It’s no secret that Bristolians love a festival. As a city renowned for its music scene, a festival is the perfect place to kick back, let down your hair down and have a dance to some great tunes. It’s no wonder that there’s a huge choice of parties in the city and surrounding areas that thousands of revellers flock to each year. However, while cost-of-living crisis continues to influence people’s spending habits and the events industry faces relentlessly rising production costs, many UK festival organisers are finding themselves in a difficult situation where previously loyal punters are turning away from the traditional festival format.
That’s where Homestead comes in. Founders Jess and Will Lardner are rewiring the way a festival can be run, scaling back the size to focus on community instead, creating an experience that people can feel a part of, rather than being just a ‘face in the crowd’.
We caught up with Jess and Will to learn about their plans for the festival and how they’re doing things differently…
Can you tell us about the ethos of Homestead?
At its heart, Homestead is about bringing good people together in a beautiful place. It’s rooted in community, curation and comfort – we’ve stripped away the stress, kept the joy, and added a few surprises along the way. It’s a space to let loose, feel connected, and remember what a good weekend with your people should feel like.
You’re both well-versed in the industry, with years of organising under your belts. What drew you to the festival industry?
Will: I’ve always loved that feeling of being in a field with thousands of people who’ve all chosen to be there for the same reason – it’s magic.
Jess: Same here. From the beginning just fell for the energy of festivals – they’re these temporary worlds you get to create from the ground up, and this time everything we build is just by us.
How has your experience influenced your decision to start Homestead?
We’ve both worked on some brilliant large-scale events, but we wanted to create something smaller, slower, and more personal. Homestead is the result of years spent learning what works and what we’d do differently if we ever got the chance to do it our way.
You patented the name five years ago – how and when did the idea start to come to fruition?
It’s been bubbling for a while. The name came first – Homestead just felt right. And over the years we kept jotting things down: ideas for a stage here, a drinks policy there. We had actually held events on the site before, but it wasn’t until we visited Fern Hill Farm with Homestead in mind that everything clicked. That was our “this is it” moment.
You’ve really emphasised the importance of community in the festival – what does that mean to you, and how are you planning to manifest it at Homestead?
For us, it’s about creating an environment where people feel part of something, not just attendees. From working with local producers to curating spaces that encourage conversation – it’s about connection. You’ll arrive with mates, and leave with more.
Two things that really set Homestead apart are the limited capacity and the over-25 age limit. What led you to both of these decisions?
We wanted to keep things intimate – no getting lost in a crowd, no queues at the bar. And as for the over-25s thing, we love a good knees-up, but we also wanted to offer a space where people could party at their own pace. It’s still wild, just in a slightly more refined way.
Do you think there’s been a push for a more boutique experience in recent years? Why do you think that is?
Definitely. People want more than just a line-up – they want an experience. Something thoughtful, well put together, and a little bit special. The big festivals are amazing, but there’s real appetite now for events where you’re not just a face in the crowd.
Homestead is much smaller than a lot of festivals that you’ve worked on before, like Love Saves the Day and Forwards, and even Shindig. How has the process been different? Do you prefer working at a smaller scale?
There’s something really lovely about having full creative control – you notice every little detail and every decision feels personal. It’s a different kind of pressure, but also more rewarding. We’ve loved being able to say “yes” to ideas we truly believe in, without needing to scale them up for 20,000 people.
Despite the scaled-back size, the line-up has some huge names. How did you choose your acts and artists? Did you have a particular vibe in mind for the performers?
Totally. We wanted artists who feel right for the setting – music that lifts you up or catches you off guard in the best way. Some of our bookings are people we’ve worked with for years, others are acts we’ve always dreamed of booking but never had the right stage for. Until now.
Bloody Marys and breakfasts included in the price of a ticket?! Now that’s our kind of festival. How have you been able to offer these kinds of perks while keeping the festival affordable?
We see those little touches as essential, not extras. You need to drive or bring your campervan, so we just factored it into our costs rather than pass the cost onto the guest. Everyone’s got their eye on the cost of living, and we wanted to build some value into the ticket so people feel looked after. Plus, it just makes mornings more fun. And a lot more sociable.
Organising something like this must have been a huge task. How have you found the process so far? Has it been daunting at all?
Daunting, yes. But also exciting. We’ve got a brilliant team around us, and it helps that we’ve both been through this a few times before. This time, it feels more personal – so there’s definitely been more late nights and slightly-too-many WhatsApp messages.
Is this your first time working together as a duo? How’s your working relationship?
We’ve been together for 13 years and have worked together pretty much since we met. Within about a month of meeting, we were renovating a bungalow that Will had just bought. We also started a regular night at a club in Cambridge where Will DJ’d and Jess ran the door. Not long after that,we started Shindig, so we know how each other thinks and operates. We both bring different things to the table – Will dreams big and Jess keeps it moving. It’s bonkers at times, but it works!
What are you looking forward to most at the festival?
That golden hour moment when the sun’s setting over the hills, music’s flowing, and everyone’s got that “this is it” grin on their face. That’s what we do it for. We’re building Homestead to last. This isn’t a one-off – it’s the beginning of something we hope becomes a little ritual for everyone who joins us.
