purchase a camping ticket. Those who are bringing a caravan or motorhome need to also purchase a caravan ticket.

As long as your awning fits within your space booked then this is fine.

Our Rent-a-Tents are all together in one field in order to provide Rent-a-Tent guests with the best possible service. Campers who are bringing their own tents will be in the main campsite. Unfortunately, it isn’t possible to have Rent-a-Tents in the main campsite but the main campsite is only a short distance away.

If it’s a small lightweight trailer tent that can be pulled safely by hand, then you can camp on the main campsite. If it needs motorised support, then your trailer tent will need to be parked in the caravan field. You’ll need to purchase a caravan ticket for the trailer tent.

We do not permit the lighting of any kind of fire at Big Church Festival. This includes disposable BBQ’s, fireworks, smoke canisters, Chinese lanterns and other similar items. Any person in possession of such items may be refused entry or ejected.

You can bring your own safe camping stoves but fire regulations mean that open fires and low level disposable type BBQ’s are not allowed. Waist-high, contained off-the-ground BBQ’s with wind-protecting side panels are permitted.

You can camp for one night or for all three – Friday, Saturday + Sunday! You only need to purchase one camping ticket per person. Each person camping will need a camping ticket, including under 5s and carers. Those who have purchased Rent-a-Tents and Glamping tents do not need to purchase camping tickets.

We don’t allow people to sleep in the back of their cars or vans unless they are modified and certified camper vans. This is all to do with isolating the battery. A campervan can switch between running the engine and the battery. In a van if the engine is run to use the battery to do something simple like charging a phone, there is no ventilation in the back of a van. This can be fatal in some circumstances. If you are found to be sleeping in your car or van you will be asked to leave the site.

Unfortunately, we can’t allow for anyone to make arrangements for companies to bring hired caravans or tents to the site on their behalf.  However, we do have our own Rent-a-Tent and Glamping service which you may want to check out!

Yes! Please feel free to bring a gas canister. Gas canisters can only be used in the campsite. Gas canisters can only be a maximum of 5 litres . Do not heat food or drink inside your tent with a naked flame. Please use a safe place that is wind protected outside of your tent or ideally on a table or a waist high stove with legs.

This includes Glamping and Rent A Tents. 

Anyone using a gas stove must bring their own fire extinguisher. 

All equipment must be checked and undamaged before use on site. Our camping team will be going round doing spot checks on equipment.

Under no circumstances are gas camping stoves allowed into the main arenas.

We currently have electrical hook-ups available for the weekend for CARAVANS/MOTORHOMES/CAMPERVANS ONLY. The cost is £65 per caravan/motorhome/campervan. This gives you power from Friday 26th May at 12 noon – Monday 29th at 12 noon. You will need at least 10m of 16amp cable to reach the nearest power source. A cable like this would be suitable.

Electrical hook-up pitches are limited and will need to purchased through our website in advance when booking your caravan ticket. Please note that you will not be able to add an electrical hook-up to your booking at a later date.

If you have a specific medical need and require an electric hook-up, please email [email protected] with as much information as possible so that we can review your request. Please include relevant documentation such as a doctor’s note. We’ll then let you know whether we’re able to provide this free of charge.

Please note that those requiring electrical hook-ups for medical reasons will need to be coming in a caravan or tent and will need to camp in the Caravan field or accessible campsite as this is the only area where electrical hook-ups will be available.  

Upon arrival, please make one of the campsite team aware by showing your e-ticket that you have been authorised for an electric hook-up for medical reasons so you are then directed to the correct place. 

When requesting power please be aware that the site is powered by generators, it could go off at any point so we can not guarantee it on permanently during the festival. Should a generator power off one of our engineers will be working to get it on again as soon as possible.

The cost for the electrical hook-up does not include a caravan/campervan ticket, you will need to purchase this separately on our website.

Unfortunately, we can’t allow any generators on-site, including battery operated generators. We have facilities for phone charging, and lots of food vendors for all your food needs!

To purchase an electrical hook up please visit our tickets page on our website. You will then need to click on the ‘Next’ button on the event ticket page. Once on the camping tickets page you will need to select your caravan size and electrical hook-up and then proceed to the checkout page. Please note that they must be purchased when booking your caravan, you will not be able to add an electrical hook-up to your booking at a later date.

Electrical hook ups are for caravans/campervans and motorhomes only.

You can access your e-tickets anytime by logging into your Big Church Festival account on our website here. You will then need to go into ‘Recent Orders’.

You’ll need to purchase a camping ticket in addition to your Big Church Festival event ticket. The camping ticket covers the cost of a pitch for camping but you’ll need to arrange your own tent. If you are Glamping or have purchased a Rent-A-Tent you do not need to purchase a camping ticket.

If You wish to transfer Your Ticket(s) to others you may pass your ticket onto others who qualify for the same ticket ie age group.

Please note that wristbands can’t be transferred. E.g. If you have a weekend ticket and can only attend on the Saturday you cannot pass your ticket onto someone else on the Sunday. Everyone will need their own e-ticket.

All Big Church Festival ticket prices have been substantially discounted from the prices that would need to be charged if the event were to break even on ticket sales alone. This has been made possible because of the generous support of donors who are committed to the Big Church Festival vision.

However, there is a physical cost in ticketing the event and the Big Church Festival team has worked hard to see that this is delivered as efficiently as possible. To save costs we have developed our own ticketing platform using a third party developer. This allows us to manage specialised and complex areas of ticket sales and distribution in-house and will ensure you get the best and most cost effective service.

A 10% service charge will be added to all ticket prices, excluding Rent-a-Tent and Glamping tickets. This covers all the costs associated with ticketing the event including admin, card processing fees, development costs, production of wristbands and on-site ticketing costs. We spread these costs across every individual who attends the event so your service charge will be proportionate to the number of people on your booking. Your service charge is non-refundable.

 The ticket price and service charge are shown separately as the face value of the ticket is refundable under certain circumstances, such as where we have to cancel the event due to issues beyond our control.

 The service charge is used to cover the hard costs associated with selling or refunding tickets. These include developer fees and processing fees and which are incurred as soon as the transaction takes place. The service charge is non-refundable under any circumstances and therefore can’t be shown as part of the ticket price.

All Big Church Festival tickets are hugely discounted so unfortunately we’re not able to discount tickets further on an individual basis. We choose to make all our ticket prices as cheap as we are able to and as an event we have to fundraise large amounts of money to cover the losses that the event makes, which in part is due to our discounted prices.

We do appreciate however that for some the cost may still be challenging, but as Big Church Festival is already ‘sponsoring’ a large part of the ticket price we encourage people to find their own way of supporting the cost of the tickets such as by asking their Church Leader for advice and support.

We hope that you can find a way of attending the event. The cheapest way to purchase a ticket is to do so as part of a group of 10+ people or volunteer on the Big Church Team as volunteers can attend for free!

We’re sorry that you’re unable to come to Big Church – we’ll miss you!!

Unfortunately, as stated on our Ticketing Terms & Conditions here, we’re not able to refund or change tickets once purchased. We trust that you will appreciate that it is extremely difficult for us to create one rule for one, and another rule for others, and so for us to maintain our integrity and fairness to all, it is necessary for us to adhere to the Terms and Conditions that all ticket purchasers have agreed to.

Please email [email protected] to talk to one of our team.

We know how hard Group Leaders work to get their groups to Big Church Festival. It’s hard work keeping track of who you’ve invited and what they’ve ordered, chasing people for payments and even the most advanced spreadsheet is tested to the limit. So we got creative and came up with Group Plus. Group Plus is an innovative tool that allows you to manage your Group online. From the initial invite through to payment, the whole process can be managed by Group Plus!

Unfortunately, you are unable to amend your order in Group Plus.

However, you can cancel your order before your group deadline by logging into your Big Church Festival account on our website. You will then need to go into your recent orders and click on ‘Cancel Order’. Please note you must cancel before your group deadline.

You will then need to re-book in your Group the correct tickets.

Group members do not have to all purchase the exact same ticket to benefit from the Group discount. There can be a mixture of different tickets under the same booking. 

Please note: Under 5’s and carers are not accounted for within the Group discount.

We can assign an individual’s order to a group so their order can be seen within the group, however, due to payment already being taken they will be unable to receive the group discount.

Please email [email protected] with your order number and group name if you would like us to assign your order to a group.

As your Group grows, the price of each ticket will automatically drop. You will be sent an email after you have reached each group price break.

You will be sent your e-ticket after your payment has been taken on your Group deadline date.

Please note that the Group Leader can amend the Group deadline date at any point. We recommend leaving your Group open as long as possible in order to get the maximum people in your Group and the cheapest price!

We know there are often people contacting the Group leader after the deadline wanting to still book on, if this is the case they will be able to still book on after the deadline at the price the group closed on e.g. if your group closed on the 100+ rate people will still be able to book at the 100+ rate after the deadline has passed.

If a member of your Group has their card declined when payments are taken on the Group closing date, the Group Leaders card is used to pay for their ticket. This ensures that the Group member still receives their ticket to the event.

We are now giving Group Leader’s the option in the “settings” tab to opt out of this function, if this is something the Group Leader doesn’t want.

If the number of members within a Group does not reach the minimum of 10 (the first Group price discount) then each member of the Group will be charged the full price for their ticket at the time of their booking. This means that Group members will still receive the super early bird, early bird, or saver discount if they booked their tickets within those allotted price breaks.

Group Plus will generate a unique link that you will be able to share from your own email or social media accounts with those you wish to invite to your Group.

This link can be found in the “invites” tab in your Group Plus account.

The people you have invited then click this link to book their tickets and come as part of your discounted Group to Big Church Festival.

By default your group will still allow new bookings after the registration deadline, right up until online sales close at midnight on your deadline date. Any last minute bookings will be charged at the group registration closing rate. If the group leader wishes to not allow late bookers after the group registration deadline they will need to make sure the setting is on in the group settings.

It is very easy to book through Group Plus!

STEP 1: CLICK ON YOUR UNIQUE GROUP LINK

Please click on your unique Group link. This will then take you to your Group’s page with the Group name on the top of the page.

STEP 2: SELECT YOUR EVENT TICKETS

Select the event tickets you would like and proceed to the next page.

STEP 3: SELECT YOUR CAMPING TICKETS

Select what camping/caravan tickets you would like. If you do not need camping tickets please proceed to the next page. 

STEP 4: LOGIN OR CREATE AN ACCOUNT

Please login to your account if you already have one with us or create a new account.

STEP 5: ENTER IN YOUR PAYMENT DETAILS

Please enter in your billing and payment details and accept the terms and conditions before placing your order. 

You will be emailed your e-ticket once the group has closed and payment has been taken. Each group member will need to bring their e-ticket with them to the event, where it will be exchanged for a wristband.

Please note: You will not be able to amend your order after booking your tickets. If you wish to cancel your order please login to your Big Church Festival account. Please note you must cancel before your group deadline.

All timings will be available closer to the event 🙂

You are free to come and go as many times as you like during Big Church Festival. Please make sure that you are wearing your wristbands when you leave the site as we can’t let you back in without them.

Grab yourself a programme when you arrive, turn to the back and you’ll find a copy of Big Church Festival map!

Yes, you can bring a gazebo into the main arena! These should not have sides on them, they must be securely pinned down and the gazebo and the fixings must not obstruct the fire lanes.  No live flames are permitted in the main arena (so no gas stoves or BBQ’s in gazebos). 

Please note you may have to move these if asked to do so by an event safety officer.

We often get asked if you can bring your pets to Big Church Festival, and sadly we have to say no to your furry friends. The only animals allowed are guide dogs and registered assistance dogs who are assisting someone.

To keep everyone safe, glass is not allowed. Please bring your cups and decant any drinks before you come. Thanks!

The full address is Wiston House, Steyning, West Sussex, BN44 3DZ.

Not a happy camper? That’s okay! There are lots of other options for you that are off-site but are nearby. 

If you would like to look for an Airbnb, hotel or B&B here are some towns close by:

• Steyning
• Storrington
• Horsham
• Pulborough
• Shoreham-by-Sea
• West Chiltington
• Worthing
• Littlehampton
• Brighton

For more information regarding where to stay please click here!

We support responsible drinking and professional staff will be on hand all day to support this objective. Over 18’s are welcome to bring some alcohol for their own consumption as long as it’s not in glass bottles.

We provide baby changing facilities which will be clearly signposted and located on our map.

Yes! We’ve got several phone charging facilities across the site!

Nearly all our cafes, concessions and a lot of our traders accept card payments. There will be cash machines on-site if you need to get cash out. A transaction fee will apply.

To report or hand in any lost property just make your way to the Info Point, which is clearly marked on the map. Lost property is logged and held securely until it’s claimed. If it’s not been claimed by 1st July 2022 it’ll be donated to charity. For lost property enquiries after the event, please email [email protected]

When the event finishes (sad moment) there’ll be lots of people leaving at the same time so please allow extra time when planning your journey home. Our amazing Traffic Management team work as quickly as they can to help you leave safely.

The Main Stage will finish around 10:15pm.

Most definitely – we’d love you to! Applications will open in the Autumn so please keep an eye out!

We’d be so pleased if you celebrated your birthday with us at Big Church Festival, however, we get so many requests like this that we can’t say yes to them all. 

However, please feel free to bring banners, picnic rugs, cakes etc to celebrate your birthday!

Your safety is our top priority. We want to make sure everyone is as safe as possible and would ask you to help us by being vigilant. We have a professional team of security specialists managing site access and on-site activities to ensure that everybody has a great day out. Prior to the event, we deliberately brief our security to dress and behave in keeping with the event. So there will be plenty of security on the gates but they may not be massively obvious to festival attendees. We may carry out bag searches and you may be stopped and asked questions on entry. These measures help us to have as safe an event as possible.

At the Big Church Festival, we try to keep things exciting and varied which means that aside from the musical performances, we provide a large number of attractions for adults and children of all ages to get stuck in to. In order to provide this variety, many of the attractions will be free to the public but some of them will incur a small cost. 

If you’re coming with children or vulnerable adults, please ensure that they remain with you at all times. Arrange a meeting point so that if you do become separated you can each make your way to that place. If you have small children, please take a photo of them each day so that if you become separated you’ll be able to give an accurate description of what they’re wearing.

You can pick up blank wristbands from the ticket gate, you can write your phone number on so we can contact you if you are separated from your child or vulnerable adult. 

Remember that mobile signal on-site is unreliable so please don’t assume that you can be reached by phone.

Unfortunately we can’t allow for people to bring bikes to site.

The Main Stage will finish around 10:15pm. 

If you are camping then the campers programme finishes at midnight.

We have a huge range of food vans on-site to cater for the thousands of people. Whatever your tastes, there’s something for you – from hearty breakfasts, to quality coffee and the all-important late night chips!

Many of our caterers cater for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and dairy-free diets and those that do will most certainly advertise it from their van or unit.

A list of all our yummy food vans will be available nearer the event, so don’t forget to pop back to our website and see who we’ve got this year!

Yes we do! A list of traders including vegetarian + vegan traders will be on our website closer to the event.

Yes there will be gluten-free and/or dairy-free options available in our cafes across the site as well as some of our food vendors.

Please have a look at our Getting Here section of our website.

Here we talk you through all the transport options available to you.

There is a nominal £12.50 charge for parking. This is to cover the increasing costs of land rental, reinstatement of the land after bad weather years, the cost of a professional parking team and a contribution towards helping Big Church become more environmentally responsible across the whole site. We would encourage everyone to lift share wherever possible to reduce the impact parking has on the site and our environment.

Yes – we will have a specific drop-off point in the car park. The drop-off point will be clearly signposted when you arrive.

If you are bringing a Caravan or Motorhome to Big Church, your parking is included in the pitch fee so you won’t need to purchase a car parking ticket in addition to this.

Yes there is! More information will be on our accessibility page on our website closer to the event.

If the full price ticket buyer can prove by supplying documentation, that they are gaining support through one of the follow benefits, Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Disability Living Allowance (DLA), Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), Blue Badge or they have relevant medical documentation to support an injury such as a doctor’s note, then they are entitled to book one Personal Assistant ticket along with their own ticket. Personal Assistant tickets need to be booked via the website prior to the event.

How do I purchase a Personal Assistant ticket?  

• Select the amount of tickets needed in your order 
• Once you have entered your payment details you will be charged for your order. You will then have 14 days to email your documents into [email protected] Note: If you do not receive this email, please check your spam folder.
• Once we have received your documents and accepted them, we will issue you with your e-tickets. Note: If we are unable to accept your evidence due to us not receiving any of the documents stated, or if we do not receive your documents within 14 days we may cancel your carer ticket and refund you.
• You will need to bring proof of ID along with your e-ticket to the festival, only then can we issue you and your Personal Assistant with a wristband for the event.

How do I purchase a Personal Assistant ticket on Group Plus?

• Please place the amount of tickets needed in your order through your Group Plus group (please note that you will need to book the carer ticket along with the full price ticket). Once you have booked your tickets no payment will be taken until your group deadline.
• You will then have 14 days to provide us with the documentation. You will need to email the documents into [email protected] Note: If we are unable to accept your evidence due to us not receiving any of the documents stated, or if we do not receive your documents within 14 days we may cancel your carer ticket. PLEASE NOTE: YOU MUST SEND US YOUR DOCUMENTS BEFORE THE GROUP DEADLINE.
• You will need to bring proof of ID along with your e-ticket to the festival, only then can we issue you and your Personal Assistant with a wristband for the event.

No, we will have a priority lane for guests that have accessibility needs and come with a personal assistant to allow them to enter quickly into the event. Only the person with accessible needs and the personal assistant may use the priority lane.

The cost of Glamping includes access to the Glamping area, therefore you do not need to buy a camping ticket as well.  However, please note that the cost of Glamping does not include an event ticket for Big Church Festival which must be bought separately.

The Glamping village is exclusively for those staying in our beautiful Glamping bell tents, but don’t worry, your friends won’t be too far away.

For the comfort of all Glampers each area needs to be free from any additional small tents or gazebos.

The price of a Glamping tent is per tent. Therefore if you purchase a 4 person Glamping tent this will admit 4 people.

All event tickets will need to be purchased separately.

Once applications are open and we have received your application, we will respond to you within 14 days to let you know if your application has been accepted. If you haven’t heard from us after 14 days, then please let us know by emailing [email protected].

After your application has been accepted, you’ll be sent an invoice which will need to be paid within 14 days.  

After your application has been accepted, you’ll be sent an invoice which will need to be paid within 14 days.  

Our aim is to provide the best experience for our guests, exhibitors and advertisers. We may reject applications if we have already received applications from similar trades or ministries. For this reason, we advise you to submit your application as soon as possible.

Most stands/stalls will need insurance cover of at least £5 million. However, if your stand is a table and pop-up only, then we can accept Public Liability Insurance of at least 2 million. If you are unsure please email [email protected]

The Expo and the Tea Garden Market are very different. The Tea Garden Market is only open to businesses that fit the criteria of ‘unique or handmade artwork, craftwork or gifts’. If you’re unsure, feel free to email us at [email protected].

Yes. Advertising is the same in both versions of the programme but you will need to supply us with two different size adverts.

Our advertising opportunities are highly sought after and an essential income stream to support the event so unfortunately we cannot offer a discount on these opportunities.

Yes of course! You can book camping tickets as part of your order or separately at a later date subject to availability. The price of camping tickets do not change. 

To purchase camping tickets without event tickets you will need to go onto our ticketing page and click on ‘Next’ on the event tickets page. You will then be able to select just camping tickets.

The advertising prices that are listed are exclusive of VAT. If you are a charity and you are VAT exempt on advertising, then please give us details when you apply.

If you are 65 or over.

Absolutely! Food will be available to buy on the campsite and our campsite shop, Big Church Little Shop, will be open stocking a range of goodies.

Big Church Little Shop opening times will be available nearer the event.

By adding x2 Adult Tickets and x2 Youth/Child tickets to your basket and the discount will automatically apply to your total.

Once on the event tickets page you will need to click on ‘Next’ and you will then be taken to the camping tickets page where you will need to add what tickets you need and then continue to the checkout.

It’s a massive help for us if you take your recycling home with you. Firstly, there are certain items which you may be able to recycle locally which we’re unable to recycle. Secondly, the less rubbish we have to dispose of helps us to keep our costs down and keep ticket prices at a level of great value. 

Our refuse company does recycle certain items. You’ll see the various bins around the site, please make sure you separate your rubbish into the correct bins.

Yes! We will have places to refill your bottle around site, all of these locations will be on the site map.

We are afraid we cannot pre-allocate pitches, if you wish to camp together you will need to arrive at the same time as we will be parking on a first come first served basis. Please also note you will both need to have the same requirements e.g. both have electricity. We can’t mix up electric and non electric but we will try our best to park you both in close proximity when arriving together.

Any group erecting a ‘community’ or ‘kitchen’ tent (ie another structure other than a tent to be slept in) is permitted to do so as long as this tent is no larger than 6m x 6m in size. This structure must:

1. Be fixed securely to the ground using rope and pegs and weights

2. In the event of high winds they must be collapsed

3. You must comply with any requests from the H&S team, including taking down of the structure of requested to do so.

For structures larger than 6m x 6m please contact [email protected] to discuss.

More information will be available closer to the event 🙂

You will need to purchase a £12.50 car parking pass for any minibuses.

Coaches do not need to purchase a car parking pass.

There are all sorts of roles available. Some require skills and experience and some only require energy and enthusiasm. All Big Church volunteers need a passion for serving, the ability to follow instructions, and the desire to make sure the event runs smoothly. Volunteering for Big Church Festival isn’t just about getting a free pass to the event (although as a volunteer you will get to see a lot of the festival!).  We are looking for people who will be committed to working with us to make the event happen. 

To see what teams we have available for Big Church Festival 2023 please visit our volunteer page on our website.

We would love to have you volunteer with us! You can find the application guidelines via the login page. If you don’t already have a Big Church Festival account on PAAM, please sign-up. 

If you are unable to apply online for any reason, please email Georgia: [email protected]

No, you do not, but you will need to provide your card details.

In the past, we’ve had nearly 80 people per year not turn up to take their place volunteering or canceling at the last minute. This cost us more than £5,000 each year and caused a lot of problems on-site, with other volunteers having to work longer hours to fill in the gaps. Big Church Festival is a charity and doesn’t make a profit so this was a huge loss that we needed to eradicate. We also want to be fair to other volunteers and not have to ask them to cover for people who have let us down.

For the last couple of years, we introduced the card policy and only had very few no-shows each year! This not only made the event run smoother but also meant people could have a really enjoyable experience when volunteering.

So again, this year we’re asking everyone to give their card details in order to secure their place to volunteer. Nothing will be charged to your card unless you either don’t show up for the event, cancel last minute (without good reason such as illness or family bereavement) or choose to not complete your shifts. 

Obviously, we understand that circumstances do change so if you do choose to cancel your place you won’t be charged unless you cancel within a month of the date you are due to serve, at which point you’ll be charged 25% of a gate price adult weekend ticket. If you cancel within two weeks of the date you’re due to serve you will be charged 50% of a gate price adult weekend ticket and if you cancel the week of the event or do not complete all your shifts on-site, then you’ll be charged the gate price of an adult weekend ticket which is £84.

We will warn you before we charge your card and you will NOT be charged anything when you apply to volunteer with us. Card details will be held securely by the card company and can’t be accessed by our team.

If you have any queries, then please contact us by emailing: [email protected]

You will be required to work a total of 15 hours between Friday 26th May – Monday 29th May 2023, including at least one shift on Saturday or Sunday. This year we are introducing new shift patterns, meaning you can choose which days you would like to work over the event prior to your arrival.

It’s really important that once you accept a place to volunteer, you keep the days free that you’ve chosen because we’ll be relying on you to ensure the festival runs smoothly. You will need to be on-site and available the NIGHT BEFORE your shift for a team briefing, i.e. if you have a shift on Friday and Saturday then you must be on site for Thursday evening. Please factor this in when choosing your first shift date. 

We always allocate you to the days you choose on your form. Should your days need to change we would contact you via email prior to changing them.

When applying you are now able to select particular shifts. We will then do our best to allocate you to these particular shifts. However please note that this is first come first served. 

We always allocate you to the days and shifts you choose on your form. If we decide we need you to work another day or shift time then we will send you an email asking if you can change days or shifts. Once your shifts have been allocated, we will display this on your overview page on your Big Church Festival profile. These may show up on your profile as early as January but are subject to change until around 1-2 weeks prior to the event.

Shift patterns vary depending on what you selected in the application. The standard shift lengths are either 10 hours or 5 hours.

You are required to arrive on site the night before your first shift so please make sure you have allowed yourself plenty of time for travel.

There will be compulsory online training in the weeks leading up to the event. You will need to take part before you are allowed on-site.

There will also be a role-specific briefing that you will need to attend each day you are working and a group team meeting for all volunteers which you will need to attend at least once prior to your shifts starting.

After you have completed your form and provided us with two references, we will review your form and contact your referee within the next 5 working days. Once we have heard back from them and everything is ok, we will be able to confirm your place.

Please note that the time frame from application submission to acceptance can vary depending on how quickly your referee gets back to us. We encourage you to reach out to them and give them a gentle nudge should the process be taking longer than expected. 

Positions are confirmed on a first-come, first-serve basis. We will try our best to give you your first choice but please be aware that this may not always be possible. This would also be the case if your chosen Team is full or we feel you’ll be better suited in another role. 

 Generally, we only refuse people on the following basis:

• The applicant doesn’t fulfill the criteria in our Terms and Conditions (you can read these when you apply).
• You have previously not turned up or completed shifts in the past without giving a suitable reason.
• Your referee has agreed that it’s unsuitable for you to serve.
• If you apply too late or do not complete your form.

Unfortunately, you must work a minimum of 15 hours over at least two days of the event. One of these days must be an event day (Saturday or Sunday).

Providing we’re confident that you will be able to cope with working more days, then this is a possibility as we are always in need of extra help! You need to be aware that working at the event is much more tiring than regularly attending the event. This is why if you haven’t worked with us before we may ask you to do a year of volunteering first before we allow you to do more than two days. If you haven’t volunteered before but you have a proven track record in volunteering at events, then we may consider allowing you to serve for more than two days in your first year. Please reach out to us directly if you would like to volunteer more than 15 hours over the weekend by email on [email protected]

You will get a break for lunch or dinner. Actual timings will vary according to your role but your Team Leader will make sure your breaks are scheduled. If you have any concerns please email [email protected] in advance of the Festival.

To avoid confusion, and to cover all shifts, you will be put on one specific team over the weekend. You’ll be able to select which team when you apply. This also helps you to get to know the volunteers better around you, plus your team leader. Giving you a richer opportunity to make friends. However, there are some teams that are only required on Saturday and Sunday. In order to fulfill your Friday or Monday shifts, which enable you to have a full festival day off, you may be asked to join another team for your shorter shift. This will likely be in a stewarding capacity.

Yes, we encourage people to apply to volunteer together. Within your application form, you will both need to specify each other in the box provided. It’s also important you make sure to apply at the same time, for the same team, and select the same days, to be in with the best chance of working together. Why not meet up over coffee and go through the process together? We’ll then do all we can to make it happen for you! This is on a first-come, first-served basis.

You will have access to the event when you are not working. Shifts are either 5 hours or 10 hours giving you the rest of the day surrounding the shifts to enjoy the festival. You also have the option to select whether you’d like one full day off over the event.  Other than daily briefings and volunteer worship sessions, the rest of the time is yours!

You will need to purchase a £12.50 car parking pass for any motorbikes.

Glamping tents can’t be purchased in a Group Plus group.

We would suggest purchasing your event tickets in your Group to benefit from the group discount and then purchase your Glamping tent on a separate order here.

Yes! We completely understand that not everyone is able to work for longer periods of time in one go. Please email [email protected]com and we’ll discuss other shift pattern options with you.

The minimum age limit is 16 years old. If you’re 16 or 17 years old, we will need written permission from your parent, or guardian, before being able to accept your application. Unfortunately, those under 16 are not able to volunteer. However, we have no upper age limit – there is a role for everyone! 

If you hold any of the following you have the right to volunteer in the UK:

• UK, Republic of Ireland, Isle of Man or Channel Islands (Common Travel Area) citizenship

• EU/EEA citizenship with Settled or Pre-Settled Status in the UK

• A valid Working Holiday Visa

If you hold a different visa or immigration status from those listed above you will need to check if you have the right to volunteer in the UK before applying. You will be asked to declare any restrictions or limitations within your application form. 

Unfortunately, we are unable to support volunteer visas, and we are not permitted to write invitation letters to accompany visa applications. For more information regarding visas please visit www.gov.uk. 

On average it takes 4-6 weeks from the time of submission, but it may be slightly longer depending on how quickly your referees complete the reference forms. If it has been longer than 6 weeks since you applied we’d recommend reaching out to your referees, and double checking they have received the reference form. You can email [email protected]com if you need the forms to be re-sent, or you can provide us with the names of different referees.