Thank you deeply from Audio Farm HQ

Audio Farm Festival 2022 was truly epic. Proof that grass roots festivals can still exist, thrive and be a unique experience. Before we start our thank you message, we would like to give you a little insight into the past 10 months of what has been going on behind the scenes here at Audio Farm HQ. Like many festival promoters, the Audio Farm team thought festivals were set for a big comeback in 2022. Expectations were that, with it being the first full restriction-free summer since 2019, events would boom and thrive. Yet industry predictions were incorrect. 2022 saw a reduction of attendance across the whole festival industry, approximately 30-40% less people at nearly every festival. This subsequently caused a record number of festivals being forced to make tough decisions, such as selling their festival souls to large corporations or cancelling/postponing. The drop in attendance at festivals is down to an accumulation of several factors; people opting for a holiday abroad after years stuck at home, an oversaturated market (there were a lot of new events in 2022), rolled over tickets from 2020 and of course the big one; rise of cost of living and fuel.

At one point Audio Farm Festival 2022 was looking at losing over £150,000. We would not survive this. However, due to our incredible team we adapted. After so much hard work, long hours and calling on many favours we cut the expenditure of the festival from £350,000 to £225,000, a remarkable collective effort. Even with these cuts, we still stand to lose £25,000+, but we swallow this up and plans for 2023 and beyond are underway. We’re always thankful for our supporters, but this year in particular we need to give an extra big THANK YOU to all those who made this year possible, seemingly against the odds.

Firstly, we would like to send a massive thank you to all of the pre-festival crew who worked tirelessly over 10 months to make the festival happen, including many 12 hour days and many unpaid hours. An equally big thanks goes to the build and derig crew who built and packed the festival with minimal reused resources and following green ethics. For the first time since 2017 most build crew volunteered their time, absolute legends! Gratitude to the live and sound crew as every year, always so amazing, a super professional and hard working crew, we are blessed. A big round of applause to The Lakeside Garden crew who bring serenity and balance to the festival – the Yin to the Yang of the festival experience. A safe space for children and a place to learn and unwind by the lake. Thank you to all volunteers who helped run the festival for a 16 hour shift for a ticket, big respect. Last but not least thanks to all the performers, artists, drummers, musicians, walkabouts who are for sure a massive part of the Audio Farm beating heart. This year the jamming and fire shows were something else; hypnotic tribalism, wow!

We would love to name each and every person that made it happen in 2022, but you know who you are. Without your dedication and love for Audio Farm Festival it would not exist.

Finally, thank you also to everyone who bought tickets and supported Audio Farm Festival. You are a wonderful, diverse and respectful crowd and your support and participation drives us to continue doing what we do. We are a family that keeps growing and unifying. Audio Farm HQ are so proud of the crowd that attend and how we all understand and respect the ethos and ethics. Without your financial support the festival would not be able to carry on. All this combined, the festival has a bright future ahead. We are a unified organism.

Massive Love and thank you from the heart. What we have created together is truly magical!

2023 ticket news and crowdfunder news will be announced in the next few days.

Thanks again

Audio Farm HQ
Xxx