Festival Frequently Asked Questions

What are the dates for the 2027 Buddhafield Festival?

14th-18th July

Why is Buddhafield a drug- and alcohol-free festival?

Great question! Find out more about that in this article.

Where is the festival site?

Visit our travel info page here.

What time does the festival start and end?

Gates open at 10am on Wednesday, and you need to leave site by Monday morning.

Can I leave the festival and get back in?

You can always leave the site. However, you can only get back in when the gate is open with your Buddhafield Festival wristband. The gate opens at 10am each morning, and closes at 9pm each night except for Sunday when we close at 6pm.

Camping in a Tent

Please bring your own tent - we do not offer glamping facilities.

Unload your car in the car park

To protect people’s safety and help keep the camping areas calm and usable, we don't allow ticket holders to drive their cars from the car park to the camping areas to unload or pack. So please be aware that you’ll need to carry or push (if you bring a trolley) your belongings from the car park to wherever you choose to camp.

Camping and noise

Please keep your camping area quiet at night. If you’re a light sleeper, please bring earplugs. These are usually available in the welfare tent if you forget them.

Owl Field and Rings Field are both open late. Sound carries on site, so please be mindful of people camping in other fields (see Music and Noise).

If you have a sensitivity to sensory input or noise, we may be able to accommodate you in a small, bookable area which is necessarily further away from the main event areas but which will help with overstimulation. This does not mean it will be completely quiet as we cannot guarantee that anywhere on the site. Please fill out the form here to be notified when bookings open.

Live-ins

What we define as a live-in vehicle
A live-in vehicle is a vehicle you are sleeping in while on site, such as a campervan, motorhome, or van with a built-in bed. If you are not sleeping in the vehicle, we will treat it as a car and ask you to park it in the car park, even if you requested a live-in pass. This does not apply to accessibility vehicles. For more details and some important tips, please read our Guide to bringing a live-in vehicle to Buddhafield Festival (Tip 1: bring levelling blocks!)

Live-in vehicle passes and pitch size
Live-in passes provide access to a 6m x 4m pitch for your vehicle and living area. That is usually made up of a 6m x 2m vehicle space plus a 6m x 2m associated camping space for an awning or small tent. We use this layout to fit everyone in fairly and keep fire lanes and access points clear, in line with our festival licence. 

We also have extra wide pitches available and bookable in advance. These are 6m x 6m so you have an extra 2m of associated camping space. They are 2-3mins extra walking time from the main site compared to the standard live in area. We cannot accommodate vehicles over 6m in this area. Note that your associated camping should still be defined as extra sleeping or awning space needed to accommodate family members and children. Your main living and sleeping space should still be your vehicle. 

If your live-in vehicle is longer than 6m, ensure you buy the appropriate pass for it so that we can plan for this. We will usually park longer vehicles in a long-vehicle area or find a workable space where needed. We can’t accept very large motor homes (e.g. Winnebagos), full-size coaches (neither of these will make it through all the gates) or vehicles over 7.5 tons.

Parking stewards help you to your pitch
Please follow the parking stewards’ directions upon arrival and park where you are directed. If you are towing a caravan, you can drive down to unhitch, but the car must go back to the car park afterwards. Vehicles will be parked by a parking steward. If you need help or advice when you arrive, please ask the live-in vehicle marshal.

Please don't bring a live-in vehicle to use only for storage
Please do not bring a live-in vehicle if you are only using it for storage or as a vehicle to camp near. If you buy a live-in pass for a vehicle that is not being slept in, we will ask you to leave the vehicle in the car park and no refund on the pass will be available. A portion of the money raised from live-in and car parking passes goes towards tree planting and environmental projects on Buddhafield land.

Camping Area Facilities

All designated camping areas are serviced by compost toilets, sinks and taps. First Aid is open 24 Hours a day for the duration of the Festival. We have hot shower facilities (and several saunas- passes sold seprately for each) distributed around site. (See the site map in your programme for locations.)

How much are the tickets?

Please see the main event page for ticket prices.

How do I buy tickets?

On the event page through this website by credit/debit card.

Please note that we cannot take payments over the phone.

You will get confirmation of your booking.  You will need to bring this either on a device or as a printout to the event.

Please check your spam folders before contacting us about a lost ticket, as we get a large volume of email and are a small team.

Please ensure you purchase the relevant vehicle pass. If you haven't bought one and you need to, you can still do this separately on the event page. We do sell vehicle passes at the gate, but they cost more and will only be available if we have not sold out. You are strongly advised to book your tickets in advance.

If some of your party are arriving at different times, each person will need a copy of the booking confirmation email.

Can I get a Concession ticket?

Concessions are for students and those some benefits such as child/working tax credits, Universal credit, housing benefit, Disability Living Allowance, etc. State pension and child benefit, by themselves, do not qualify. You will need to validate your ticket at the gate by bringing your proof with you.

We do not sell concession tickets on the gate.

I can’t come for the whole thing. Do you sell weekend or day tickets?

We don't sell weekend or day tickets.

I can't find my email ticket - help!

Your booking confirmation comes from Citizen Ticket.  Please do a search in your spam and other folders before contacting us about a lost ticket, as we get a large volume of email and are a small team. You may also want to check which email address you booked with, and if you have more than one mailbox, check both. If you still can't find anything, please contact them at support@citizenticket.co.uk. 

I can no longer attend the festival. Can I get a refund?

We're sorry you won't be able to make it. If you request a refund up to 2 weeks before the event, we offer an 80% refund of your ticket(s). Please send your booking details to support@citizenticket.co.uk. We do not offer 80% refunds after the cut off date for any reason. 

Refunds are not guaranteed and will be decided on a case-by-case basis. Exceptional circumstances will be considered- please contact support@citizenticket.co.uk with your request. If you want to protect your ticket on booking to get a full refund (minus admin fees), you can select ticket insurance on booking.

The Ticket Office on-site cannot give refunds for any reason.

I can no longer attend the festival. Can I sell my ticket to someone else?

You can transfer the name and details on your ticket via your Citizen Ticket account.

If you are buying a ticket from someone, you are strongly advised to ask the seller to get in touch with Citizen Ticket copying you in and asking them to confirm that the ticket exists. Citizen Ticket will not be able to confirm this to you as a buyer without the seller's permission.

We do get scam ticket sellers on our social media sites and some of these are VERY convincing and look like they have long history on the platform and friends in our groups etc. so it is always best to buy and sell to people you already know.

We cannot be held responsible for any scam ticket sellers or loss due to independent transfers. Please make sure a ticket has been transferred into your name and all other details have been updated before you get to the festival site.

We offer an 80% refunds at our discretion up until 2 weeks before the event. This is usually the simplest and safest route if you can no longer attend rather than negotiating independent resales.

Can I spread the cost of my festival tickets?

This year, we offer the option to pay for your festival booking over three or six months. You will be offered this option at checkout. 

Please note that the instalment plan is unavailable for early bird tickets. However, you can add early bird adult tickets and then select any additional child and vehicle tickets from the process to add to your booking and pay for those in instalments. 

Instalment tickets will be available until March or until sold out, whichever is sooner.

If you do not keep up with the payments after reminders, your booking will automatically be cancelled. You can update your payment details via the 'Payment Plans' section of your Citizen Ticket account.

Are there Cash Machines, ATMs, on site?

No, the closest ATMs are in Taunton or Wellington. There may be some contactless on site but it is notoriously unreliable - it's best to bring plenty of cash with you.

I have a disability: can I still come to the festival?

Yes. There’s some guidance for Disabled ticket holders under Accessibility Information. 

Can I bring a live-in vehicle or caravan?

Yes, unless it’s a very large motor home (e.g. a Winnebago), a full-size coach or over 7.5 tons. You will need to buy a live-in vehicle pass for the appropriate size vehicle.

See the Camping and Live-ins section.

Can I bring my dog?

Please do not bring dogs, cats or other animals. We will ask you to leave with them.

Registered assistance dogs are permitted. Please use this form to apply for your registered assistance dog pass.

Once your registration is successfully processed, you will be sent a link to pay for your whole booking, including any additional adults, children, vehicles etc.

Please note that this ONLY applies to registered assistance dogs. Regretfully, this does not currently legally include emotional support animals, even if they are medically recommended. Whilst we appreciate that there is an accessibility issue here, there is no current standard that dogs are trained and held to in order to be an ESA, and so we cannot have a reasonable assumption that they will be able to navigate the festival environment; therefore, we cannot meet our health and safety obligations and the terms of our license.

Fire at Buddhafield

There are fire safety points throughout the campsite and live in vehicle fields.

Due to the fire regulations for the events, only open fires, braziers, and BBQs approved by Buddhafield are allowed. In tented areas, we prefer that battery or solar charged lighting is used, and any cooking by camping gas is outside the tent, away from any flammable materials. As we experience higher instances of pre-longed dry weather, fire regulations are likely to become even more stringent and can change at short notice. Stewards onsite are kept informed of changes and may approach you about them. 

Parents/caregivers are responsible for their child(ren) around all fires.

There are a small number of prepared communal fire pits onsite with firewood provided a safe distance away. Please don’t strip wood from the hedges or trees.

Can I buy food at the festival?

There are lots of cafes where you can buy food. We also have a grocery store on site for topping up on essentials.

Music at Budddhafield

There will be a range of amplified and acoustic music, programmed and impromptu, in various venues and cafés around the site. We have DJ sessions and a number of dance workshops throughout the day.
The event is neither a retreat nor an all-night party, so we ask you to consider our position on both extremes.

Whilst we are asking participants to be considerate about making noise outside of certain timeframes, within those timeframes there will be amplified music that may not suit your tastes, either in style, volume or times of day.

We expect our amplified music venues to play music up to the higher noise limit of our Licence restrictions at any points during the event between:

9am-11pm on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday & Sunday
9am-12pm, Saturday

If you feel that these times do not suit your preferences, you may wish to reconsider booking tickets or bring ear plugs.

• Be considerate of fellow campers in the camping areas between 23:00 and 07:00.
• No unauthorized sound systems or amplifiers to be brought on site. All amplified music must be kept within our license restrictions (please ask the Head Steward if you are unsure of these) and anyone venue breaking these may be shut down.
• There are late-night cafés and music venues that operate within our license.   If you'd like to stay up all night and chat around a fire please do,  but only around one of our public fire pits. We ask that you are aware that sound travels on the site and people are likely to be sleeping nearby.
• If you feel that these times do not suit your preferences, you may wish to reconsider booking tickets or bring ear plugs.
• We ask people to be considerate about drumming at all times, but especially after dusk. No drumming at all after the end of amplified music (see above) until at least 10am.

I’m a member of the LGBTQIA+ community: will I be welcome?

Absolutely - yes. We have a dedicated queer space and queer camping area at the festival if you wish. You can read more about that here. 

We have some strong queer representation in our core team. We also aim to reflect this as much as possible in our workshops and talks, both through the content and the providers.

Gender diversity is welcome, and we make continuing efforts to ensure that this is clear to people onsite.

Please visit the info point if you would like to find out more ways to connect with other LGBTQIA+ folk on site or if you have any questions.

I’m a member of the BAIPOC community: will I be welcome?

Absolutely - yes. We have a dedicated BAIPOC camping area you can camp in if you wish. You can read more about that here and in the festival programme alongside BAIPOC events in other spaces at Buddhafield.

It's an ongoing journey while we continue to try and increase diversity at our event, whilst not over-promising or engaging in tokenism.  Feedback on this is always welcome via our contact form- we also have an inclusivity rep on site who is available to speak with via our info point or welfare.

Please visit the info point if you would like to find out more ways to connect with other BAIPOC folk on site or if you have any questions.

I’m in recovery: will there be anyone I can turn to for support?

Yes, we have 12-Step and 8-Step sessions throughout the event for people in recovery from any sort of addiction.

Nudity?

There may be more nudity than you are accustomed to. Many people enjoy the freedom to be naked in a safe, mixed environment. If you, or your children, may find this difficult you may wish to reconsider booking tickets. You can find out more about the conversation and policies around nudity at Buddhafield here. 

We want to help everyone to feel comfortable at Buddhafield. That means holding boundaries as well as welcoming freedom. With awareness, sensitivity and kindness, we hope to create a supportive community for everyone so please bear the following in mind: 

• You may be comfortable being fully naked, but please offer consideration to those people that, given our culture, find nudity distracting, challenging or even threatening.
• We reserve the right to ask anyone, at any time to either put on clothes or exit a space or area. 
• Workshop leaders and workshop guardians will let people know if nudity is welcome or likely during sessions. If you are unsure or it’s not clear, then please check with someone before getting undressed. 
• Adult nudity is prohibited in the children’s and teen areas. 
• If someone’s state of nudity is regarded as sexually inappropriate, we will ask them to cover themselves and if this request is not followed, the person will be asked to leave the site.
• If you feel that you are on the receiving end of inappropriate sexual behaviour, please report it to the Info Point, Peacekeepers or Safeguarding Team. 

Washing and Hygiene

Hot showers are available 8am - 1am throughout the Festival. Only eco—friendly soap, shampoo, shower gel, washing up liquid etc to be used on site, please.

We have compost toilets and urinals distributed appropriately around site. Soap and running water is provided and at night each toilet will have lighting. Our compost toilets are dutifully maintained by a team of Toilet Wizards but if one needs attention, please tell someone at Info Point.

Packing for the event

• Think carefully about what to bring to the event. Bringing less means having less to haul out when you arrive, giving you back the time that would take, and adding more space for you in your tent or live-in!
• Bring reusable, washable containers, nappies, cleaning and cooking items. If you have to buy disposable items, particularly nappies, sanitary items, wet wipes, etc., ideally choose those that are compostable. The next best option is biodegradable, the third is eco-friendly. Note that all compostable items are biodegradable, but not all biodegradable products are compostable. Biodegradable products break down into a few natural elements, while compostable products leave behind a single organic material called humus. Eco-friendly items don’t contain chemicals, but they still take 100 years to biodegrade!
• Try to leave as much packaging at home as you can:
• Choose stainless steel / aluminum refillable water bottles over plastic ones.
• Store items in reusable containers that you take home with you.
• Leave unnecessary food packaging and packaging and shrinkwrap from new items you may have bought for the event at home.

On site - Sort it out!

Please be mindful of your actions and pick up after yourself. Bottle caps, apple cores and orange peels, cigarette butts, nut shells, bits of rope, sequins, glitter are all rubbish, however small. We do not have litter pickers on site.  We regard keeping the site tidy at all times during the event is everyone's responsibility.

Landfill items

• Buddhafield has to pay for the disposal of the landfill it collects during the event. This money could be used more constructively on the event.
• Be aware that a lot of what ends up going to landfill after the event is because a recycling bin has been contaminated by having other things put in it which can’t be removed.
• A large amount of the event’s landfill is solely from disposable nappies, please consider more environmentally alternatives.

Take recycling seriously!

• Recycle what you can and help us by putting items in the correct bins. Mixed up recycling has to be sorted out by hand by us before it will be accepted at the recycling depots.  If it is contaminated it has to go to landfill.
• Please only fill the food waste IBCs with compostables or all the contents have to go to landfill.
• At the toilets and urinals put sanitary waste (including nappies) into the plastic bags provided.  If the item goes into the IBCs someone has to fish it out.
• If you have anything that doesn’t correspond to the recycling bins bring it to the recycling tent.
• Use compostable nappy liners, wet wipes and sanitary protection.

Before You Leave to Go Back Home

Check the ground where you were camped / parked for

• missed tent pegs
• any rubbish (even if you don’t think it was yours!)
• tiny bits of metal or glass, etc that could harm animals that use the site when we have left.

and please take everything with you.

Composting

Part of our responsibility to improve the land is to compost all organic waste (mainly left over food and poo) which at the end of the process will be returned to the woodland

The Composting Process

• The organic waste is left in the white, Intermediate Bulk Containers (IBCs) for 2 years
• The IBC’s are rolled every quarter
• After two years heroic volunteers dig out each IBC and transfer the waste to compost bays at the event site for it to rot further.
• When non-degradable rubbish is put into the IBCs at each recycling point or toilet, the contents can’t then be composted. Someone has to fish out all the rubbish which then has to go to landfill, costing Buddhafield money which could have been used more constructively to improve the event. Please help us to return organic waste to nourish the land by disposing of non-compostables in the right places.

Catering

All the cafés on site sell only vegan food.

Self-catering

There will be a grocery shop on site selling extra bits to top up the supplies you bring with you.

Shops, Fly Pitches and Campaign Stalls

There will also be a host of traders, fly pitches and not-for-profit campaign stalls.

Food, Traders and Campaigns

Check back for updated information on fly-pitching later in the year as we are making some changes for 2027. 

Food, Traders and Campaigns

Trader applications will open in the spring here. 

We make a distinction between a trader and a campaign stall. You’re a Trader if you are primarily selling goods of any sort. You’re a Campaign Stall if you’re principally raising awareness of a social, ethical, political or charitable issue.

Anyone selling food is regarded as a Food Trader and is to be booked in as a Food Trader so we can ensure the food is produced and stored to Food Hygiene Standards.

Safeguarding

Buddhafield takes Safeguarding seriously. Whilst we draw our ethical guidance from the Buddhist precepts we also recognise the importance of operating within known social protocols regarding the safety of Children and Vulnerable/At Risk Adults.
At the Buddhafield Festival, we have a small team of safeguarders on duty around the clock. If you wish to discuss any issues relating to Safeguarding then please do email buddhafieldsafeguarding@protonmail.com. 
You can find out more about safeguarding & Buddhafield here.

Drones, Photography, Filming

Ticket holders consent to inclusion in official photographic, visual and audio promotion of the event. We regret that, in most cases, it would be impossible to ask personal permission to reproduce your image.
We ask that all other photographs or filming is done with sensitivity and respect of the people involved and where reasonable with their permission.  

Participants in the event are expected to take photographs / videos and it is not reasonable for the Event Management Team to police such activity.

Any concerns raised about the actions of a person taking photographs or filming during the event should be reported to the a steward or peacekeeper.

Any unmanned aircraft/drone, or radio controls of any size or type, are not allowed into the venue.  If such a device, or controls for such a device, are found, the organisers reserve the right to refuse entry or confiscate the item.

Lost Children

We have a dedicated Lost and Found Children Team (location on the site map in your programme). If you have a child / children with you at the event, please make them aware of the Lost and Found Kids tent as a place where you can meet up if they become separated from you.

You or your child can alert a steward, peacekeeper, member of the Safeguarding Team, the Info Point, Welfare, the Kids Area and any Area Co-ordinator with a two-way radio if you and child have become separated.

What happens to lost property?

During set-up and tat-down there is a Lost Property box in the Crew Servery. During the event, please visit the info point for lost property.

On the afternoon of the last day of the event, all Lost Property is put out for collection at the Info Point.  Any items not claimed before the Info Point closes are kept on site for five days after the event. Then, any items of considerable value are held for a month until claimed. If you want to check for lost property, please contact us.  For each item returned there is an administration fee of £10 charged on top of the cost of postage, and the method of delivery agreed with the claimant prior to returning. Due to the volume of lost property, and lack of storage, any other items left at the end of the event are either donated to a charity shop or if unusable, disposed of in the landfill waste on-site.

More information to be found in the Terms & Conditions if you want to keep learning more about our event...