Joe GallopThe team behind multi-venue Norwich festival Wild Paths has partnered with independent music company ATC Group to launch a 10,000-capacity festival, Wild Fields.
Unlike Wild Paths which is an inner city festival, Wild Fields will be a greenfield event at Raynham Estate in North Norfolk, featuring secluded wood stages, wild meadows and walled gardens.
Wild Fields director Ben Street (pictured) told Access that the “socially conscious” camping event has a five-year deal with the site owner and will aim to grow its capacity year-on-year: “Our site owner Lord Raynham is driven to making this the ‘Glastonbury of the East’. It’s nice to have that grander idea matched by the site here. They’re keen to make it a staple on the festival calendar.”
Street says the event will have a similar focus to Wild Paths of showcasing emerging musical talent, particularly from East Anglia, alongside established names such as Ezra Collective, SBTRKT, Los Bitchos and Nightmares on Wax. The event will collaborate with regional and national partners to host stage takeovers, paired with woodland dining, immersive performance and wellness experiences.
The new festival supergroup, Wild Fields Events, includes independent company ATC Group which offers event promotion, talent management, live booking, live streaming, merchandise and talent services. Street will work with ATC Group chief executive Adam Driscoll, who is the former co-CEO of MAMA Group and director of Vision Nine.
Street says Wild Fields will use locally sourced food and drink suppliers and will have a strong focus on green initiatives and sustainability, working with travel partners, waste management teams, merch providers and power suppliers.
On the vision of the festival, Street says, “We want to shine a spotlight on Norfolk and East Anglia which is where I’m from originally. There’s a lot of amazing stuff going on but a lot of it gets forgotten being so far out East.”
He adds that the festival aims to challenge some of the “prevailing issues” in the industry including diversity. It has signed the 50/50 Keychange Pledge and will aim to provide safe spaces on-site and opportunities for women, ethnic minorities and LGBTQ+ performers.
A variety of symbols have been incorporated into the branding of Wild Fields. Attendees will have one of these symbols randomly assigned to their digital ticket, designating them to a particular festival “tribe or clan”. During the festival they will see their symbol popping up on signage around the site and on the festival schedule alerting them to immersive communal activities. Street says this will encourage attendees to break off from their usual group as only attendees assigned to that tribe will be able to attend the fire-pit gatherings and other activities.
Wild Fields will take place from 15-18 August 2024.