Cropredy 2025 News

[vince42]

Tickets purchased after a few failed attempts to navigate the site . Don't know if it was just me having a senior moment but it seemed less straightforward this time.  Lineup suits me fine, looking forward to Martin Barre particularly.

End of the paper ticket era - at least I won't forget them this year.

Just need to remember my phone...

[steve-n]

The potential for queuing up the M42 on Thursday morning because of a dodgy scanner can't be allowed to happen.

If you were queueing on the M42 on Thursday morning I'd be a bit worried.....the M40 runs from London to Birmingham via Banbury...
Steve...pedant of the week!

[Andy]

True, I must have misread what Gareth wrote.

[PhilipK]

I won't miss the paper tickets, I won't even miss the Christmas card (too much), but what I will miss is ... the car sticker :-(

[Martin F]

I won't miss the paper tickets, I won't even miss the Christmas card (too much), but what I will miss is ... the car sticker :-(

I refer you to Andy's post #130.

[Lubiloo (Lorna)]

I won't miss the paper tickets, I won't even miss the Christmas card (too much), but what I will miss is ... the car sticker :-(

I refer you to Andy's post #130.

That just refers to camping tickets. I think Philipk means he will miss having the decorative car sticker which used to arrive with the general paper tickets, for the first so many bookings.

[davidmjs]

Somebody posted this message on FB "Maybe the secret about how many tickets have been bought is public info. Bought this one at supper time after “chat” with missus.

Can anyone raise me 4086?"

[Tasha]

Feeling very sad today as it looks like the end of an era for me. I just dont seem to be on the same wavelength as those booking for Cropredy any more.

That's a real pity - Cropredy is always changing slowly, boiling frog style, but this is one of those "Yup, this is different" moments. The adding of the third day being another. I've always been an outlier - come more for the weekend in the field than the music other than FP and the occasional brilliant guest. If it hadn't been for the glamping I might have called it quits a few years back - I'm getting a bit too creaky to enjoy actual camping. That's lowered the pain threshold enough to keep me going a few more years. I've only been to a couple of other festivals and not felt I could wander off and leave my chair (never mind other posesseions) and be 100% sure to find it still there when I returned at any of them. i ignore the social media whingers, and I've been social mediaing since dial up BBS and readers letters in newsletters! :-)

I never thought it would come to this. We have booked NFFF and Beardy and will probably do Shrewsbury to see Oysterband one last time , all of which are easier to get around (and camp)

reading your posts Nick i have to say that im with you...nothing on this line up excites me enough to part with so much money im afraid, so it is indeed the "end of an era" for me too.

[Graham B]

e-ticket ordered and confirmation email received. I'm guessing the actual e-ticket will be received at a later date?

For me the line up looks really good.

[Andy]

Apparently the e-ticket will arrive later, perhaps as late as 3 days before the event.

[David W]

If one wishes to attend the fringe rather than the main event will one be able to access (and pay) for parking or does one need to show a festival ticket to get in?

DW

[GarethW]

HI DW. You will need a festival ticket/wristband to use the car parks.

[David W]

Wow - that will see the end of the fringe then surely?

[Sue & Chris]

Wow - that will see the end of the fringe then surely?

Or the fringe venues could just arrange their own parking?

[hendo (Dave)]

Wow - that will see the end of the fringe then surely?

Or the fringe venues could just arrange their own parking?

If there are to be less camping fields then Brase and or Lion could use a field for parking.
However I suspect the attendance for main fest will be well over 10,000
6,500 sold before Christmas .Costs covered. We can now add more tickets. Sound business model to me !

[davidmjs]

Wow - that will see the end of the fringe then surely?

Or the fringe venues could just arrange their own parking?

Indeed.  The festival needs to show some tough love to 'the fringe' who have commercialised the village scene into several other (not so) mini-festivals of their own.  I'm certainly critical of the festival itself for not being pro-active and introducing its own fringes, but it's good to see that they're realising what is what here.  Wow, indeed - why the hell should a fringe attendee park in the festival car park?

[Wandering Steve]

Wow - that will see the end of the fringe then surely?

You’ve always needed a ticket to park in the festival car parks as long back as I’ve been going (18 yrs)
It’s never stopped the brase and lion from being very busy.
A lot of the fringe attendees are from the local area and bus in and out from Banbury.
People paying for a stand alone fringe ticket without attending the festival has only been a recent evolution and it would be hard for people just turning up to the fringe to park in the village what with parking enforcement etc.
Like I say many park in Banbury and bus in and out which drops off at the brase if attending the fringe and not staying in the village.
I’ve no idea how much the bus is as I’ve never used it.

[fat Billy(Bill)]

Reading all this with interest,
pleased to see the festival changing to adapt to the times.
That's actually quite a nice line up.
Shame about the price increase (but hey everything is going up)
Would I like to go.....Oh yes
Will I be going, sadly not. The lovely Kim just can't cope with the tents stuff nowadays.

Lets hope its all lovely and you all have a super time

[Shane (Skirky)]

If it were me (and it's not!) the temptation would to be to see how many below the licensing limit I was about a month beforehand and then release a correspondingly limited number of Saturday-only tickets.   As a serious aside though, do they still give away complementary freebies to those of the village? That's got to be about a thousand or so, hasn't it, even if they don't all turn up?  

[Field 7 is Heaven (Trev)]

Back to the lineup ;

I've been "you-tubing" the bands Id not heard of before. (My ignorance as I discovered they are very well known to others). What a top class and eclectic set they are.

KING PLEASURE AND THE BISCUIT BOYS are about as unusual a festival act as you could imagine,  1950's style rock and roll and swing. They could go down really well. Might see some jiving down at the front. Certainly an inspired choice.

Then there's CITY FUNK ORCHESTRA who aim to deliver a dance floor banquet of soul/funk music described as "a party on legs”.  They feature players who have appeared at the very top of their genre. And of course they feature Matt Pegg on bass.

EL PONI PISCADOR (named after the pub in Lord of the Rings) ,the Prancing Pony in English. They play a set full of laughter and jokes ,much audience participation. But they are excellent musicians and put out great harmonies playing Celtic music and seafaring songs, plus of course the Catalan music of there homes.

SKIPPINISH named after a place on the bands spiritual home on the Isle of Tiree are a top ,top band . Norrie Maciver has a unique and powerful voice and they are powerful. They do a brilliant version of Runrig's classic "Alba" and if we are very lucky they might have the great Malcom Jones guesting on lead guitar.

With The Salts and Deborah Bonham, Rosalie Cunningham also on the bill ,this just has to be the classiest and most eclectic line up for years. So well put together , Congratulations Fairport's.