Folk by the Oak

Folk by the Oak is just outside London, but feels a million miles away. This one day festival is surrounded by the leafy green parkland of Hatfield House, where you will be immersed in music, history, ancient oaks, bunting, fun and laughter. 

From the intimacy of the Acorn Stage to the open air festival buzz of the Main Stage, FBTO will bring you award-winning musicians and inspiring new talent in one memorable day. Confirmed artists so far include Levellers (performing Levelling the Land live), Kate Rusby and Show of Hands

The carefully curated stages are complemented by lovingly hand-picked caterers and craftspeople. For younger 'Folk by the Oakers' there is a world of creative workshops to discover onsite as well as a dedicated family friendly area.

Parking

Disabled parking is provided, and is positioned as close to the entrance as practical constraints allow. Use of this facility does not need to be booked in advance. Priority will be given to Blue Badge Holders but those with temporary conditions such as broken legs and the elderly, frail or pregnant may also make use of this facility. Please ensure that your Blue Badge is displayed clearly in your windscreen and follow the signs for disabled parking on the day.

Toilets

Large disabled access toilets are sited within the auditorium and are easy to reach. These are temporary ‘portaloo’ style facilities.

Access

Folk by the Oak is held in an open air grass arena. There is a tarmac road leading from the disabled parking area down the side of the auditorium giving easy access for wheelchairs down the length of the arena (see image above). The festival will go ahead in wet conditions and we ask all festival-goers to come prepared for the unpredictable British weather! The arena is flat, and is a very well kept area of the estate. While we do our best to ensure the disabled car parking, entrance and toilets are as accessible as possible, the ground conditions will inevitably vary according to the weather during and prior to the event. Stewards are positioned throughout the auditorium and will assist where they can if necessary. We have been running events at this venue for the last 14 years and have never experienced issues with wheelchair access.

Viewing

Festival-goers are invited to bring seating with them and for the most part are seated, and the auditorium has a gentle natural slope. For this reason, we do not provide a viewing platform as seen at larger music gigs and festivals, but wheelchair users may wish to make their way to the front to see the performances up close. There will also be a large screen next to the stage which will be showing close-ups of what is happening on stage.

Medical services and on-site welfare

There will be qualified paramedics and emergency vehicles present throughout the event and also whilst festival-goers are arriving and leaving. On arrival please familiarise yourself with their position on site.

Assistance dogs

Assistance dogs are permitted at the festival, but please be aware that there will be a firework display at the end of the night that may be disturbing to them. 

CARER TICKETS

The allocation of complimentary carer tickets is intended to assist those who would otherwise be unable to attend the concert. In order to ensure that we are aware of the needs of our disabled patrons, and that the support provided through the complimentary carer ticket policy is not abused, we ask all customers who have indicated the need for a carer ticket to complete a form. 

We also kindly request that where possible you provide some form of supporting documentation eg. a scan / photocopy of your DLA entitlement (feel free to cross out reference numbers and amounts). Priority for carer tickets is given to customers who receive the medium rates of DLA for Care and/or mobility or for those who are deaf or registered blind, but every application is considered and processed on an individual basis.

The details provided will be kept secure and treated confidentially, and will be used only for the purposes of processing your application. Forms and documentation will be destroyed following the event.