A couple of examples of well thought out festivals, combining both 'back to basics' for siners & sessioners + concerts with 'Big Names' for the audient type punters:


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Subject: RE: BS: Article to appear on PVFF in EDNFrom:

Les from Hull - PM Date: 10 Aug 02 - 09:37 AM

Kat - adding to my mate BridWid's comments - for people who didn't know PVFF was an object lesson in organising a completely FREE folk festival at the drop of a hat. We got the local people interested, particularly the publicans (20 of them contributing to publicity expeneses) and asked the ones who normally book acts in their pubs over that weekend to book someone 'folky', and gave them a list of suitable acts they could afford. The local town council sponsored a ceildh band, the district council provided camping facilities and sponsored a shanty event. Local dance teams joined in. A local club put on a concert. And there's plenty of singers and musicians hereabouts to swell the sessions and singarounds. Most of our 'punters' were singaround and session people who just want an excuse to sing and play. So everything was free - even the programmes (actually the whole thing was fuelled by not inconsiderable beer sales). So everyone was happy, although we did not have big names to entice the concert goers. A major factor which should not be overlooked was the fact that the regular festival had built up that weekend as the weekend to go to Beverley. So to some extent we had a partly captive audience. We could not have organised this event without Mudcat. Much of the discussion took place here, and it greatly enhanced our publicity. (Thanks again, Max!) I would love to hear of something similar being organised by 'catters elsewhere in the world. Perhaps it already happens. If not - got to it, mudcatters.


Also Bishops Castle (organised by Mrs Lemon et al), where some of the pubs put on 'Stars' & you pay on the door.

The rest of the festival is resourced via a nominal [& fair] contribution for the campsite & it's facilities.

Both splendid ventures- could do with more like these!!