Show of Hands Festival

Music, immersive moments, hot air balloons & unexpected discoveries across the fields of Gilcombe Farm. Once upon a time, festivals were swirling chaos in technicolour, a burst of music, sweat, and wide-eyed revelation. For a few precious days, we built wild kingdoms out of tents and tarps, holding back the Monday grind with sheer collective will. But, over time the edges have been polished off, and these celebrations spun into packaged, tepid spectacles. The same headliners parade through every lineup, food stands hawking the same overpriced snacks, and branding that feels like an advert in disguise. They padded the corners, watered down the drinks, and smothered real activism beneath hollow slogans. Now it’s safe and clean.. but it’s also dull as dust. We have decided to take a gamble. One that bets on people over profit, on instinct over algorithms. A celebration shaped by the collective interests of its audience, its artists, its crew. One where what you put into this World is what you get out of it. It is an enormous social experiment, exploring the power of an individual's vote. It will no longer be a passive experience where you watch, rather, it will be one where you do. This is a festival on a human scale, simple, unpretentious, real. It's a place where familiar faces replace strangers, where unexpected meetings grow into lasting bonds, and every voice counts. Families can come together: kids explore workshops, adventure, and wonder, while adults dive into music, ideas, and spectacle. Here, play is welcomed, curiosity is rewarded, and fun isn't confined to a single space. Beyond the music, you'll find talks on sustainability, social responsibility, and our impact on the world. And if the weather holds, a hot air balloon meet will take place within the festival, a brief escape before life returns to its pace. When the dust settles on the field, we’ll meet again in the Autumn. We’ll gather, friends, family, dreamers, schemers and decide what new World to build. It is in your power what ideas you bring to life, or the things you limit. The choice is yours. We begin with only one rule.