Bearded Theory 2024

[Nobody Interesting]

Who is going to do the clashfinder when the programme leaks cos we will be there Wednesday cos, well why on earth not 🙂

[Spuddhism]

On 2/28/2024 at 7:38 PM, Skelts said:

@Nobody Interesting Barefoot Bandit on Maui Waui ‘Friday night’. 
If you haven’t seen/heard of them, get along and watch them, great energy, ska, brass band. 
 

I second this emotion! Saw them for the first time at Mucky Weekender last year and their version of At The River made my festival. 

[gizmoman]

4 hours ago, Paul ™ said:

EXCITING NEWS, this year Bearded Theory opens on WEDNESDAY!

We're selling a LIMITED number of Wednesday entry tickets to those of you who want to come and pitch up and get going super early! As you know, road access to our site can be tricky, and with a new width restriction on our main bridge access, plus a load of scheduled roadworks, we've decided to spread out arrivals to reduce congestion, and get you all in safely and happily so we can enjoy our LONG weekend of fun together, getting the party off to the best start possible. Plus...

Extra day = extra music! We are delighted to announce that with an extra day of Bearded comes an extra day of music! We've invited back some Bearded Theory favourites including Henge and Pet Needs, as well as a whole afternoon of entertainment to get you settled in. And once the party's started it's gotta keep rolling! As such, we'll have even more artists joining us from midday Thursday. Hold tight for impending news

We're so looking forward to seeing you! Pick up one of our limited Wednesday Tickets for £20 (+bf), or a free Wednesday Ticket for 0-16 year olds here:

 

Quite happy to pay £20 for an extra day but don't like the sound of the access issues, Wednesday will be OK  but getting off site on Monday sounds like it will be hell, seriously considering leaving Sunday night, Monday was bad enough last year.

[Paul ™]

Yup Monday will be a nightmare, not sure what they can do about that, but yeah leaving Sunday would be a good bet.. I would if I was a punter! 

 

[Gnomicide]

Took me hours to get off site last year but I'm not having a sober day just to avoid that. 

[Flaminglippy]

5 hours ago, Paul ™ said:

EXCITING NEWS, this year Bearded Theory opens on WEDNESDAY!

We're selling a LIMITED number of Wednesday entry tickets to those of you who want to come and pitch up and get going super early! As you know, road access to our site can be tricky, and with a new width restriction on our main bridge access, plus a load of scheduled roadworks, we've decided to spread out arrivals to reduce congestion, and get you all in safely and happily so we can enjoy our LONG weekend of fun together, getting the party off to the best start possible. Plus...

Extra day = extra music! We are delighted to announce that with an extra day of Bearded comes an extra day of music! We've invited back some Bearded Theory favourites including Henge and Pet Needs, as well as a whole afternoon of entertainment to get you settled in. And once the party's started it's gotta keep rolling! As such, we'll have even more artists joining us from midday Thursday. Hold tight for impending news

We're so looking forward to seeing you! Pick up one of our limited Wednesday Tickets for £20 (+bf), or a free Wednesday Ticket for 0-16 year olds here:

 

WEDNESDAY TICKETS

This year, Bearded Theory will be opening on WEDNESDAY! We’ve added more artists to the bill, and you’ll be able to come in, pitch up early and party with us for a whole extra day – heaven.

We’re sure you have plenty of questions about our new Wednesday early opening ticket, we’ve anticipated some of them for you here. Have a read through and see if you can find the information you need.

WHO NEEDS A WEDNESDAY TICKET AND WHAT DOES IT COST?

Any person with an Adult Weekend Festival Ticket who wants to gain entry to the festival on Wednesday, will need to purchase a Wednesday Ticket for £20 (+bf).

For anyone under the age of 16 who is attending the event with a 12-16, 8-11, or 0-7 Weekend Ticket, you will need to “purchase” a free entry 0-16 Wednesday Ticket. Any other add-ons, such as vehicle passes, do not require an additional Wednesday Ticket.

WILL I GET A SEPARATE WRISTBAND?

Upon arrival, everyone will have both their Wednesday Ticket and Weekend Festival Ticket scanned and will be given their Weekend Festival Wristband a day early.

WHAT ENTERTAINMENT IS HAPPENING ON WEDNESDAY?

We’ve invited back some Bearded Theory favourites including Henge and Pet Needs, as well as a whole afternoon of entertainment to get you settled in. Check out the full Line-up here.

WILL THERE BE MORE ARTISTS ON THURSDAY NOW WE’LL BE IN EARLIER?

Yes, once the party’s started it’s gotta keep rolling! As such, we thought we ought to kick things back off a bit earlier than usual on the Thursday too, so we’ll have artists performing from midday that day instead of just sticking to our usual evening show. Hold tight for impending news on those additional acts…

I ALWAYS ARRIVE EARLY TO GET MY FAVOURITE PITCH BUT I CAN’T MAKE IT ON WEDNESDAY, CAN I RESERVE A SPACE?

We’ll be filling up all the campsites and live-in vehicle fields on a first come first served basis, to help with the traffic pressures we are anticipating due to the road closures and roadworks, therefore it unfortunately won’t be possible to reserve any spots.

WHY ARE YOU OPENING ON WEDNESDAY?

We want to smooth out arrival times and reduce congestion, getting all of you lot in safely and happily so we can enjoy our LONG weekend of fun together even more. Road access to our site is tricky and the local council have introduced a width restriction on our main bridge access, meaning it is difficult to get the amount of traffic an event like ours generates through in a short arrival window. Add to that loads of roadworks planned in the area all at the same time, and spreading out your arrivals becomes the best way to get the fun off to a good start.

WHY ARE YOU CHARGING?

Putting on an event like ours has significant costs, from paying everyone from artists to toilet crews, plus building the infrastructure to welcome you back home to the fields you love. Having all of that ready, and open, a whole day early incurs some significant extra costs which we need to cover to make this option possible.

DO I NEED TO BUY AN EXTRA WEDNESDAY TICKET FOR MY CAR OR LIVE-IN VEHICLE?

No, just for yourself! The Wednesday Ticket applies only to Weekend Festival Tickets for people.

WHICH CAMPSITE AND CAMPERVAN FIELDS WILL BE OPEN?

All living spaces will be prepared and filled up according to demand and traffic pressures. Check out all our campsite areas here!

IS THE WHOLE SITE OPENING ON WEDNESDAY?

As there are only limited tickets available for our Wednesday early opening, we’re keeping the party nice and intimate over in the Woodland and Convoy Cabaret. You’ll be able to get access to these areas as well as the campsites and live-in vehicle fields.

CAN I JUST COME TO THE WEDNESDAY?

No, Wednesday Tickets will only be valid with a Weekend Festival Ticket. When you arrive on the Wednesday, you will need to produce your Weekend Festival Ticket alongside your Wednesday Ticket in order to gain entry to the festival.

CAN I ARRIVE TO SET UP CAMP THEN LEAVE AGAIN?

To avoid road congestion, after arrival we need to restrict vehicles leaving site until after 7pm. Plus, with Pet Needs and Henge set to play, we’d definitely recommend sticking around for the whole party!

We've just booked the Weds..can't wait. Plan is my other half will drop me off then come back on the night...although the above suggests once you are site you are stuck there until after 7pm...assume will still be a drop off point but will have to check. 

[Nobody Interesting]

35 minutes ago, Flaminglippy said:

We've just booked the Weds..can't wait. Plan is my other half will drop me off then come back on the night...although the above suggests once you are site you are stuck there until after 7pm...assume will still be a drop off point but will have to check. 

They have updated the website so it may have changed - 9am to 9pm entry as they had not put that in but no idea what else they may have added/changed

[gizmoman]

55 minutes ago, Gnomicide said:

Took me hours to get off site last year but I'm not having a sober day just to avoid that. 

My plan is to have a soberish evening and leave early hours, drive a few miles, park up and sleep in the van, go home in the morning. Will have had four full days by Sunday so will probably want to take it easier anyway.

 

[incident]

1 hour ago, gizmoman said:

Quite happy to pay £20 for an extra day but don't like the sound of the access issues, Wednesday will be OK  but getting off site on Monday sounds like it will be hell, seriously considering leaving Sunday night, Monday was bad enough last year.

Yeah, it's going to be a pain. But for me I'm 100% blaming the council for that. The fact that the bridge has been left to decay for years to the extent that it now has severe limits on it for safety reasons is disgraceful. It's not like it's even a surprise, this is something that's been getting worse and worse over the past several years.

I'm wondering if it'll be worth driving a slightly longer route via Tamworth on the way home, and so avoiding the need to cross the river entirely. The problem is that the turning for Tamworth is pretty close to the bridge, so will still likely end up catching most of the same traffic anyway.

Hopefully Bearded can negotiate with the council to make that stretch of road one-way-only for 4 hours or so on Wednesday morning, as that'd make a huge difference.

[gizmoman]

20 minutes ago, incident said:

Yeah, it's going to be a pain. But for me I'm 100% blaming the council for that. The fact that the bridge has been left to decay for years to the extent that it now has severe limits on it for safety reasons is disgraceful. It's not like it's even a surprise, this is something that's been getting worse and worse over the past several years.

I'm wondering if it'll be worth driving a slightly longer route via Tamworth on the way home, and so avoiding the need to cross the river entirely. The problem is that the turning for Tamworth is pretty close to the bridge, so will still likely end up catching most of the same traffic anyway.

Hopefully Bearded can negotiate with the council to make that stretch of road one-way-only for 4 hours or so on Wednesday morning, as that'd make a huge difference.

Seems they fixed the bridge only to find it was still weak and decaying! long term plan is to build a new bridge but they have no funding. ridiculous state of affairs.

https://www.staffordshire.gov.uk/Highways/roadworks/lichfield/Chetwynd-bridge.aspx

Actually drove in from Tamworth last year to try avoid some of the traffic, will do the same this year I think.

[incident]

2 hours ago, gizmoman said:

Seems they fixed the bridge only to find it was still weak and decaying! long term plan is to build a new bridge but they have no funding. ridiculous state of affairs.

https://www.staffordshire.gov.uk/Highways/roadworks/lichfield/Chetwynd-bridge.aspx

Actually drove in from Tamworth last year to try avoid some of the traffic, will do the same this year I think.

It'd be less of an issue if the same council (along with South Derbyshire who also have some jurisdiction) hadn't spent the last 50 years dragging their feet over a permanent replacement for the "temporary" bridge installed at Walton-On-Trent in the 1970s, which would be the other obvious access route for Catton Hall. They're now saying it'll open in 2025 but you won't find many people who believe that date.

[Flaminglippy]

5 hours ago, Nobody Interesting said:

They have updated the website so it may have changed - 9am to 9pm entry as they had not put that in but no idea what else they may have added/changed

Cheers...have emailed for clarification but worst case scenario will just take the babby out of school a day earlier. She loved Pet Needs when we saw them there last year (think it was last year) so she really wants to see them again. 

My back on Monday morning though after 5 days camping...FFS. 

[Flaminglippy]

We have never had any issues leaving on the Monday morning to be fair, normally get up about 7am so back at the car for 8ish. Might suggest an earlier start this year though if people are thinking its gonna be a mare getting out due to traffic issues. Lets hope it remains dry.

Been a sh*t year so can't wait...to be honest not massively excited by the line up by and large but hopefully just means I'll end up seeing lots more stuff I dont know and up loving, which is basically why I love festivals anyway. 

[Paul ™]

8 hours ago, gizmoman said:

Seems they fixed the bridge only to find it was still weak and decaying! long term plan is to build a new bridge but they have no funding. ridiculous state of affairs.

https://www.staffordshire.gov.uk/Highways/roadworks/lichfield/Chetwynd-bridge.aspx

Actually drove in from Tamworth last year to try avoid some of the traffic, will do the same this year I think.

Thanks for link, very useful to show that it's not a money spinner that DHP have came up with!

[Neil]

On 3/4/2024 at 5:40 PM, Flaminglippy said:

not once did I look over my shoulder and think about crowd size. Means nowt really.

correct - the measure that counts is whether the crowd grows or shrinks while a band plays

[Nobody Interesting]

8 hours ago, Flaminglippy said:

Cheers...have emailed for clarification but worst case scenario will just take the babby out of school a day earlier. She loved Pet Needs when we saw them there last year (think it was last year) so she really wants to see them again. 

My back on Monday morning though after 5 days camping...FFS. 

I feel and share your pain

It will be worth it though

[Nobody Interesting]

4 hours ago, Paul ™ said:

Thanks for link, very useful to show that it's not a money spinner that DHP have came up with!

You don't think that will stop the conspiriloons do you?

[Paul ™]

47 minutes ago, Nobody Interesting said:

You don't think that will stop the conspiriloons do you?

Nope, apparently DHP are making millions off a few extra £20 notes... 

[ciderbus]

Can’t say I am thrilled by the extra day being added. 
Anxiety about missing out on camping with mates probably means getting a ticket and trying to get the day off work.

Live near enough to pitch up and go home but a bit weird if you can really only leave between 7 and 9pm.

Love Bearded Theory but Thurs to Mon is still plenty in a tent in May.

Edited March 23 by ciderbus

[Paul ™]

You do realise it's outwith DHP's control yeah?

No one is going to miss out, it's not extra tickets, just a spread of the capacity to alleviate the traffic due to that stupid bridge! 

They would rather you either didn't go on the Wednesday and come as usual on the Thursday or come Wednesday and stay.

Coming twice defeats the purpose of the whole thing!

Edited March 23 by Paul ™

[bucko]

what was once a glastonbury warm up festival has now turned in to a full on dress rehearsal, bloody love this festival.

[Spuddhism]

16 hours ago, ciderbus said:

Can’t say I am thrilled by the extra day being added. 
Anxiety about missing out on camping with mates probably means getting a ticket and trying to get the day off work.

Live near enough to pitch up and go home but a bit weird if you can really only leave between 7 and 9pm.

Love Bearded Theory but Thurs to Mon is still plenty in a tent in May.

Get your mates to take and set up your tent 🙂

Over the moon with the extra day, and Henge on the bill for it too. Good times. 

 

[BlueDaze]

4 hours ago, bucko said:

what was once a glastonbury warm up festival has now turned in to a full on dress rehearsal, bloody love this festival.

Or a Glastonbury replacement if you are ticketless for the second time in 3 years..

the addition of The Meadow stage really added a whole lot of choice last year (most often daytime newer bands.. for me) as well as removing the feeling that you almost ‘had’ to go and see the Pallet headiner…

Glastonbury always seems better when you don’t care for the Pyramid headliners… hopefully BT is heading that way

[czuk]

Just realised about the possible traffic issues getting to and from site.  We're coming from up norf and at first glance jumping off the M6 at J16 then A500 to Stoke, A50 then Burton upon Trent looks favourite.  Can anyone confirm if that's an ok route to avoid the worst of it?

[czuk]

Answering my own question here.  I found https://one.network/ and filtered for next 3 months.  There's a possible road closure with diversions on Walton Road just below Stapenhill scheduled April until September so that will probably cause problems.  I guess we'll have to wait until nearer the time.