Workhouse Festival FAQs

Welcome to the Workhouse Festival Info page where we aim to answer as many FAQs as possible.

How much are tickets?

2009 ticket are now on sale at an early bird rate of Adult £63.00 Youth (13-17) £35.00 for the month of April only.

From May onwards tickets will be priced at Adult £69.00 Youth £39.00.

Children aged 12 and under have free entry but only if accompanied by an adult and a child ticket must be allocated when purchasing your adult ticket.

Can I buy day tickets?

It's our policy to sell tickets to people who want the whole festival experience, rather than encouraging visitors just to come and see a couple of big name acts, and not stay for the duration. We want to give you the opportunity to see many of the new, up-and-coming acts as well as the unusual and bizarre that we showcase every year. We believe that visitors coming to the whole event create an amazing festival vibe and generate a real community atmosphere during the weekend.

When will tickets be on sale?

Tickets have been on sale at www.wegottickets.com from 1st April 2009.

Can I bring my dog?

No, please leave all your pets at home. This is a farming area and the festival site is surrounded by sheep.

Where can I find out when people are playing?

We don't publish the timing of the acts before the event to encourage everyone to stay for the whole weekend. On arrival you will be able to obtain a programme to work out what you want to see. The festivities begin at midday on Friday and end at 7pm Sunday.

What day can I arrive?

You can arrive on Thursday for camping, but be warned that early arrivals may get roped in to help out! Please remember that the festival ends at 7pm Sunday due to licensing laws.

How do I buy tickets off line?

You can send a cheque made payable to "Workhouse Festival", the address is: Workhouse Festival, The Workhouse, Llanfyllin, Powys SY22 5LD. Please add a £2 administration charge for each application. You can only buy tickets by mail up until Friday 22nd June 2009. We will have to wait for your cheque to clear before we can mail out your ticket details. Please don't send postal applications after this date. Postal tickets will only be issued if there are tickets remaining for sale through our online facility with www.wegottickets.com

Can I bring my instrument to play anywhere?

Yes! There are opportunities in various venues for people to jam.

Can I bring my djembe or other drum?

Yes, but we request that all drum playing in the campsite ends at midnight for the courtesy of other campers trying to sleep. After this time drumming will be deemed anti-social.

Can I bring my dog?

Still no, sorry.

Can I bring my own drinks?

There will be at least one licenced bar on site, but you are welcome to bring your own. Please note, though, that we have a policy of not allowing glass onto the festival site.

Can I bring glass bottles?

No, we have a no glass policy on site this year and from now on as glass bottles end broken which is no good for bare feet and no good for sheep to eat, so please do not bring glass bottles. Glass bottles will be confiscated on your arrival, so please decant into plastic bottles (they're still recyclable) before you come to get festivalised.

I heard a rumour that you had a "fancy dress" day on Saturday.

Yes. Saturday is the day to be flamboyant, drag out your funkiest clothes and your finest attire and amaze us! 2009's theme is 'Where's Wally ?'. Let your imagination run riot and the field will be a weird and wonderful visual feast.

Will there be a family camping area?

Yes, you will be directed to the quiet camping area on request when you arrive. We'll be working hard by re-arranging the camp site and parking to help this to happen.

What happens to lost kids?

They will be directed by a steward to the site office. Please do not leave young children unattended in the kid's area, it is not a crèche. Please make sure your older children know where to find you.

Will there be a vegetarian caterer on site?

Yes, and organic and vegan food will be available too. There is also a bar and a meat caterer. We're working hard to improve the selection of food available on site.

How 'green' is this event?

All our electricity used on site is generated by harvesting the wind and sun. We one a 2008 greener festivals award.

I need a lift to the festival, what can I do?

You can register yourself on the Freewheelers website. If you have any spare spaces in your car then again visit the Freewheelers website and offer up your services. Lift sharing aims to help the planet by reducing the amount of cars on our roads. Makes sense to us!

What disabled facilities do you have?

Please let us know your requirements, so that we can do our best to meet your needs. Things that we can provide are convenient parking and camping near the festival area, electric supply for charging wheelchairs and disabled access toilet facilities.

Where do we dispose of rubbish on site?

Due to our environmental policy there will be plenty of recycling points around the festival. Please make good use of these and anything that cannot be recycled please dispose of carefully in the litter bins or take home with you. The festival is held on a farmer's field and sheep will be grazing here after you have left, so please leave nothing behind. Sheep do not eat cigarette butts!

Can we have fires and barbecues in the camping fields?

No. This is for the safety of other festival goers.

Do we have to pay to park?

Yes, it is £7 for a car payable in advance when you buy your ticket. This is because we have to rent another field for this facility, and to encourage lift-sharing.

Are there any local facilities?

In Llanfyllin, which is within walking distance (1/4 mile), there are the usual small town services including a HSBC cash machine, Spar (off licence), pubs, bakery, phone box, chemist and newsagent. Please note that there is not a petrol station; the nearest are in Llansantffraid ym Mechain or Llanrhaeadr ym Mochnant, both of which are about 6 miles away.

Can I bring my dog?

No, please leave all your pets at home. This is a farming area and the festival site is surrounded by sheep.

Do mobile phones work on the festival site?

Usually only Orange network and this does depend on the direction you are standing in!

Where does all the money go?

Workhouse Festival is a not-for-profit company limited by guarantee. Any residual money goes towards the renovation and regeneration of the Workhouse Building and improving future festivals. Please visit www.llanfyllinworkhouse.org for more details.

Can I park my car by my tent?

For health and safety reasons, you will not be able to park with your tent, so you may have a very short walk to make with your kit. When we say short, we mean it. Parking isn't 3 miles away like some festivals; this is a compact site and the furthest possible camping spot will be no more than about 100 yards. We've made this rule to help prevent accidents and for the comfort and security of our campers and local residents.

Can I bring my caravan, mobile home, live in vehicle?

Yes you can but it has to be pre booked with your weekend ticket and there is a charge of £35.00 for vehicles up to 3.5T (Your average Transit, LDV, Iveco etc would be in this bracket) The charge for vehicles over 3.5T is £49 (your average Dodge 50, TK, MK, FG, RL, AEC Militant etc would be in this bracket) We have had to create this dual tariff because of the extra cost of removing larger vehicles from the site should the mud happen. Caravans are charged at the £35 rate.

Can I get onto the festival site for free?

You have two choices - you can either pay for a ticket or you can volunteer as a steward (we have a number of vacancies available). If you try and blag your way on for free please remember that EVERYONE who has organised this festival has given up many, many hours of their own time for nothing, and are not getting paid whatsoever. We keep the price of the ticket as low as possible this way. Please respect those who have worked hard to make this festival possible.

Is there Public Transport to the festival site from local train stations?

Yes, You can get a train to Welshpool or Gobowen stations and from these you can pick up local buses to Llanfyllin (the village where the Workhouse Festival is based). The Festival site is just a short 1/2 mile walk from the village centre. You can look at a journey planner and timetables here.