SUNRISE Festival says it is ‘thrilled’ with the success of its event, which was staged for the first time at its new location of Thoulstone Park, near Chapmanslade, at the weekend.
Sunrise: Another World was held on the former golf course between Thursday 30th May and Sunday 2nd June, attracting close to 7,000 visitors to the site over the course of the weekend.
Visitors were welcomed into the festival’s ‘micronation homeland’ to engage with an abundance of workshops and activities, talks and debates, and enjoyed music from a variety of genres over several stages. The site was divided into different ‘micro regions’ with different themes to each area.
For the past seven years, the festival has been held at locations in Somerset, but this year, boosted by sunny weather and its move to Chapmanslade, organisers say it has been ‘one of the most memorable’.
Dan Hurring, festival director said, “We’ve been thrilled with our new site at Thoulstone Park in Chapmanslade. We’ve had nothing but glowingly positive comments about how picturesque it is, and we’ve had a great reception from the local people, with a huge number of them in attendance.
“We’ve been blessed with fantastic weather for most of the weekend which has been glorious and definitely contributed to making it one of the most memorable years yet.
“The site has enabled the micro-region concept to work really well, with a sense of space between each for reflection. There are a few tweaks we will make for next year, taking on board comments and feedback from visitors. Overall it’s a fantastic home for the Sunrise Micronation.”
Promoting itself as ‘the UK’s leading sustainable music and arts festival,’ the family-friendly festival’s ethos is built on the spirit of ‘love, freedom, community, creativity, and environmental sustainability.’
In the run up to the festival, local residents raised concerns about noise, disruption, and traffic chaos. Although Wiltshire Council acknowledged the concerns, it said the issues had been ‘appropriately addressed’ in the festival’s management plan and granted a licence for the event.
