Beauty in the Boutique: Stories of smaller festivals surviving and thriving

Few feelings come close to being at a festival. Having consistently shaped tastes and cultures in the UK for generations, almost any genre or movement has something to show for it. 

The music festival landscape in the UK has come a long way since the likes of the Isle Of Wight Festival’s inaugural edition in 1968 and a little-known Pilton Pop Blues & Folk Festival, later known as Glastonbury, that began in Somerset in 1970. Festivals are the backbone of music and the arts, and the industry is more crowded than ever. 

Up and down the country, you can find fields, allotments, abandoned railway depots, and gutted industrial spaces hosting weird, wonderful, multi-genre events. With success, however, comes commercialisation, and for the promoters and organisers behind the curtain, it isn’t always easy. 

Glastonbury in 2021.

Image: Annie Spratt / Unsplash.com

Many hypotheses over the years have pondered the fate of the British festival, and it remains no secret that the industry is competitive and cutthroat. The picture painted by a 2018 festival ownership map from the Association of Independent Music was a stark one, showcasing Live Nation’s dominance, owning and controlling 25.26% of UK festivals with a 5,000+ capacity. In a time where Glastonbury’s reported profits have doubled to £5.9 million amidst increasing criticism of being too corporate, and the trials and tribulations of running an independent festival seem endless, events exist that buck the trend, that can not only stay afloat, but prosper. Enter the boutique festival.

Characteristically smaller than the likes of Glastonbury or Creamfields, the definition of a boutique festival varies. They’re often defined as more intimate and independent events involving interesting settings, programmes, and initiatives. Niche, unique, and often green-driven, they are a special set of gems in an industry where it can be hard to pick and choose. 

A good place to start when examining what makes these small yet vibrant gatherings tick is Knockengorroch, an eclectic festival nestled within the Carsphairn Hills of Dumfries and Galloway, southwest Scotland, in what was once a populated ancient settlement. Remarkably remote, Knockengorroch is nestled within a world of its own, with the only way to reach the festival being by traversing 4 miles of single-lane roads. 

A road less travelled.

Image: Martin McCarthy

Founded by Simon and Liz Holmes in 1998, the festival began during that year’s summer solstice, after the Holmes’ approached the band Old Blind Dogs to ask if they wanted to play in their field, which had been the site of an international Rainbow Gathering the previous year. Initially, Knockengorroch was composed of two festivals - Ceilidh Gall Gallowa’ in the early summer and Hairth o’ Knokrach in autumn, which were eventually consolidated into a single event called World Ceilidh to take place in May, later renamed to its metonym Knockengorroch. 

Simon and Liz’s daughter Katch, now the festival’s creative producer, has been involved since the very start and was drawn to its focus on Celtic bands and Scottish culture. “I grew up on the land at Knockengorroch and in 1998, with the resurgence in Scottish traditional music and its fusion, I became interested and started playing.”

Its early days were far from fruitful, starting out as simple as a couple hundred people in a field, but as Katch reminisces, “We lost loads of money, everybody had loads of fun and it was decided to do it again”. It has since blossomed and recently wrapped up its 27th edition on 22nd May. Katch’s role began with getting her friends to run the bars and the gate, eventually evolving into designing its staffing structure and moving into its marketing and programming. 

“We lost loads of money, everybody had loads of fun and it was decided to do it again.”

Adaptability is key for survival when running a festival, whether a local foot-and-mouth outbreak in 2001, or a global pandemic in 2020 - where they “managed to turn around some funding applications and a virtual festival, then being able to get up and running quickly once things opened up” - Knockengorroch have responded to challenges and threats with speed and minimal outside interference. 

Being family-run aside, Knockengorroch has been able to cultivate a highly dedicated cast of team members, crew, and artists who, through years of collaboration and service, have become part of the festival’s familial makeup. Glaswegian soundsystem Mungos Hi Fi is just one example, with the group’s rig even powering Knockengorroch's Sheiling tent and the entire crew making the weekend a priority in their calendars.

 “When the going gets tough, yes, we will pull through, sometimes going above and beyond our ‘pay grade’ because we believe in the festival. Some of our audiences have been with us for years,” says Katch, “Sometimes we have three generations of families attend. Numerous couples met here, couples have been married here, ashes have been scattered. The land has come to mean something for so many people, and this strong community feeling has kept us going through harder times.”

“Couples met here, couples have been married here, ashes have been scattered. The land has come to mean something for so many people, and this strong community feeling has kept us going through harder times.”

Knockengorroch remains one of the best boutiques thanks to its intimate, remote location and meticulously curated, wide-ranging programme. When asked about what her definition of a boutique festival was, Katch thought it suggested “a festival that appeals to a select range of people with specific tastes,” owing to its appeal to people with a knack for the outdoors, dancing, and sounds that cover international roots music, traditional Scottish rhythms and soundsystem culture. “So in a way, you could consider us a boutique festival, but in other ways we’re trying to break away from siloed musical identities and cliques.  Perhaps we’re the ultimate ‘anti or neo-boutique festival’!”

Unique locations are the bread and butter for boutique festivals, as Houghton founder Craig Richards admitted in 2023 in the build-up to the Norfolk fest’s fourth edition. Similarly to Knockengorroch, Houghton ticks plenty of the boxes you’d expect from a boutique: a remote yet luscious location, lineups catered to specific tastes, community-led vision, and fierce independence. For Richards, he noted the “Different levels of fantasy and freedom (that) come with not having a phone,” while adding that “if you remove phones from the dance floor and from the campsite, you really are in a much more liberated environment.”

Even with its extensive history, Knockengorroch's ethos has never withered or succumbed to commercial pressure, and its combination of family, location, and programming has kept Knockengorroch alive and kicking. “We make sure to programme bands that align with our ethos.” Katch told us, with their unique, wide-reaching programme previously including culturally diverse acts from all corners of the Earth, “We’ve presented artists from Mongolia, Palestine, the Golan Heights, Cuba, Samiland (the indigenous region of Scandinavia) and many, many more. This cultural exchange and international emphasis really sets us out.” A unique, unrivalled experience, Knockengorroch stands tall amongst the boutiques. 

Meanwhile, in nearby Manchester, amidst a sea of green past suburban Stockport, lies Whitebottom Farm, the place where Moovin Festival has called home. “Moovin started around 10 years ago from humble beginnings,” Moovin director Paul Fletcher, better known as Fletch, remembers, “it began as a small party for a couple hundred people in a barn that houses cows throughout most of the year, hence our name.” 

Fletch is a man who’s no stranger to Manchester’s musical heritage. His career has spanned and defined some of the city’s most iconic venues and events, including a spell managing Sankeys and is the current manager for the legendary Haçienda alongside his work with Moovin Festival.

A weekender enwrapped in cow iconography, Fletch can’t help himself when describing his festival, joking that he “kept that answer brief, but I could go on until the cows come home.” 

Partying until the cows come home. 

Image: Moovin / Facebook.com

Cow puns aside, the playfully marketed festival has seen steady, organic growth year after year and now welcomes thousands of party-goers into the cow barn for a weekend of soul, funk, reggae, and drum and bass. “Moovin has always been a labour of love,” Fletch confessed, “and I think that shows throughout the festival, from the amazing performers to all our crew and the wonderful people attending. It all seems to filter into this beautiful melting pot of wonderfulness, creating something magical when it all comes together.”

Its humble beginnings inside a cow barn have remained, and Stockport’s best-kept secret is defined by retaining its small size despite the big names it attracts and having arguably outgrown itself since its inception. “When you say ‘small’ I guess that’s relative,” Fletch argued, and pointed out Moovin’s ability to offer a more up-close view of acts you’d otherwise only be seeing on bigger stages, “we always get great feedback from the acts as it gives them and the crowd a rare opportunity to get up close and personal with a more intimate vibe, which is what we're all about. We could go bigger, but choose not to as we feel the limited capacity helps make Moovin so special, and we don't want to lose that.” 

This year’s edition of Moovin will see the likes of Ezra Collective, Folamour, Craig Charles, and Roni Size, among others, playing in a setting where festival goers can witness diverse and award-winning acts on a more immersive scale. 

“We feel the limited capacity helps make Moovin so special, and we don't want to lose that.”

Moovin’s people-first ethos bleeds into its production and emphasis on eco-friendly initiatives. As far as Fletch sees it, Moovin has “always had an ethos about being party-first! We like to offer a value-first festival, which is reflected in our ticket and bar prices. You can even get a pint for £5 at Moovin, which I think might just be the cheapest festival pint in the land.” 

Such policies are nothing new for boutique festivals. Moovin and Knockengorroch aside, Brecon Beacons-set Green Man has made a name for itself on its planet-friendly approach. As festival director Fiona Stewart said in an interview looking back on its 20th anniversary in 2022, “We see sustainability as a lifestyle and make it part of how we live rather than a tick box of delivery.” 

Katch and Fletch agree, with both festivals growing up interdependent with their sites. In the case of Knockengorroch, Katch talked of its venues and layouts uncharacteristically being developed “in harmony, over time, as part of the site”, while Moovin’s case relies on Whitebottom Farm, located in the luscious Etherow Country Park, to do a lot of the talking. 

Image: Moovin / Facebook.com

Sustainability and eco-friendly policies are integral to Moovin’s identity. “It’s hugely important, and we’re always looking for new ways to improve”, says Fletch. Aside from their ethically sourced food outlets and none of the event’s waste going to landfill, Moovin continues to operate in affordable and creative ways to help keep things greener, from their ethically sourced food outlets and only using recyclable products to their £1 cup deposit system. 

Even these policies come with quirks, as Fletch recalls, “It does make me chuckle sometimes when you see someone marching through the fields, with about 20 cups they’ve collected, all piled up to claim the refunds at the bar.” Even if certain policies come at an extra cost, Moovin feels it’s important. 

In her 2022 interview, Green Man’s Fiona reflected on the challenging nature of the UK festival industry, noting that, “Nearly all large festivals go under or are bought by entertainment corporations or both; the fact that we are still independent and still here surprises me.” Despite its hardships, these smaller pockets of culture and community find a way to flourish. 

Image: Green Man Festival / Facebook.com

These boutique festivals, like Green Man, Houghton, Knockengorroch, and Moovin, that allow for an intimate experience devoid of mass commercialisation, whilst being able to thrive and survive independently, have to be commended and cherished. “Most boutique festivals have a story there, a relationship with some piece of land, and this brings a much more meaningful experience than a corporately run event with a standard, hired-in infrastructure.” Katch surmised.

Her words reflect the strength of boutique festivals up and down the country. They are stories of heritage, culture, and community that give back to the area around them. As Katch put it, “The bigger event may have the bigger names, but the smaller, more boutique gatherings provide that essential human need for connection and meaning.”

Want to support independent festivals? Knockengorroch has recently launched a fundraising campaign to ensure there is the ability to plan for the 2026 edition, which you can check out here.

Check out our What's On Guide to discover even more rowdy raves and sweaty gigs taking place over the coming weeks and months. For festivals, lifestyle events and more, head on over to our Things To Do page or be inspired by the event selections on our Inspire Me page.