Violet Skies

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By Peter ShuttleworthBBC News

As The Sun hits The sky and nights get longer, it means Music Festival season is Almost Here - and it's not just about Pulp, Elton John and Billie Eilish .

Away from Glastonbury, Isle of Wight and Reading & Leeds, there's a boom in local, more affordable mini festivals or, as some call them, " glorified village fetes".

" They're festivals where Glastonbury meets, " said One Man who helps run one of The 800 mini festivals across The UK. " And people love it. "

So What is behind The Rise ?

More like grandiose garden parties rather than The Musical metropolis of The Massive , more famous festivals, these hyperlocal events are proving popular for their charm, accessibility and value for money.

Latest figures estimate there are 975 music festivals in The UK - with 778 classed as micro festivals, often run on a voluntary basis with a popularity not driven by headline acts.

They attract a broad age demographic and are attended by fewer than 5,000 people.

In one quaint, quiet corner of South Wales , The 2023 edition of one such festival begins on Friday.

The volunteer-run Devauden Festival in Monmouthshire has grown from a few locals on picnic blankets in a field to a three-day, 4,000-people extravaganza within 13 years.

Now it has grown to More Than twice The size of its host village thanks to a reputation of family-friendly fun, eclectic food and drink, affordable and decent up-and-coming unsigned acts.

" We wanted to provide a showcase for local talent and original music, bring The community Together and more pertinently raising some cash, " said festival organiser Jeremy Horton .

The Festival began as an ambitious project over some Friday Night beers to raise enough cash to keep their cash-strapped local village hall going.

The hall which is now, garage aside, The only community facility left in The Village just outside Chepstow.

Does The cost make a difference?

But crucially, especially in The cost-of-living crisis, organisers know their appeal is not just charm and accessibility - it is value for money.

Tickets for this Year 's festival start from £33 including camping.

" Affordability and keeping tickets value for money is really important as its part of why we're popular, " added Jeremy.

" We make sure food and drink are good value too so traders don't cash out on a Captive Audience so you'll be able to buy a pint Here for £3. 50 or £4, which is decent value.

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" Tickets for some major events These Days are scary. Especially in this financial climate, people still want to have fun and a Good Time But they don't want to or have to pay The Earth . "

" Small festivals are ridiculous, extraordinary value for money, " said John Rostron , chief executive of The Association of Independent Festivals which represents More Than 100 events.

" If you compare them to concerts, especially The Big Ones in stadiums, you can go to a festival for a third of The Price and watch 10 bands, Every Day for Three Days - and some of my favourite musical discoveries have been By Accident at festivals.

" You can also let your kids run around or play in The playgrounds and everything you want is in one place; food, drink, music, culture, literature and sometimes comedy - or you can just sit by your tent and chat with your mates.

" There are small festivals in virtually every county in The UK so you haven't got to travel distance and queue which is god from both a financial and environmental point of view. "

What do The Punters want?

Deavuden's headliners are more Rum Buffalo and Rusty Shackle than Guns N' Roses and Sir Elton John who top The Bill at Glastonbury this Year - and That 's what customers want.

" It's close to home, very well organised and there's plenty of space to sit outside, listen to great bands and musicians which suits everyone's tastes, " said Paula Simpson, 53, who lives in nearby Brockweir, near Tintern.

" Tickets are really cheap for a whole weekend of music including camping and The Volunteers make it such a fantastic weekend. "

Tracy Gorge is also returning to Devauden Festival again this Year and camping too, despite living just a few Miles Away in Chepstow.

" It is a very friendly festival, it's good fun and we love it, " She Said .

How important is The food and drink offer?

There's about a dozen savoury food outlets at Devauden this Year and A Number of sweet and drink stalls, including baker Isabel Davies who will take her creperie and cake van from nearby Coleford in The Forest of Dean.

" We cater at festivals That we'd want to go to ourselves and Devauden has a lovely vibe and so family friendly, " She Said .

" Cost of living has impacted everyone including businesses like ours as The cost of our bills and ingredients have risen.

" It's a difficult balance because you have a duty of care to customers at festivals like this to provide good, fresh food and charge a fair price That is value for money.

" But Devauden has such a wide range of high-quality food outlets, catering to everyone's Taste - That 's crucial in a festival like this and part of its popularity. "

The Most important Thing - The music

More Than 70 Welsh unsigned artists are among The acts at this Year 's festival hoping to follow in The footsteps of Boy Azooga , BBC 6 Music favourites The Bug Club and Violet Skies and get a record deal after playing Devauden.

The Apple Tree Theory are one of them and they return to a " special festival" That has " grassroots development of new bands" at its heart.

" Devauden is such a lovely festival and The Volunteers look after artists so well, they make you feel so welcome, " said The Apple Tree Theory singer and percussionist Pete " Bongo" Morgan.

" It's a great energy and helps with The Musical ecology of new Welsh music because they give a while range of unsigned bands an opportunity to showcase their talent at a real festival in front of a crowd of real music lovers. It's one of our favourite events. "

Popular Welsh act Rusty Shackle close Devauden Festival on Sunday having played at The First one in 2010.

Now their violinist Scott McKeon helps book The bands.

" We want to give The bands The chance and The Feeling to play at a proper festival and not on The back of a lorry in a Car Park in town, " said Scott.

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" We've a very eclectic mix of acts from hip-hop, ska and DJs to rock, reggae and Dub - we're not a village fete anymore, we're a Bona Fide festival. "

Festivals can foster community spirit

Devauden is in a part of The World with a rich musical heritage; Queen's epic Bohemian Rhapsody , Oasis anthems Wonderwall and Don't Look Back in Anger and Coldplay hit Yellow were and nearby Newport was once hailed " " in The 1990s.

So perhaps a Music Festival seemed natural But it was only suggested because of need to raise money to keep their 60-Year -old village hall alive for The scouts, beavers and slimming groups to use.

" The Village hall costs £20,000 a Year to run without opening The Doors and we needed a regular income for The hall, " said Jeremy Horton .

" It was about The scale of need for money, there was no way a cake stall or a car boot sale was going to do it and keep it open.

" As there's not a pub or shop in our village, it's The only place where The community can get Together - But buildings of this age need a lot of money to keep open and maintained to a good standard. "

This Year 's festival will cost a record £80,000 to stage But organisers expect to make £25,000 for their hall.

" Above all it has created a real community spirit and made Devauden a more attractive village to be a part of, " added Jeremy.

Free tickets for all villagers does help get everyone on board But many Make Up The 140-person volunteer army, many of whom take Time Off work to Set Up and clear The Festival site.

It has been a self-sustaining festival up until this Year and an economic impact assessment estimated The 2022 festival boosted The Local economy by £53,000.

But it has been awarded public funds for The First Time with a Welsh Government grant of almost £158,000 over three years, if The Festival hits certain targets.

" Since The First festival in 2010, The Event has been going from strength to strength with The aim of giving local people access to arts, cultural, sporting and community activities, " said Wales' Arts Minister Dawn Bowden .

The Council said The Event was one of Monmouthshire's annual highlights and " hugely important for The County as its many visitors help support local businesses".

" It really brings The community Together , it's a testament to The contribution That volunteers can make, as they help to support this well-attended event. Best Of all it's A Family friendly event, for everyone, " said Monmouthshire council leader Mary Ann Brocklesby.

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Source of news: bbc.com