Vegan Camp Out

The car park opens for everyone (except VIP)at 12 midday Thursday or Friday (depending on if you have a Thursday pass) with the campsite opening at 1pm and the arena opening at 2pm. If you have a VIP add-on then you may come from 10am. Please do not come before these times as this risks causing traffic issues on the roads, which then means everyone has to wait longer to get in than they would have.

Please have just your vehicle/parking pass ready for scanning on arrival. If you haven't bought one online - you can pay on entry for £25 (weekend) or £15 (day ticket) - Card only!

Once you've parked your vehicle - Please follow signs for the ticket exchanges and make sure to have your weekend tickets up on your phone (or printed) ready for scanning

The latest time you can arrive to the festival is 10pm on Thursday or Friday and 8pm on Saturday or Sunday. The festival ends at 2pm on Monday which is when everyone needs to have left by (you may also leave on Sunday evening if you need/prefer)

The venue carpark is £17.50 for the full weekend (£25 on the day), paid for in advance from our tickets page (motorbikes are free). Parking is near to the festival entrance. There will be security monitoring it overnight, however vehicles and their contents are left at the owner’s own risk. Vegan Camp Out do not accept liability for any loss or damage to vehicles or their contents. Please have just your parking e-ticket (not festival ticket) up on your phone ready for scanning at the carpark entrance.

Although Vegan Camp Out isn't aimed at families, hundreds of families attend the event as everything on-site is open to all ages! You get your own personal camping field, away from the noise and which can't be accessed by non-families. In this field you get your own toilets and showers. And there is also a bouncy castle, a slide, facepainting, and a marquee for children's activities/games, all free of charge run by Laura Chepner, Education Officer at The Vegan Society. We will look at having a family parking section nearer to the family campsite if we can make it happen. If you're over in the caravan field, you will still be able to access the family camping field and spend time in there with the other families and be able to access all the various activities.

Camping equipment is not provided, but Circular Camping will be operating a shop on-site for 2025 if you need a tent or any camping gear (while stocks last!). Please be cautious of space, no bringing 6-man tents for 1 person. There is a designated Quiet Camping field for those who wish to camp in a quiet place, you don't need a specific ticket for this, it is shown on the map. Please note the area will be first come first served and we cannot guarantee the noise levels of the area. The price of the tickets includes camping but people are also more than welcome to go home each night or stay in a nearby hotel. You can also come in a caravan/campervan.

When it comes to a tent, it’s worth spending that little bit extra on the one thing that comes between you and the unpredictable English weather when camping! Split the cost with your friends and get a tent that’s comfy and practical. An airbed is that little bit of luxury after a long day of fun too, and remember it gets cold when the sun goes down so take a few extra layers! Bringing earplugs means you are more likely to get a decent night’s sleep whenever you decide to call it a night. Bring a camping chair to have something comfortable to sit on. If there are things that you can leave at home, then do! Avoid leaving your phone, money or other valuables in your tent in the day. You can get portable phone chargers that last you an entire weekend, charging your phone a good four times! When you sleep put your valuables at the bottom of your sleeping bag. Thefts are rare, but it’s best to be safe than sorry. Not every stall will take card payments and don’t rely on a close by ATM machine either. Plan those pennies in advance and get enough to enjoy yourself! Other important camping must haves that are usually forgotten are the everyday essentials that you don’t think about! Toothpaste, hand soap, toothbrush, Sunscreen, hat, sunglasses, mirror, hairbrush, baby wipes (eco-friendly ones!), toilet roll – just in case the loos happen to run out. A raincoat is always a good one to bring in case the rain starts. Speaking of water - a water carrier to keep by your tent is always handy too!

We have the best vegan food vendors from all over the country, all in one place! There is a large selection of food to buy which caters for everyone's needs including pizza, kebab, smoothies/juices, ice cream, Indian, cakes, Chinese, burgers, hotdogs, raw, gluten free options, pies etc. The list of vendors will be available our social media nearer the time. Generally, over half of vendors will have gluten free options.

There will be the Main stage for the talks, a Music stage for bands/musicians performing all weekend, a Mind & Body stage for yoga, meditation, fitness and health classes, and an Education stage with talks and workshops throughout the weekend. The latter will be seated, the other stages will not. This is because we want it to have a festival feel, rather than have the vibe of a conference or lecture, and also because the main stage turns into the afterparty room at 10pm each night. However, people are more than welcome to sit down on the floor or bring a camping chair or cushion to sit on during the day time talks! Please note, for headline speakers, people will be required to stand (unless disabled). You are not guaranteed to see every speaker and the stage will be closed if it reaches maximum capacity, so it's first come first serve.

Each year there will be speakers with views that some people might disagree with their views, this is to be expected, and so we ask people to either choose to not watch that speaker, or if they want to, to be polite to the speaker and to those listening. Anyone found to be purposely disrupting a speaker's talk will be ejected from the event. If anyone is being violent or dealing in any kind of illegal activity, they will also be ejected from the event.

There will be several bars on-site - in the main arena, in the food area, in VIP and in The Jungle! You may bring alcohol and drinks with you for the campsite, but these won't be permitted into the arena.

Each person is permitted to bring 12 cans of beer/lager or 70cl/700ml of spirits or 1500ml of wine with them for the campsite. Glass bottle spirits are allowed but not glass beer bottles. Buying drinks helps to support the festival as this is usually one of the only ways an event makes money. We purposely make sure our drinks prices are some of (if not - the) cheapest festival drink prices in the country.

For those that can either leave their dog at home or get a dog sitter, this would be highly appreciated and make things easier for everyone. It may not be an appropriate place for them in the talks which could possibly mean you having to miss out on them. However, if you want to bring them, that's fine, and everywhere outdoors will be fine for them. Please note dogs must be kept on leads at all times and will have to sleep in your tent/caravan with you. Dogs should not be in the music stage or afterparties because of loud noise. Bring a dog bowl in case of hot weather! Pigs are not allowed because of licensing restrictions.

If you ordered a T-shirt or hoodie, it will be available to pick up at the event. Just take your voucher code you received in your email to the merch stand once you're at the event, and they will give you your item. The people on the gates won't know about them. You can change your size providing we have enough of that size. You will also be able to buy them at the event. We will also have other things for sale such as beanies, mugs, stickers and posters. All T-Shirts/Hoodies are produced using ethical clothing!

Please check our ticketing partner's page for availability of weekend and day tickets:

https://ticketpulse.co.uk/vco25

Please note that day tickets may not always be available for every year. Day tickets are usually added nearer the time depending on how many weekend tickets are sold. The only way to ensure a place is to buy a weekend ticket online, and people are free to come and go as they please on this ticket.

THE FOLLOWING ITEMS ARE PROHIBITED IN All AREAS:

Cameras, film, or video equipment with a lens greater than 6 inches
Drones
Generators
Illegal substances or legal highs
Unrecognisable medication without a doctor’s note or prescription
Barbeques (including single use)
Glass beer bottles
Gas cylinders
Camping stoves (with the exception of inside motorhomes and campervans).
Campfires
Candles
Drugs (including ‘legal highs’)
Fireworks, flares or smoke cannisters
Markers, paint or spray cans
Sky or ‘Chinese’ lanterns
Sound systems
Weapons or potential weapons
Airhorns
Explosives
Laser devices
Loudhailers or megaphones
New psychoactive substances (NPS)
Paraffin lamps
Signs, clothing or materials displaying discriminatory derogatory or offensive messages
Scooters
Unofficial hi-visibility clothing/tabards
Flags and flag poles - these are welcome to be brought into campsites but flag poles will not be permitted into the arena.

ADDITIONAL ITEMS PROHIBITED IN THE ARENA:

Aerosols or pressurised canisters
Alcohol (not purchased from one of the official VCO bars)
Flares
Gas canisters
Knives (including locking knives)

This safeguarding policy and procedure applies to everyone involved with the Vegan Camp Out Festival, including employees, volunteers and Contractors, whether paid or volunteering. The purpose of this policy is: To protect children and young adults, vulnerable adults and all attendees who participate in any way at the Vegan Camp Out; To provide employees, contractors and volunteers with, and inform attendees of the overarching principles that guides our approach to safeguarding and the protection of children, young adults, vulnerable adults, all attendees and staff.

Vegan Camp Out believes that everyone involved should never experience abuse of any kind. We have a responsibility to promote the welfare of all and to keep them safe.

We are committed to practice in a way that protects children and young adults. We recognise that:

The welfare of the child is paramount, as enshrined in the child act 1989
All children, regardless of age, disability, gender, racial heritage, religious belief, sexual orientation or identity, have a right to equal protection from all types of harm or abuse

We will seek to keep all safe by:

Valuing them, listening to and respecting them when a concern is raised
Appointing a designated safeguarding officer (DSO) for children, young people and all adults, who will report directly to the management team, security and/or medical team if required and follow our safeguarding procedures
Implementing safeguarding practices through procedures and a code of conduct for all staff and attendees
Providing effective management for staff and volunteers through supervision, support and where appropriate, training.
Recruiting staff safely, ensuring all necessary checks are made where appropriate
Recording and storing information professionally and securely, and sharing information about safeguarding and good practice where appropriate
Using our procedures to manage any allegations against anyone appropriately and efficiently
Creating and maintaining an anti-bullying environment and a zero tolerance of abuse code of conduct, and ensuring that we have a policy and procedure to help us deal effectively with any concern that does arise
Ensuring that we have effective whistleblowing measures in place*
Ensuring that would provide a safe physical environment for our attendees, by applying health and safety measures in accordance with the law and regulatory guidance.

*Whistleblowing: You can email info@vegancampout.co.uk which is a secure email that only two organisers have access to. The email will be treated with the strictest confidence. Please type the words 'WHISTLEBLOWING' in the email subject so we can follow our procedure as soon as the email is received.

Lost Items:

Any found lost items that are handed to a member of staff are collected and stored at the Merch tent to be collected by the owner. You will be asked to describe your item well and potentially provide evidence of the item belonging to you before it is released to avoid fraud/theft. We keep these items for 8 weeks after the event before donating to charity and will assist in the return of your item. Vegan Camp Out does not accept liability for any loss or damage to personal belongings, vehicles or their contents.

Code of conduct:

Vegan Camp Out is dedicated to providing an abuse and harassment-free experience for everyone regardless of gender, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, race, or religion. We do not tolerate harassment or abuse of event participants in any form. Vegan Camp Out does not tolerate any kind of violence or illegal activity and any attendee found to be acting out of line of our code of conduct will be ejected from the event. Our full eviction policy and what we deem to be Unacceptable behaviour can be found and read here within our Terms and Conditions.

Key Roles at the event:

These are the key roles that we have to ensure we adhere to our safeguarding policy and procedure effectively.

Organisers

The organisers have ensured that safeguarding is enforced during the event. The appropriate staff have been employed to meet our safeguarding policy and procedures and the correct services will be provided throughout the event in case of a raised concerns. The organisers are present during the event, have access to all staff areas and are in constant contact with the Event Control Manager, Site Safety Manager and Security Manager in case of any raised concerns that required their attention and assistance.

Event Control Manager

The Event Control Manager is present for the duration of the event. The event manager ensures that all staff are fully trained on the safeguarding policy and procedures beforehand. The event control manager has constant contact with all staff members using a two-way handheld transceiver which all staff have.

Site Safety Manager

The Site Safety Manager is present during the event, has undergone all the relevant safety training needed to fulfil this role, oversee staff and implements the safety requirements during the event. All the necessary and legal safety requirements for this event have been adhered to, planned well in advance of the dates of the event, and are legally documented for the event and council records.

Security Manager

The Security Manager is present during the event and is responsible for the security team. The Security Manager has constant contact with the Event Control Manager, Site Safety Manager, Security Team and Medical Team. The security manager enforces the stationing and shifts of their team that has been signed off by the Site safety manager who has had previous visits to the site to know all key areas of the site, such as, but not limited to, the entrances to the venue.

Security Staff

We have above the legal requirement of security staff needed for this event and are present at all times. All exit and entrances are manned, the site is patrolled, and a security member is stationed within the event control office at all times. Every security member is in constant contact with each other, the Security Manager, Site Safety Manager, Event Control Manager and Medical team on site. The security team will be wearing security uniform/high visibility vest to be easily identified.

Stewards

Stewards patrol the event at all times in case of any attendee needing any assistance. The stewards will be wearing a steward vest to be easily identified and are able to make direct contact with the security team and management.

Ticketing staff

Ticketing staff are stationed at all of the entrances and exits to ensure the ticketing procedure is followed correctly. Ticketing staff are authorised to bag search and request to see your ID if required.

Volunteers

We may use volunteers during our event. These volunteers will be there to help with the general running’s of the event but will also receive a copy of our safeguarding policy and procedure and be included in any on site staff meetings to ensure our policy and procedure is adhered to.

Medical Team

We have a medical team on site at all times. They are in constant contact with security, stewards and management and are located in the medical office.

Safety stations:

All staff members have access to the safety stations and are able to direct and assist attendees to these stations. All safety stations are clearly shown on the site map, which is on the event flyer that gets handed to every attendee upon arrival. It is posted onto our social media pages prior to the event and is clearly marked on the site maps which are sign posted in a minimum of two main areas of the event.

Medical Marquee

We have a medical office on site which is open to all attendees throughout the duration of the event. The location of the medical office may change from year to year but it is clearly marked on the site map.

On Site Ambulance

The on-site ambulance is situated very close to the medical marquee in case of an emergency.

Designated Child and Young people Safeguarding Officer (DSO): Gareth Gwynne-Smith

Lead designated Safeguarding officer : Sarah Atkey

Site Safety Officer Tony Whiting

Event Control Manager: Jay Ross

Security Manager: Sarah Atkey

In the rare instance of a child being reported missing the parent/guardian would not be required to document the report of concern in the first instance. The member of staff who has had the concern raised to will immediately report to the 'Child and Young Person Safeguarding Officer' who will alert all managers and security. During a missing child concern, all exits will be monitored and no adult with a child will be permitted to leave the site until the child can be identified as their own, or the missing child is located. Every child has a children's wrist band with their information on it in order for staff to easily identify an unaccompanied child. If staff see a child unaccompanied in the arena area, they will notify event control who will then inform the Safeguarding lead. They will attend the location, and the child will be taken to the Merch Tent where they will stay with the child until they are re united with parent. If staff see a child unaccompanied in the camping area, they will notify event control who will then inform the Safeguarding lead. They will attend the location, and the child will be taken to the family camping area where they will stay with the child until they are reunited.