03/06/2026
S is for… Stu Housley 💜
One of Big Love’s co-founders and main organisers.
Sadly 2026 will be our first Big Love without Stu, as he passed away just after last year’s festival, following a short illness.
Although Stu worked tirelessly on developing Big Love for nine years, he never paid himself a penny. His motivation was the challenge of putting on a great party on a shoestring budget without compromising on quality, and his reward was seeing a diverse range of people coming together for a celebration of creativity and togetherness.
Stu loved the technical challenges of running the festival, and could turn his hand to almost anything, whether it was sound systems, lighting, plumbing or engineering. Whatever the problem, he could always come up with a solution.
He was also one of the kindest, most generous people you could ever hope to meet, always going out of his way to help others.
Although Stu truly was irreplaceable, we are delighted that his wife and daughter have now become involved in shaping the festival too.
Without Stu, there would be no Big Love Festival. We dearly wish he were still here to celebrate the event’s tenth birthday this July. As we gather together once again, we hope Big Love continues to grow as a fitting legacy to a wonderful and much missed son, husband, father, friend, and the spirit behind so much of what makes Big Love special! 🫶
