From our very first festival, our amazing volunteers have been the heroes who keep the wheels turning and smiles coming. Whether it’s guiding our guests, decorating our site, scanning tickets, or lighting the campfires, these people are an essential and integral part of our festival. We’re lucky that many of our volunteers return year after year to the Elderflower Fields family but we are always happy to hear from new people.

You don’t have to have any previous experience or special skills to volunteer. We have a diverse mix of people who volunteer with us, with all sorts of backgrounds, ages, and life skills. If you’d like to experience something new and you like adventure, music, food and fun, then come and join the team. We ask that volunteers attend a crew briefing on Thursday evening before the event opens at midday Friday, so please factor this into your plans.

Below you’ll find specific team information and the link to our application form. We’ll have a chat with you over the phone once you’ve applied to welcome you on board and answer any questions you might have.

Field Stewarding Team

Our Field Teams are the eyes and ears of the festival. Working in pairs, you’ll look after a specific area of the event and act as a contact point for our guests. You may be answering questions or offering directions and helping people find their way about the site.  You’ll quickly get to know your area and you’ll be able to spot if anything needs rectifying. You’ll be in radio contact with HQ, reporting any incidents and feeding information back to staff and the public. It’s a great opportunity for anyone interested in getting into event management with real, on-the-ground responsibility at a large arts event.

Information Team

The Information Team is based at Elderflower Fields HQ and has two main jobs. Firstly, acting as a central hub of information for families on site – answering questions and pointing out where things are. And secondly, keeping in contact with the Field Teams and the festival production team to update the programme with any changes and communicate this to staff and the public. If you love organising and creating calm from chaos, this could be the role for you.

Ticketing Team

Our ticketing team is normally the first contact our guests will have with festival staff once they arrive, so it’s perfect for those with confidence and a big smile. You’ll be working in the main ticketing tent, welcoming families, scanning tickets and issuing wristbands. The work can be hectic at times, but you’ll be led by an experienced manager and it’s great fun meeting all the excited children as they begin their Elderflower Fields adventure with us.

Accreditation Team

Our  accreditation team is normally the first contact our performers, activity providers and crew will have on arrival, so it’s an important role. You’ll be working in the accreditation booth, welcoming crew, performers and activity providers scanning tickets and issuing wristbands. The work can be hectic at times, but you’ll be led by an experienced manager and it’s great fun meeting all the smiling crew.

Artist Liaison

The Artist Liaison team help make the magic happen in our venues. As the main point of contact for all our performers on site, they ensure performers get to the correct stage in plenty of time, help store and move performers equipment and instruments, ensure smooth changeovers between performances on stage and liaise with the sound desk.

Crew HQ Team

Our crew HQ and Crew Support Team look after our festival volunteer family. Based at Crew Headquarters you’ll be welcoming teams on shift and checking them in, ensuring they have what they need to do a great job and passing on any updates or briefings. You’ll be the masters of creating a happy vibe, sending our volunteers out with smiles and sunscreen!  A caring role, the support team looks out for our volunteers welfare ensuring everyone has a safe and enjoyable weekend.

What else should I know?

Each volunteer is required to complete three shifts typically six-hour per shifts, one or more of which may be before or after the public are on site. In return, you get free entry (obviously) and plenty of time to relax and enjoy the festival. You’ll also be camping in the exclusive Crew & Performers area with access to loos, showers and sinks. But most importantly, you’ll help create an amazing experience for all the families, experience great camaraderie, learn lots and have a really fun few days.

Before filling out the application form, please ensure you’ve read our volunteer terms and conditions – click here

If you’re interested in any of these roles, please fill out the form below, or if you have any questions, please email volunteer@elderflowerfields.co.uk

Bringing your family

Volunteer’s own children are welcome to join you at the festival, free of charge. You must arrange suitable child care for the times that you are on shift. If you would like to bring your partner we can arrange it so you can either work the same or different shifts to fit your family. If they don’t wish to, or aren’t able to volunteer that’s no problem, just remember they won’t qualify for a free ticket and they’ll need to buy a festival ticket but we will be able to give you a discounted rate once your application has been approved.

Deposit

Each year we lose around 20% of our volunteers in the lead up to the festival which makes it very difficult to ensure we have all bases covered 

All volunteers are now required to pay a deposit to act as a bond to ensure all shifts are completed. If you have not volunteered at Elderflower Fields or Into the Trees before you will be required to pay a deposit of £100. Once all your shifts have been completed this will be returned to you up to 1 week after the festival. Once you have completed a year of volunteering and have proved your reliability the deposit will be significantly reduced to £20. 

If you would like to volunteer but feel the deposit is a barrier there may be a chance to apply for a bursary. Please contact volunteer@elderflowerfields.co.uk to enquire.