The Great Vegan Gathering August 2026

The Great Vegan Gathering - 27th to 31st August 2026 

What We Stand For

The Great Vegan Gathering is a grassroots festival set up by a group of vegan activists, artists and musicians, built on a foundation of love and kindness for all.

• 🌱 100% Vegan & Ethical: Every vendor, stallholder, and activity is completely vegan. No animals are harmed on the land.
• 🤝 Community & Support: We aim to help independent vegan businesses thrive. We offer a sliding scale for fees & welcome vegan animal sanctuaries & charities for free.
• 💝 Giving Back: This is a volunteer-run event. All proceeds will go directly to supporting vegan animal sanctuaries.

The Experience

Taking place over the August bank holiday weekend, you will have plenty of time to relax in the beautiful woodland setting, listen to music, trying out something new, eating delicious food and connecting with others.

Main arena - bands, comedy, talks and discussions.

Music Line-up - 3 Daft Monkeys, the Jive Aces, Millie Manders and the Shutup, the Rabbitts, Vegan Queen V, Sweetgoose, Leo Brazil, Neo 10Y, the Lurxx, Stella Paris, BFriendly, HAWXX, Dippy Bamba, Vegan Eyes, Tanglemist, the Vegan Vampires, Dr Jaxon's Elixir of Life, Angel Nash, Becky, Frances Shelley, Badger Fox, Active Slaughter, Emaline Delapaix, Tony Beacock, Ralph of London, the Tofu Eating Wokerati, Dr Pepperlips and the Radioactive Whortleberries, Hannah Sophie, Yeazt, Asher, and the Mute Swans. Poetry by Paul Holroyd and Fleur (food without a face poet).

Comedy line-up - Dawn Chorus, Ishi Khan, Malli Malipas. More to be announced.

Talks and panel discussions including; food and nutrition, mental health, ethical veganism, surviving burnout, the use of AI, accessing health services, diet and exercise, political activism, growing your own veganic food.

Woodland wellbeing area

Group activities; yoga sessions, sound bath meditation, Pilates, Tai Chi, Kick Boxing, ecstatic dance, keep fit, running, circus skills and singing with the Animal Rights Choir.

Arts and crafts activities; mandala painting, vinyl art, clay modelling, drift wood art, macrame, wooden mushrooms, painting and crystal pendants.

Woodland activities; forest bathing, medicinal foraging, willow weaving and woodland head-dress making, sprouting and growing micro-greens.

Chill out area with hammocks and cushions.

Around the edges of the woodland glade there will be one to one holistic therapies available at an additional cost, such as; Indian head massage, reiki, hot stones, reflexology, sound bath, sauna and ice bath.

Geekstraveganza - a games tent with a wide range of one, two and multiple player games, self-directed and lead group games.

Activism camp area

An area dedicated to activism, with a rolling programme of workshops from animal and vegan activism to legal matters, running campaigns, etc. lead by experienced activists from the Animal Freedom Network.

Cooking workshops

with a number of different vegan chefs including; fermentation, sprouting, sushi making, cheese and milk making, rainbow buddha bowl, and using Unami in your cooking.

The Warehouse

This is an enormous sports hall which will be used for dance classes, 5 aside football tournaments and we will be holding a roller disco every day - make sure you bring your own roller skates :).

Outside environment

The park is set in a beautiful 108 acre woodland setting, with an amazing fire pit which will be used as an acoustic and open mic stage. So bring your instruments for songs around the fire. There will also be an amazing fire show.

Children's area

There will be two children's areas, one next to the main arena so you can be near the action with toys and games, and an outdoor children's area where they can run around and let off some energy, with outdoor games, circus skills and a treasure hunt.

Location and Lodging

• The venue is just inside the M25 so easy to get to by car, outside of the ULEZ zone and accessible by public transport. There will be a shuttle service from Chingford station for a small additional cost per person.
• Camping is included with every ticket purchased, and campervans are welcome. There are two camping areas; accessible camping and main camping, both have a toilet and shower block and are less than 5 minutes from the main arena. The campervan area has their own toilet and shower block.
• There are proper flushing loos and showers at this festival :)
• If you fancy an upgrade, there are options for lodge accommodation, many of the rooms have ensuite bathrooms, and bell tents (tickets for these are now available).
• The lodge accommodation is a mixture of sizes of rooms from 1 bed to 8 beds. Some rooms have ensuite toilet and showers. The beds are all single and bunkbeds. The prices are per room, or per bed in a shared room. The beds do not come with bedding so you will either need to bring your own bedding or purchase a bedding pack per person. Each lodge sleeps 50 people and has a drying room, a kitchen with simple facilities such as kettle and toaster, and a communal area with tables and chairs.
• Message us if your requirements don't fit with what is available - such as if you have a different number of people in your group to the room or tent sizes.
• The bell tents are good quality, thick canvas. They each sleep 5 people and come with five 3 inch single floor mattresses. You will need to bring your own bedding or buy a bedding pack. The tented village has a simple kitchen cabin with kettle and toaster and seating area.
• There are a number of early-entry Thursday tickets for those eager beavers wanting to get the most of the experience and some exclusive bands playing, including the Jive Aces.

FAQ

Can I bring my dog?
As much as we love our furry companions, sadly the venue does not allow companion animals (with the exception of registered assistance animals).

Is the venue accessible?
We want to make sure that the festival is accessible for everyone. The venue has a number of accessible and all-gender facilities and the whole site is pretty flat. There will be an accessible parking for blue badge holders and a camping area provided near to the blue badge car parking area. The lodges have a number of rooms with accessible ensuite bathrooms. If you have any specific access or support needs, such as the need to bring a carer, please email us directly and let us know how we can help you.

What if I'm neurodivergent or don't like crowds/loud noises?
We intend to provide a welcoming space for all attendees, and will have a quiet area to relax and recharge for anyone with differing social or support needs. There are also some nice woodland walks in the 108 acre site where people can enjoy peace and quiet.

Is the festival family friendly?                                                          Absolutely, this is a family friendly festival and children are welcome to join in any of the group activities with supervision from yourselves. There will a marquee next to the main arena with lots of child focussed games, toys and activities, and there is a lovely grassy area where your children can run around but is only a few minutes walk from the main arena. Families can camp where they like on the site but the quieter areas will be the accessible camping area and the areas near to the kids field. 

Will the money really go to the animals?
Absolutely - one of the core values of this event is its commitment to the animals. All of the organisers are volunteers, and we are doing everything we can to balance making this event accessible to all, while doing the most good we can for the animal sanctuaries and charities we support.

What is included in the ticket price?                                                   Included in the ticket price is entry to the festival, camping with own tent, and all group activities, workshops, etc. Food is not included and there will be a wide range of food stalls. There will be an additional charge for 1 to 1 activities such as holistic therapies, sauna and ice bath.

Do I have to be vegan to come to the festival?                                            Anyone is welcome to come to the festival, you may be coming with friends or interested in learning more about veganism. We do however ask that you be respectful of our vegan values and that you do not bring any animal products to the festival.

What about drugs and alcohol?                                                            This is a drug free festival and anyone found trying to sell drugs at the festival will be asked to leave. There will be a bar and traders serving a wide range of alcoholic and non alcoholic drinks at the festival. You are also welcome to bring your own refreshments to the festival. 

Can I pay by instalments?

If you choose to pay by Paypal there is a function for you to be able to pay in three interest free instalments.

Can I volunteer?

Volunteer applications will be going out at the beginning of February. All volunteers will need to pay a £50 deposit which is refunded when they have completed the agreed work sessions.