Tickets for Sidmouth Folk Festival 2005. Updated 27 July 2005
A 'full week season ticket' will not be produced for Sidmouth 2005. Dance tickets went on sale in late October 2004, and camping will be on three different sites - see the camping section of folk51. Sidmouth TIC are selling most types of tickets. You need the official programme to work out options (downloadable now as a pdf from the official website) - the total cost of a full week in Sidmouth will be high if you opt to attend lots of the events! Tickets for all events were available from 1 June - the full working programme is now available on the web. The full social dance programme is also available - see below.
Remember that all budget accommodation in Sidmouth is generally booked a year or more in advance for 'folk week'. The Sidmouth Tourist Information Centre is located at the swimming pool (Ham area) and is generally efficient and helpful - telephone (01395) 516441.The special box office number is (01395) 578627. Direct any complaints to Sidmouth Town Council (01395) 512424. Details of most hotels and B&B accommodation in Sidmouth is here. The TIC should be regarded as the 'box office' for 2005. The TIC can send you a list of 'extra' accommodation - in effect a list of B&Bs that operate only during folk week. Many may already be booked up.
WARNING: if you buy discount tickets using a Sidmouth Supporters card make sure you don't lose it - without it the tickets may be invalid on the door. This seems a risky idea - and it won't save you much money either. I have asked the organisers to consider an arrangement whereby any 'supporters discount ticket' can be upgraded on the door (for 80p or £1 or whatever was the discount) so as to permit admittance.
Dances and workshops £90 or £16 per day or you can buy tickets for each event on the door - £4 for workshops, £7 for dances, £10 for 'special' evening dances, space permitting. These are not to be regarded as part of the 'in-town' festival and are organised separately. Read folk47, 47a and 47b. The detailed programme is at folk47c. Refunds are available (until 30 June apparently) for people who bought £90 tickets a long time ago and who now wish instead to attend more of the 'in-town' events. Ray Goodswen told me that a £5 admin fee would be deducted - which I suppose is fair. A full refund would have been in order given that the major venue promised at the time early tickets were sold (Sidmouth College) is no longer available. Some of the more popular dances may be 'first come first served' even if you have a £90 ticket, as the venues are relatively small.
Additional dance sessions: Both the Ham and Blackmore Gardens will be used with Blackmore Gardens being confirmed for ceilidhs every evening at 8pm. The usual Anchor Gardens ceilidhs will take place at noon. Dances at Bulverton at 8 pm (added only very recently when Gordon Newton took over the LNE event) conflict with those organised for Blackmore Gardens - see folk83.
Camping. See discussion on
folk51. There will be no shortage of space if three sites are used! Tickets went on
sale on 5 Feb 2005 and are unlikely to be in short supply. The Bulverton site was to be
only on one field this year but this has apparently been extended to two (if numbers
require it). There would now seem no reason to use either the Core Hill or Salcombe Regis
sites at all - except Core Hill may be cheaper than Bulverton for a short stay.
The Bulverton site is planned to open at noon on Wednesday 27th July and run until the
morning of Saturday 6th August. A 10-day ticket will cost Adult - £40; Youth - £20;
Children under 12 with Adult - Free. Caravans are allowed and
will be subject to a £12 surcharge. Day/weekend tickets may be available in July for
£10/night.
THORN CAMPSITE, SALCOMBE REGIS: This is near what was proposed to be the LNE venue at
Northern Hill Salcombe Regis. It is a permanent campsite, with mobile catering. From £6
per person, per night and discounts will be available with the Sidmouth Folk Week
Supporters Card. It is now less attractive (as of 29 June) when the LNE venue was switched
to Bulverton. (see folk82 for further information)
CORE HILL CAMPSITE (near to Waitrose) Just over a mile from Sidmouth and is mainly for
tents. Caravans by prior agreement only. Temporary showers and toilets and (perhaps)
mobile catering. From £6 per person, per night and discounts will be available with the
Sidmouth FolkWeek Supporters Card. It could be lonely here!
LNE event(s). Until 29 June 2005 the venue was planned to be Northern Hill Salcombe Regis. It was then switched to the Bulverton Site. A discount season ticket is available for £63 for members of the Supporters Club - a saving of £7 on seven £10 LNE tickets. It is planned to hold daytime workshops there too, and dances at 8 pm.
ALL TICKET INFORMATION can be found at www.sidmouthfolkweek.co.uk Advance tickets are available for most events - popular venues may be 'sold out' before the start of the week - all depending on how many people come to what could be an expensive week.
Even attending every 'late night extra' could cost £12 - £20 per night (tickets + bus fares +drinks!) and with camping costs (say £40 per person) the week does start to look one for the dedicated supporter. Add in a Ham season ticket and sundries and the total cost is in the region of £250 per person - plus the cost of getting to Sidmouth!
Bus passes. A leaflet is available giving full details. Contact the official website www.sidmouthfolkweek.co.uk or phone Stagecoach (bus company) on 01392 427711.
Briefly, a good range of services around Sidmouth is on offer for 80p per trip or you can get a week season ticket for £17 from the Bulverton campsite or from bus drivers. A festival circular route will be operated. An advance ticket costs £15 (adult) or £12 (child under 16) or £40 for a family ticket up to five persons but they must travel together. These tickets can be purchased locally at £17, £14.50, and £45 respectively. If you wish to buy advance tickets, send cheques to Mark Whittle, Stagecoach Devon, Belgrave Road EXETER EX1 2LB after phoning 01392 427711 to check what ticket(s) would be best for you. However the savings are small - maybe better wait until you see if you manage to get here! Consider also the Gold Rider weekly tickets which offer weekly unlimited travel on Stagecoach Devon for the same price as the festival circular tickets. You really need the full leaflet or try www.stagecoachgroup.com or www.devon.gov.uk/devonbus
The Stagecoach leaflet does not include mention of buses for the LNE events - these may be run separately or not at all now that the LNE venue has been switched.
Arena concerts - ABANDONED
Rugby Club - some minor workshops
Ham concerts and ceilidhs: See official programme.
This venue is likely to be the heart of the in-town festival. The organiser deserves your support. The Ham season tickets cost £135 and are available ONLY from 01622 721077 or 01622 726633 or 0845 130 9500 (local call rate). This ticket gives admission to all events at the Ham Marquee and is the best alternative to a full folk week season ticket - you get a selection of all types of events.
Blackmore Gardens ceilidhs - see this page The timing of these conflicts with the evening 'out of town' social dances and with Bulverton dances some evenings - so take your pick!
Main festival car park? Not to be operated. There could be major car parking problems especially for casual (evening) visitors if the ordinary car parks are full as well as the Rugby Club and Cricket Club sites. People camping may prefer to leave their cars on site for the week. Use of the EDDC car park at the Knowle should ease congestion in the evenings.