FAQs

Boomtown takes place over the second week of August between 6th-10th August 2025.

Boomtown is set in the rolling hills of Matterley Estate, a working dairy farm in the most westerly point of South Downs National park, near Winchester. Exact routing information will be sent with your ticket, please follow it carefully!

Wednesday is a set up day only with limited entertainment. On Thursday there will be a limited number of stages, bars and venues open later in the afternoon. The full show, with all stages and attractions will be open at 12 noon on Friday onwards.

As with most larger festival sites, phone signals tends to be a bit hit and miss. There are no payphones onsite so it's best to do things the old fashioned way and plan a pre-arranged meeting spot. Our app also has some offline functionality, so you’ll still be able to check the programme & the map!

Boomtown was started by a small team of young creative party goers who wanted to create something different -  - an experience that brings to life underground music, art and theatre culture.

The festival is still run by the same people who started it - but we’ve come a long way in the last 15 years!

The site needs to be vacated by midday on Monday 11th August. Please make sure you are all packed up and on your merry way home by then.

Although you will be able to find clues from Thursday, the full interactive storylines run Friday to Sunday 1pm to 7pm.

The legislation regarding smoking inside public places applies to tented venues in the same way it does at your favourite club or pub. You will be asked to finish your cigarette (including e-cigarettes) outside. Please don’t smoke or vape in a venue.

This is very possible and likely to happen at least once. There is no shame in going back to where you last were and asking them for help. Ask for clues from any of the characters. Ultimately, the Boomtown world is there to play with you - not to block you.

The Boomtown immersive world is a collection of storylines which create the living city that is Boomtown. Some storylines are national news stories involving the whole city. Some storylines are local news stories involving just one district. Some storylines are town gossip involving just a few characters. Our audience also brings their own storylines… it might become confusing, but that’s all part of the fun.

There may come a time when all storylines seem to connect, and it all suddenly makes sense.

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Boomtown is a five day immersive music festival set in a parallel world. We’re on a mission to  inspire the emergence of a better world all while having a blast. 

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Eight city districts come to life, each with their own unique vision for how we build a perfect world. There’s characters to meet, causes to join and secrets to be revealed around every corner.

To find out more about Boomtown please visit Discover The Fair

If you feel blocked due to having an access requirement, our actors are here to facilitate you, please ask any of the characters and they will be able to assist. If you have any questions before the show please email access@boomtownfair.co.uk

Take part in the world. You will get the most out of the immersive world if you also play along. If you are talking to a millionaire filmmaker, you might get further if you tell him you are a famous actress. If you are talking to a clown, tell them your grandmother was a famous clown. It’s all about the blag. 

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As of 2024, Boomtown is an over 18’s event. You may see some under 18s during the event. This is because some of our crew live on site for many weeks creating the festival. They will be accompanied by responsible adults and well cared for to ensure their safety and wellbeing.

Following some storylines may lead to strange and beautiful experiences. However, It’s about the journey - not the destination. The Boomtown world is for playing in, not racing through. If you're just thinking about getting to the end of the story, you will not have fun.

Yes! Boomtown has comprehensive access facilities in place in order to welcome deaf and disabled citizens. This includes free Personal Assistant tickets, a dedicated accessibility campsite and extensive wide access facilities located throughout the site. 

Find out more about the support available on our Accessibility info page. If you have a specific access need you’d like to discuss or have any questions about our existing facilities, please do get in touch with the access team who can assist you further: access@boomtownfair.co.uk

The immersive experience is varied, involving spoken word, written word and visual clues. We suggest building a small team with a mix of strengths for reading, blagging and spotting things. Make sure you’re ready to cover all senses.

There is no single Boomtown storyline. Like any city, there are many stories happening at once. Which stories you find out about or become involved in will depend on a combination of which district you hang out in, who you speak to, and pure luck.

Head over to our Connect section where you'll find all our various application forms and their opening dates.

Look out for stories via posters, billboards and The Daily Rag. There you may find calls to get involved, such as places to sign up for a cause, or places to go to get involved. District storylines will be attached to characters and venues. 

Go around the districts, into venues and ask characters if anyone needs help or what the district gossip is, you’ll find out what’s going on. 

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The whole Boomtown site is pretty big, you can expect to do quite a lot of walking over the weekend so please bring appropriate footwear. 

The Matterley estate is a green-field site that utilises the natural amphitheatre, neighbouring woodland and the surrounding fields to form the unique festival experience of Boomtown.

Details of Boomtown's layout will be announced closer to the festival. We will announce this via our social channels and in our newsletter.