Site navigation:
Venues
Disabled Access
Programme
Getting Around
Accommodation
Food and Drink
Tickets
How can I buy tickets?
You can either buy them online or by telephone.
BUYING TICKETS ONLINE:
All tickets can be purchased online using a credit or debit card from:
or
Note:
- A booking fee will be charged.
- Concessions = Students in full time education/Children/Unemployed/Retired/Disabled.
BUYING TICKETS BY TELEPHONE:
Telephone OxBoffice on 0845 680 1926, Mon to Fri 9am-5pm, Sat 10am-1pm.
Note: A booking fee will be charged.
Can I buy tickets for just one concert?
Single concert tickets will go on sale subject to availability from 15th March 2010.
Unlike some outdoor festivals we are very strictly limited on capacity in all of our venues. We do not oversell our concerts, and we give priority to those who have bought Season and Day Tickets. If you are desperate to see something then we advise you buy a Day Ticket to avoid any disappointment, as there is no way we can guarantee a substantial number of single concert tickets will come on sale for popular acts such as Bellowhead or Cara Dillon.
I have received a proof of payment but when will I get my ticket?
This must be exchanged for a wristband or tickets at Box Office in the Town Hall on the festival weekend*, no wristbands or tickets will be sent out in advance. Please ensure you leave plenty of time to make the exchange.
*If you have tickets for single shows in the Holywell or for a Ceilidh - i.e. you have not bought a Day or Season Ticket Wristband - then you may go straight to those venues and show your proof of purchase on the door to gain entry.
When can I collect my wristband?
From 6pm - (the time of the final show starting) on Friday
From 10.30am - (the time of the final show starting) on Saturday
From 10.30am - (the time of the final show starting) on Sunday
I am unable to come. Can I get a refund?
We are unable to offer refunds for any tickets bought either from ourselves or from our agents.
Venues
Where is the festival held?
The festival is held over a number of venues in Oxford. Here is a map of the main venues.
Oxford Town Hall
This is the main hub of the festival.
There are two concert stages, the Main Stage and the Cornbury Stage which is in the Old Library.
This is also the venue for the festival bar, the snack bar and the craft/trade fair and some of the workshops are also held here.
The main Box Office is situated on the ground floor throughout the festival period. It opens at 7.00pm on Friday 16th April and this is where you exchange your ticket/proof of purchase for a wristband.
http://www.oxford.gov.uk/leisure/town-hall.cfm
Holywell Music Room
The Holywell Music Room is the oldest concert hall in Europe, built in 1742. Handel is among the many famous composers and musicians to have appeared here.
The tiered seating and wonderful acoustics make it ideal for the more intimate 'unplugged' concerts and it is also used for some workshops.
Food and drink are not allowed in the Room, but the Turf Tavern and Kings Arms pubs are near enough to nip out for a swift pint in the intervals
Oxford Castle
This is focus of the children's craft workshops and the Morris Dancing HQ.
The children's activities take place in the Key Learning Centre and there is Morris Dancing across the site.
There are plenty of restaurants and cafes, and the more adventurous could even climb the Castle Mound, the scene of the culmination of the Festival's annual Carol Concert on 6th December!
Newman Rooms
In St Aldates and a short walk from the Town Hall, this will be the venue for our ceilidhs.
Bate Music Collection
Also in St Aldates near the Town Hall this will house more of our family events and workshops, as well as performances by Schools Choirs, talks and 'hands on' demonstrations of some of the instruments in the collection.
There will also be informal sessions in some of the local pubs. More news and details as soon as they are known.
Disabled Access
Is there disabled access at all your venues?
All of our main venues have wheelchair/ramp access, level going and seating, lifts where required and wheelchair accessible WCs. The Holywell Music Room has limited spaces for wheelchairs. Please contact us in advance for booking.
The session pubs have varying access. Please contact the festival office if further details are required.
Programme
What time does the festival start and end?
Concerts:
Friday - start 8.00pm and finish at 11.00pm
Saturday - start at noon and finish at 11.00pm
Sunday - start at noon and finish at 7.00
Ceilidhs - start at 8.00pm and end at 11.00pm each evening
Parade - on Saturday starts at 11.00am from the Castle and ends in Cornmarket at noon
Family and children's events - start at noon and end at 4.00pm (Saturday and Sunday only)
Can I book seats for individual concerts?
Seats cannot be booked for any concert. Entry is on a first come first served basis. The only exception to this is for wheelchair users or those with special needs. If you require this please contact us in advance.
Doors will be open approximately 15 minutes before the concert starts, but for safety reasons queuing inside the main buildings will not be allowed. Please follow the Stewards advice on this.
How do I find out who is on when?
We are still finalising the line up and will announce the actual programme nearer the festival. Keep an eye on the main website for information.
Do I need to book for workshops?
Workshops are on a first come first served basis. There is no need to book.
Where can I see Morris Dancing?
The Morris sides dance at the Castle, in Cornmarket, in Broad Street, outside the New Road Baptist Church in New Road and anywhere else they can (they can often be found near pubs!). You can see massed Morris sides in our parade on Saturday morning.
Can I buy programme in advance?
Printed programmes are free. They will be available before the festival from many outlets in Oxfordshire.
If you would like us to post one to you please send a sae with a 47p (large second class) or 61p (large first class) stamp to the Festival Office.
Transport
How do I get to Oxford?
By Rail
As parking is Oxford is difficult and to help the festival be as green as possible we actively encourage the use of public transport.
There are excellent rail links to Oxford. A direct service operates between Oxford and London Paddington (approximately every 30 minutes), and between Oxford and Birmingham New Street via Banbury and Coventry. Other services operate from the north via Birmingham New Street; from the South via Reading; and from the west via Didcot or Reading.
http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/
By Bus
Oxford is well served by buses from all parts of the UK. Frequent 24-hour direct services by the Oxford Espress and the Oxford Tube connect Oxford with London (peak times every 10-20 minutes) and pick up at various stops within the capital and at Hillingdon with a journey time of about 90 minutes. The X5 runs between Oxford and Cambridge with stops at towns on the way.
http://www.nationalexpress.com/home.aspx
http://www.oxfordbus.co.uk/main.php?page_id=27
http://www.oxfordtube.com/
http://www.megabus.com/landing.php
http://www.stagecoachx5.com/x5cambridge.aspx
By Air
If you are coming by air London Heathrow and Gatwick airports are linked to Oxford by The Airline coach service, which operates a direct frequent service twenty-four hours a day and other airports are served by National Express.
http://www.oxfordbus.co.uk/main.php?page_id=23
http://www.nationalexpress.com/home.aspx
By Car
If you do come by car please consider car pooling as an environmentally friendlier option, and use the park and ride.
Where can I park in Oxford?
Parking in Oxford is limited and expensive and the one way system and access restrictions can be problematic for first time visitors. We therefore recommend that you use the Park and Ride services wherever possible.
http://www.oxford.gov.uk/PageRender/decTS/Park_and_Ride_occw.htm
If you do wish to park in the centre of town, there are several car parks but they tend to fill up early. There is also some short term on street parking but these are strictly policed by the parking wardens.
http://www.oxford.gov.uk/PageRender/decTS/Parking_occw.htm
Please note that there is no parking adjacent to any of our venues.
Getting Around
What is the best way to get between venues?
The venues are all within easy walking distance of each other. However there will also be the option to book a bicycle rickshaw
or you could copy the students and hire a bike for the weekend
http://www.bikezoneoxford.co.uk/
http://www.backontrax.co.uk/
http://www.baintonbikes.com/
http://www.bikezoneoxford.co.uk/
How will I get back to my accommodation from the city centre?
It depends on where you are staying. There are two bus companies in Oxford, Oxford Bus Company and Stagecoach. They operate frequent services to most parts of the city.
http://www.oxfordbus.co.uk/main.php?page_id=21
http://www.stagecoachbus.com/timetables.aspx?serviceid=&locationId=111&from=&to=&locval=66
Alternatively taxi ranks are located at Oxford Railway Station, Gloucester Green Coach Station and St Giles' in the city centre.
ABC Taxis, tel: +44 (0)1865 770077
City Taxis, tel: +44 (0)1865 201201
Euro Taxis, tel: +44 (0)1865 430430
Radio Taxis, tel: +44 (0)1865 249743 or 242424
or consider a bicycle rickshaw (see above)
Accommodation
Is there any camping?
There is no official camping at the festival. There is a CCC campsite, which is open to non members, situated just inside the Oxford Ring Road about one and a quarter miles from the city centre that is served by a regular bus service.
http://www.siteseeker.co.uk/aspx/details.aspx?id=7240
Other campsites near (within 10 miles) to Oxford are
http://www.diamondfarmcaravanpark.co.uk/home/
http://www.greenhill-leisure-park.co.uk/
http://www.hardwickparks.co.uk/
http://www.lincolnfarmpark.co.uk/
What accommodation is available?
There are many bed and breakfast establishments within easy walking distance of the city centre. These are about £30 per person per night. Hotels start at about £45.00 per person per night and go up to silly prices! Details of most of them can be found at
http://www.visitoxford.org/stay.asp
http://www.dailyinfo.co.uk/accommodation/hotels.html
Some University Colleges also offer B&B accommodation
The Youth Hostel, has two, four and six bedded rooms is next to the rail station and within easy walking distance of the bus station and the main festival venues . It is modern and comfortable, and takes singles, couples and families. You do not have to be a member of the YHA to stay there.
http://www.yha.org.uk/find-accommodation/heart-of-england/hostels/oxford/index.aspx
As a general guide most accommodation within the Ring Road is in easy travelling distance by public transport of the main festival venues.
Food and Drink
Is there a bar?
There is a bar in the Town Hall serving local real ales and ciders, canned lager and Guinness and wine by the glass at reasonable prices.
For safety reasons no glasses or glass bottles are allowed onsite, so we use plastics or cans.
Drinks may be taken into the concert halls but are not allowed on the balcony of the main hall.
The bar opens at 7.00pm on Friday and noon on Saturday and Sunday, and must close half an hour before the end of the last concert under the licensing conditions.
There will also be a bar at the Newman Rooms for the ceilidhs which will serve canned beer, lager and cider. This will also close half an hour before the end of the ceilidh.
At the Castle site there are several cafes and bars, including a Weatherspoons.
Food and drink are not allowed in the Holywell Room, but the Turf Tavern and Kings Arms pubs are near enough to nip out for a swift pint in the intervals.
There are also plenty of pubs, some with informal sessions
Informal Sessions (Google Maps)
Is other food and drink available?
Soft drinks, tea and coffee will be available in the Town Hall where there is also a cafe
http://www.oxford.gov.uk/PageRender/decAC/The_Gallery_Cafe_occw.htm
There are plenty of restaurants, cafés and bars at the Castle site
http://www.oxfordcastle.com/index.html
Oxford is brimming with coffee bars, sandwich shops, fast food outlets, restaurants and cafes.
http://www.oxfordcityguide.com/Eat/Restaurants.html
http://www.inoxfordmag.co.uk/restaurants/r_cafe.html
Getting Involved
How do I get involved?
The festival is run entirely by volunteers as a Not for Profit organisation.
New volunteers are always welcome. If you would like to get involved in any way either in the organisation of the festival or as a Steward during the festival please click here or get in touch at info@oxfordfolkfestival.com.
Can we perform at Oxford Folk Festival?
All our stages are now fully booked for 2010.
If you are interested in playing in 2011, then please do not send us information until at least October 2010 – we won’t look at it until then! If you are a local folk or acoustic performer/band interested in playing at the 2011 festival, then send us an email about you, plus a myspace link or web page (no attachments and please do not post CD demos) to artists11@oxfordfolkfestival.com. Note this email will not be in operation until October 2010.
