Timber Festival dates and details announced for summer 2024

Fall under nature’s spell at a fiercely hopeful forest festival in Derbyshire

Festival-goers are invited to join a community of action and optimism at Timber Festival, a one-of-a-kind weekend full of art, music, talks, dancing, campfires and activism at the heart of the National Forest.

Friday 5th – Sunday 7th July 2024, Feanedock Woodland, The National Forest. Tickets on sale now at www.timberfestival.org.uk

Described by The Guardian as ‘a fantastic forest festival’, Timber is a unique event which looks joyfully to nature, trees and forests to explore what a positive future for the planet might look like.

Timber has all the usual festival offerings of sunrise yoga, secret woodland DJ sets, and world-class author talks – but visitors to this independent gathering can also expect to break bread together at a communal ’20-mile supper’, watch the sun set from Timber’s very own Stone Circle, and even don their best flora and fauna fancy dress for a Human Flower Show.

Guest Curators

Mercury nominated singer-songwriter and founding member of Lamb, Lou Rhodes, has been invited to help curate Timber’s line-up, alongside multi-instrumentalist Rohan Heath as part of their new collaboration, Kiiōtō. Joining them are internationally-acclaimed sound artist Jason Singh and folklore-inspired artists Stone Club – a meeting of minds sure to bring fresh creative energy to this already vibrant festival.

Music

Timber’s audience are in for an auditory treat, as this year’s lineup brings a tantalisingly diverse range of sounds. The scene will be set by Kiiōtō headlining the opening night, showcasing their hotly anticipated debut album. There will be no shortage of outstanding female talent on the line up, with electro-folk artist Frankie Archer and Rozi Plain (of This Is the Kit) providing an ethereal soundtrack to the festival.

Activism and Talks

Timber has a whole area dedicated to ‘battle-cries and bold words’, where visitors will be able to learn the tactics and tools of protest – joining in with workshops delivered by environmental groups Right To Roam and Trash Free Trails. All The Elements CIC, who work to increase diversity in the outdoors, will be bringing a new range of voices and conversations to Timber, supported by outdoor apparel company, Patagonia.

There will even be appearances from world-famous activists and writers including surfer-scientist Easkey Britton.

Wellbeing

Timber is known for its creative wellbeing, movement and mindfulness offering. Festival-goers are invited to stretch their bodies and centre their minds – and try everything from laughter yoga to forest bathing, Bollywood dancing workshops to gong baths.

Art & Creativity

Trailblazers in the Outdoor Arts scene, Timber have programmed a spectacular circus show on a rig built from giant bamboo by NoFit State Circus. Crowds will be hypnotised by artist Mark Anderson’s Warning Notes, a large-scale installation which uses ‘sound sculptures’ – gongs, bells, whistles, and explosions – to give voice to the climate crisis.

And for those who want to get hands on, Timber will have a whole area dedicated to ‘Craftivism’, a space where visitors can make and create things with their own bare hands – from knitting and weaving to working with wood and twine.

Festival organisers have said: ‘We can’t wait to welcome audiences back to the hopeful oasis of Timber Festival, a place where you can unplug from the worries of everyday life. Our growing Timber community will step into a forest wonderland transformed by artists, musicians, activists and speakers into a place of action, of hope and of fierce optimism, right in the heart of the National Forest’.

Timber is supported using public funding by Arts Council England.

Tickets

Tickets are on sale at www.timberfestival.org.uk, and are currently £60 for an adult day ticket and £160 for a weekend ticket. Residents of the National Forest get a huge 25% off all tickets. Timber is created by award-winning event producers Wild Rumpus, in partnership with the National Forest Company.