Bearded Theory festival

Bearded Theory is a multi-award winning creative and performing arts festival set in the beautiful grounds of Catton Hall in the heart of the National Forest. The festival borders 3 counties of West Midlands, South Derbyshire and Staffordshire and only 2 hours away for 50% of the UKs population. 

In 2014 they won “Promoter of the Year” award at the UK Festival Awards in London and Festival Kidz “Silver Award”. In 2013, after being shortlisted for many years, they won “Best Small Festival” at the UK Festival Awards and a Festival Kidz “Gold Award”. In 2011 they won the “UKs Best Independent Festival” at the AIM Music Awards. Over the years we have also been shortlisted for many awards including Best Family Festival, Best Grassroots, and Best Toilets. 

The festival has been recognised in the National press as being one of the best festivals of the summer in various articles in the Guardian, Express, Sun, Independent, BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 1, Channel 4, BBC Entertainment and the Mirror. They also have an award winning free Children’s Village along with an award winning bar selling real ales, lagers and ciders at pub tariffs. In addition the festival is one of the very few festivals that allow you to bring your own drink into our arenas.

The festival has always been audience led and our programming is operated the same now as when they started 8 years ago. They book acts off the back of your recommendations, improved our infrastructure in line with feedback and sourced the vendors and bars off the back of the suggestions of people that attend.