A weekend of family-friendly entertainment in the heart of the South Downs
Volunteer at Compton Festival
Compton Festival Website
History of Compton Festival
As with all good ideas, Compton Festival was conceived over a pint in the local pub.
The aim was to hold an event that would attract people from the wider area to share the stunning location of Compton Village, nestled in a valley in the heart of the South Downs National Park. Not only that, but also raise money to help maintain and improve the, then, much underused Compton Recreation Ground. But what type of event? It was then that the three friends, and Compton residents Andrew, Greg and Luke, came up with the idea of a beer festival.
But what started as a simple ‘beer’ festival, quickly evolved into something much more exciting. From the start, the three founders all agreed that they wanted the festival to be family-focused, and to offer a variety of activities which would draw people to the festival. So with the addition of a stage for live music, the inclusion of traditional crafts and local beers, plus a food offering from our local pub, Compton Festival was born!
The first year was a great success. We begged, stole and borrowed (we didn’t actually steal anything) and with an amazing effort from local volunteers, pulled off a great one-day event. We knew we were only just getting started.
During the winter of 2024, the three founders discussed at length how they could improve the festival for the next year – without diluting their ethos of a great family focussed event celebrating the beautiful south downs.
So, after much discussion (and beer drinking!) the second year took shape. It saw the addition of many other activities and entertainers for adults and children alike, plus a more robust infrastructure and the introduction of external food vendors to add a real variety to the food scene.
The three founders also decided that with the amount of work it took to organise the first year, it made much more sense to be a two-day festival! The local farmer was more than happy to provide us with a nearby campsite which meant the final thing on our wishlist - camping - could happen.
In its fourth year now, Compton Festival offers two stages of live music all day and late into the evening on Friday and Saturday. Alongside this, you can enjoy live comedy, arts and crafts workshops, circus workshops, children’s activities and crafts, multiple high-quality food vendors, a great bar, a festival market place and more. With a full festival vibe and a beautiful setting, Compton Festival no.4 is set to be a great weekend!