FAQ’S

PLEASE – Check here before you email us.

The Chances are we may have already answered your question below!

CAMPSITE

I only want to camp for one night on Friday night or on Saturday night, is this possible?

Sorry but the answer is no! We sell our camping tickets for the whole Festival Weekend, the only difference in the ticket prices is totally dependant on which day you arrive, which can be on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday or Saturday. You can leave on any day you want to, but there are no cheaoer, shorter options available and there will be no refund on the camping ticket for any nights not used. The campsite stays open to all campers until the Tuesday morning, so you can stay until then and avoid the mad exodus on Monday morning! It also means you can experience the great little town of Upton upon Severn without a festival going on, it really is a pretty place! Also some pubs carry on with live music on the Monday, check out the programme for details.

Will my very large motorhome fit onto the official campsite?

Yes, there is good access to the campsite with no low height restrictions and the surface of the field is fairly even. Basically if your vehicle is legal to travel on the road you will get onto our campsite without any issues.

I want to camp next to my friends is this possible?

You really need to arrive together to make sure of this being possible, why not meet up at Strensham Service station, Junction 8 of the M5. Literally a ten minute drive away? Saving spaces for friends on the campsite causes us lots of issues and frustration from both sides, please just arrive together.

I don’t have my printed campsite ticket or my QR code, will I still be able to get onto the campsite?

The simple answer is yes! On the gate we can manually find your booking and get you onto the campsite but it just takes longer to process your booking this way. So please, it makes everyones job so much easier if you can bring your printed ticket or have it as a QR code on your phone from FIXR with you and have it ready as you approach the entry gates (not in the boot), this helps us keep the whole entry system fast moving and efficient.

Can my friend who is not camping join us for a BBQ/Meal/Social Event on the campsite?

We offer day passes to the campsite for day visitors. You will be able to purchase a “Day Pass” for each of the days the main festival is running, Friday, Saturday & Sunday, they will be clearly marked with the day you bought it and will gain you access for that day only. There will be a £10 non refundable charge for the “Day Wristbands” and will only gain you access up to 8:00 in the evening.

These “Day Passes” will only be available to buy at the Ye Olde Anchor Inn and at the campsite pedestrian entrance security point. There will be no day passes available on the Wednesday or Thursday.

Can you provide an electrical hook up for my camper van/caravan on the official campsite?

Sorry but there are no electrical hook ups available on our campsite. Also generators are not permitted on the campsite.

Why do you not spread the showers out around the campsite more?

We will have two main shower facilities placed on the field in two blocks this year, near to the entrance and in the middle of the two fields we will be using for the campsite. Depending on where you pitch up you might have a walk to get to the facilities, we simply can’t provide en suite for every pitch, this is a campsite after all.

Can I park next to my Tent/Caravan/Pitch?

Yes you can, there will be room for one car next to your campsite pitch for security and ease of loading/unloading.

Hi, my plans have changes and we can now come down earlier than the day we have booked from, how do I upgrade my tickets?

No problem, Talk to the FIXR helpdesk to get your ticket upgraded

I have a mobility scooter, are there facilties to charge it on the campsite?

YES, is the simple answer. There will be a “Charging Station” specifically for charging mobility scooters on the campsite, it will be located near the entrance/exit to the campsite.

I’m camping and I am disabled/less abled?

Firstly, please remember that we whilst we do provide first class facilities, our campsite is set on a farmers agricultural field, which means it will have uneven ground, tyre tracks and when wet can be slippery. If you have complex needs then we strongly suggest booking a hotel or an Air B&B in the town, where you will not have to be walking to and from the campsite on a daily basis. We do provide a designated area for disabled people, who are Blue Badge holders only. This area is not for friends of people who have a Blue Badges! if you want to camp together and you aren’t alll Blue Badge holders, then you must camp in the general area, otherwise you are taking a disabled space from someone that truly needs it. The whole field is easily accessible, and we do provide a shuttle service around the campsite for people that  are camped further into the field. We also provide a number of “ease of access” toilets & showers, these will be placed near the two main shower blocks by the entrance/exit and in the middle of the fields.

We also provide a “free to ride” land train that ferries people to one end of the town to the other, it’s great fun, you should try it!

Carers?

We can only keep the camping tickets as low as we do by selling every ticket, therefore we do not provide carers tickets.

What time does the official campsite open?

PLEASE TAKE NOTE AS THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT – DO NOT ARRIVE BEFORE 07:00am AS YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO ACCESS THE SITE AND THERE IS NO HOLDING AREA FOR YOU TO PARK AND WAIT UNTIL IT OPENS! The campsite gate entry system will open at 07:00am on Wednesday and every day thereafter, you will be able to book yourself in and gain vehicular access until 9:00pm.

On Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday the gate entry system will open at 7:00am and you will be able to book yourself in and gain vehicular access until 9:00pm except Sunday where the entry system will close down at 15:00. There is to be no vehicular traffic movement on the campsite after 9:00pm, except security vehicles.

Why do you close the entrance gate so early?

WE DON’T. The sunsets just after 21:0o in July so it is getting dark when we close the gate, we can’t have people driving around looking for pitches in the dark for Health & Safety reasons. Sadly we do not have anywhere that would be suitable as a holding area if you arrive outside these times.

What is the location of the campsite?

IMPORTANT UPDATE – WE ARE NOW BACK TO USING THE OLD CAMPSITE ENTRANCE!

BANDS & TIMINGS

I want my band to play at the festival?

As a committee we are only responsible for the band selection on the two Main Outside Stages and Church Acoustic Roots Stage. If you think that you meet the festival criteria (including original material with a splash of covers) then do send in your band bio but please be aware we get hundreds of applications for only a limited number of main stage slots. We do look at every email but simply cannot reply to you all, so if you don’t hear back from us it means that you have been unsuccessful this time. If you feel that perhaps a pub gig is more your thing and want to play at one of the many pub venues, then please contact them directly. Band applications for the main stages open in the September after the festival every year.

What time does the music start & finish on the main stages?

The festivals first main stage bands generally start at Midday, the music will be finishing at 23:30pm on the Riverside stage Friday and Saturday night then 23:00pm Sunday night. A number of the pubs put music on in their venues for the Wednesday and Thursday evenings, some of them might even start before midday over the weekend but we have no control over their music or timings. Please make sure you buy an official Blues Festival Programme for all the exact timings and gigs at every venue over the weekend, these paper versions are available normally from the end of June in Upton and electronically on our Festival App. Then they are available at multiple locations throughout the Town and campsite over the weekend when you arrive.

What time does the official campsite open?

The campsite gate entry system will open at 07:00am on Wednesday, you will be able to purchase a camping ticket on the day through the website or directly through FIXR.

PLEASE NOTE YOU CAN’T PAY ON THE GATE ANYMORE, ALL TICKETS HAVE TO BE PRE PURCHASED.

What day & what time is a certain band playing?

As always with Upton Blues Festival when we announce the main stage bands we don’t publish when or what day they are playing (its a lovable foible!). Buy a programme as soon as you can and then work out your weekend of “Wall 2 Wall” free music, we have over 180 free entry gigs over the 6 festival days. Please contact the pubs direct for details on their pub gigs.

There is a list of pubs that get involved with the festival on the FAQ General Questions tabs.

I want my band to play in one of the pub venues, how do we take part and get our band a gig over the weekend?

Please remember that we have no influence over the bands put on by the pubs and bars of Upton upon Severn.

The pubs & venues that usually take part and put on live music are;

The Kings Head, The Swan Hotel, The White Lion, The Plough. The Muggery, Bar 7, Ye Olde Anchor Inn, The Star Hotel, The Wheelhouse and The Boathouse.

All their phone numbers can be found with a quick Google search.

GENERAL QUESTIONS

Can I bring my dog the festival and are dogs allowed on the official campsite?

Yes you can but, and here’s a big but, please be aware that it can get really busy in certain areas of the town and we have seen some dogs getting really stressed by the sheer volume of people around them. So please just show common sense and be kind to your dog, please clear up after your dog, please make sure your dog has water, please don’t leave your dog in a car and please keep your dog away from busy crowded areas and not too close to loud speakers. Dogs are welcome on the campsite on leads, under close control and any mess must cleared up immediately in the town as well as on the campsite. PLEASE NOTE THAT DOGS ARE NOT PERMITTED IN THE ACOUSTIC ROOTS STAGE ANYMORE, THIS IS BECAUSE IT IS A CHURCH AND WE HAVE BEEN ASKED TO FOLLOW THEIR IN HOUSE POLICY.

Can you recommend any B&Bs or other campsites nearby please?

We will always encourage you to camp on the official campsite for the simple reason all the money generated from the campsite after setting up and running costs goes directly back into the festival, this is how we manage to do it all for free! All the other campsites, hotels and B&B’s in the area donate nothing back to the festival after their bumper weekend! So please use the official campsite, buy the official programme, buy the official merchandise and use the pubs, stalls and venues for food & drink. Without this revenue stream and their support this festival would not happen. Also if you are one of those people that say I don’t camp, then why not hire a motorhome and use the campsite in a bit of luxury? If you really don’t want to camp you can contact the local Information Centre (01684 892289) who run a “Book a Bed” service and should be able to help with any rooms still available in the local area.

I’m visiting just for the day will there be car parking available?

We provide two official car parks on top of the usual town car parks. One is located next to the campsite field, look out for the signs. The other is located at the other end of the town next to the Meadow Stage and picnic area. Both will be clearly signposted and the charge for the whole day is £10 per day per car. There is no overnight parking available and anyone trying to camp in a car park will be moved on. Whilst the town of Upton upon Severn embraces the Blues Festival the biggest complaint we receive from the residents is inconsiderate parking by our visitors, so please, please do not park over someone’s drive or cause an obstruction anywhere in the town. Your £10 parking fee gives you peace of mind, you won’t get a parking ticket and the money goes straight back into the festival.

No camper vans or high top vehicles/ transits allowed in official carparks please.

Accessibility at the festival?

As a street based festival in and around the streets and pubs of Upton, it is very difficult for us to control the accessibility and we would ask you to talk to us if you have any accessibility questions as we would love to help. While our Riverside Stage has accessibility problems our Meadow Field Stage is much more suitable for ease of visibility of the performers and access issues.

Our camping site is flat, but it is a field! It has disabled toilets of course and ease of access showers. We also can provide a very limited amount of electricity sockets where required for emergency health reasons.

If you have any questions regarding accessibility please email our Festival Director, Grahame on the contact us page and we will do our best to accommodate your needs.

I’ve bought tickets but now due to unforeseen circumstances can’t attend?

Our policy is not to refund any monies once tickets are purchased. All the tickets are fully transferable and you can edit the name on the ticket online.

Why should I buy my drinks from the pubs?

The pubs and venues pay hundreds if not thousands of pounds out over the weekend paying for all their own bands, the festival would not be the fantastic event it is year on year without this amazing support. The pubs and venues are by far the biggest contributors in the town to the success of the festival so that’s why we ask you to support them back. Yes you could get a can of beer cheaper from the supermarkets but what live music do they provide for you to enjoy at our festival?

When & where can I buy an Official Blues Festival programme from?

We generally try to get our programmes printed and ready to go by the end of June every year. Pre festival they are available from the two news agents in town and Ye Olde Anchor Inn all in Upton upon Severn. They are also available during the festival weekend next to the festival office and on the campsite at Hobsons Bar.
We also now have a Festival App where you will be able to purchase an electronic version.

Can I help the festival in anyway?

Yes, yes and yes! Get in touch using the contact buttons and tell us how you can help, we are always looking for volunteers over the weekend. We now have Festival Ambassadors that roam the whole town and campsite, answering all your questions, so if you fancy becoming an ambassador get in touch.

What pubs take part and put on bands over the weekend?

Please remember that we have no influence over the bands put on by the pubs and clubs of Upton upon Severn.

The pubs that usually take part and put on live music are;

The Kings Head, The Swan Hotel, The White Lion, The Plough. The Muggery, Bar Severn, Ye Olde Anchor Inn, The Wheelhouse, The Star Hotel, The Boathouse.

All their phone numbers can be found with a quick Google search.

Are you able to bring along chairs or are all the outside venues standing only?

A lot of people do bring chairs and inflatable chairs to the festival. Please be aware that the Riverside Stage is a restricted viewing area, set on the closed road, pavement and riverside area. It is not great for people to camp out with chairs, because it restricts the room available for other guests However the Meadow Stage is perfect for a more relaxed experience as it is set on grass and is a much larger area.

I dont understand – what is a FREE festival?

We are a FREE festival as the website explains, which means once you have got to the town of Upton upon Severn there is no charge to see any of the 180+ gigs you will find playing over the 6 day festival weekend.

Obviously any drinks, food or merchandise will have to be paid for, as would parking in the official car parks (£10 per car all day) but all the music is totally free to watch & enjoy.

We know it is an odd concept, but it is true and works for us, come along and see for your self!

MERCHANDISE

Why do you not deliver t-shirts?

We print our t-shirts on demand at the Merchadise Shop opposite the Anchor and Star just up from the Riverside Stage.

I can’t see the size I want?

We have offered a huge variety of sizes to meet everyones needs, other sizes may be low in stock or limited, so we offer the best possible range we can.