We Brits love our festivals. New festivals are popping up around the country every year and it seems that you’re never too far away from one every weekend through summer.
There are, of course, the long-standing, historic festivals such as Glastonbury, Isle of Wight and Reading and Leeds, but smaller, local festival numbers are on the increase. Having local festivals means that our need for one can be filled without driving too far across the country.
What are pub festivals?
Also growing in popularity are festivals in pubs. Now, we’re not talking about throwing a weekend-long festival with your guests camping behind the bar and on the benches in your beer garden. Day-long food and drink festivals or mini music festivals can be just as effective in bringing in the crowds.
For a pub with plenty of outdoor space, it would be foolish to not make use of it with an annual food and drink or mini music festival. In fact, careful planning can turn your festival day into the main earner for a pub throughout the year.
Tips for throwing a successful pub festival
There are four main areas that you need to focus on when hosting a pub festival: entertainment, food and drink, promotion and prices/ticketing.
Music is the common entertainment of choice for festivals. Get some local bands in and perhaps a covers band to keep your guests entertained. Aside from musicians, you could bring in comedians, magicians or dancers. If you’re able to attract some more well-known local acts, they will come with a fee. If so, consider charging a ticket price for the event.
Festival entertainment options
The entertainment is what is likely to get people through your doors, but the food and drink are what will make them stay. Beer festivals are becoming increasingly popular so the quality of beers and ciders (typical festival drinks) are important. Aim to supply a wide selection of local drinks or run with a drinks ‘theme’, for example, South American.
Choosing the right festival food
There is a range of options open to you when choosing your food offerings: you could get street food venders in, host a bbq/hog roast, use your usual food menu, or get punters to bring their own food for a picnic-feel festival. Each of the choices will depend on your budget and what is viable in the space you have.
Things like entrance fees can dissuade people if they don’t know the event so if it’s your induction year, it might be wise to give free entry to build a following. Strongly consider the pros and cons of charging an entrance fee.
Little features for hosting festivals
To complete your festival-look, print off some wristbands for those that attend to wear and get some hay bales from your local farm and scatter them around the outdoor space.
Buying the best furniture for festivals
With plenty of new guests likely to be coming and using your outdoor space, some folding tables and outdoor chairs could be a wise investment. It’s always a good idea to have some stackable furniture that can be stored away and then used for events such as this.
Browse our furniture or speak to our team on 0116 2988 341 for more advice.