Frequently Asked Questions!
CONTENTS:
1. Accessibility
2. Consent & Boundaries
3. Covid
4. Dogs
5. Food
6. Additional Traders
7. Drinks
8. Kids
9. Venue Info
10. Surrounding Area
11. Merch & Market
12. Money
13. Parking & Campervans
14. Tickets
16. Travel
15. Water & Electricity
16. Travel
17. Language
1. ACCESSIBILITY:
The terrain is mostly flat, grassy fields with some paved courtyard. The two main stages and food will be outdoors. The indoor space has some upstairs spaces which are unfortunately only accessible via stairs. All of the ground floor is on a level and is accessible: some entrances/exits are stepped, but there are ramped alternatives. There is one fully accessible toilet outside (attached to the venue) that is accessed with a radar key. Please contact us as soon as possible if you have accessibility needs around sleeping space.
Please email us if you have any specific accessibility needs.
2. CONSENT & BOUNDARIES:
Big social gatherings can sometimes be difficult spaces to be in. Part of the DIY and anarchist ethos of the festival is that we are all responsible for our own behaviours and for acting in a way that is considerate of and respectful towards one another.
Different people have different boundaries and it is likely that we probably don't know what they are! We encourage a culture of consent where, instead of guessing or taking our own boundaries as the measure, we cultivate a habit of checking in with others before engaging in behaviours that could feel invasive, or might be harmful, or might be triggering to others. These might include hugging/touching; smoking/vaping; letting your dog interact with people; taking photographs of others.
As we have all most likely experienced, Alcohol and other intoxicating substances can make some of us over-confident and can inhibit our sensitivity to other people’s boundaries. In the interest of collectively upholding a welcoming environment that prioritises active consent, we ask that everyone tries to be aware of their own and their friends’ relationship with alcohol/substances in order to keep everyone feeling safe and to minimise the potential for harm.
We also encourage everyone to think about and be aware of the forms of privilege that they carry and the different ways that they manifest. If you have privilege in some area, perhaps there are ways you can use it to uplift or enable others. For example, if you have are confident taking space in conversation, perhaps use that confidence to create space for others to speak. If you are confident in your musical ability in a session space, back someone else in leading a tune.
Finally, we encourage a culture of taking responsibility for articulating our own needs as far as possible, and of gentle, loving speaking up and challenging of one other. This is how we learn together!
3. COVID:
The festival site comprises both indoor and outdoor spaces. The two main stages are both outdoors.
We ask everyone attending to take a covid test before coming. PLEASE DO NOT COME IF YOU ARE SICK! We can help with resale of tickets.
If you are travelling by public transport, we encourage you to wear a mask.
We ask everyone to bring their own cup for the bar, plates and cutlery if possible. There will be centralised dishwashing.
There will be some masks and tests available at the festival. There are water points (which we will signpost clearly and stock with soap) in every field, in addition to the toilets.
Please help us make the festival as safe a space for everyone to be in as we can by taking basic covid safety precautions. If you are no longer in the habit of thinking about covid, please be aware that infection rates are still high and that some people may be immunocompromised or have higher risk factors that make them more susceptible. Let's take care of each other.
4. DOGS:
We encourage you to leave your dogs at home or with a friend. Lots of people and music can be an overwhelming experience for many dogs and they can sometimes behave in non-usual ways. Although the site itself allows dogs, it is adjacent to a fast road and surrounded by sheep fields. In addition, we aim for the festival to feel as inclusive and safe as possible for all. Some people are not comfortable around dogs (particularly lots of them getting excited by each other) and there have been incidents of dog bites at previous AFFs. We also want to try and be as welcoming as possible to children.
If you have no choice but to bring your furry companions, please think about what they might need to stay as non-stressed and comfortable as possible in a noisy, crowded environment. Please keep them on a lead and clean up after them (this is a requirement of the venue). We ask that dogs stay in the outdoor spaces. If you take your dog beyond the festival site please be aware that livestock farmers may sometimes shoot at dogs off leads if there is a perceived risk of sheep-worrying.
5. FOOD:
Two Trees Catering are coordinating a people's kitchen providing lunch and dinners throughout the weekend.
They say; "We are a workers co-op and have many years of experience catering for everything from protest camps to conferences to weddings. Meals will be vegan (with some veggie options), nourishing, and tasty! There will always be gluten free options and we'll be careful of cross contamination with nuts, but come talk to us if you have other dietary requirements and we'll see what we can do. Bring your own cup and keep hold of it! Your own cutlery and a plate/bowl will be useful but we'll also have some we can provide. We're trying to keep costs as low as possible and will be relying on volunteers to help chop veg and wash up! Please sign up for a shift and come join our friendly crew."
Meals will be priced on a sliding scale:
£4 (below cost)
£6 (costs covered)
£8 (solidarity price)
You will be able to pre-purchase meal tickets when you buy your festival tickets (this will help us cover up-front costs) or you can buy it on the day.
Food will be available from Friday - Sunday. Please bring your own breakfast provisions. Tea and coffee will be available from the kitchen at breakfast times.
6. ADDITIONAL TRADERS:
We hope to invite some additional independent traders to bring you some late night junk food (If you'd like to run a food stall please get in touch!). The Workhouse runs it's own cafe which sells hot meals and breakfasts.
There will be both vegan, vegetarian and meat options onsite.
There are takeaway options and shops in Llanfyllin ten minutes walk from site.
7. DRINKS:
The festival team will be running an outdoor bar, which will have both non-alcoholic and alcoholic drinks, including herbal options, local ales and other more conventional offerings. Please support this if you can - it helps to fund the event and make it possible!
There are no restrictions on bringing in your own drinks.
The Workhouse also have a separate bar with a full range of standard drinks, including spirits.
8. KIDS:
Kids are welcome! There are free tickets for kids and reduced tickets for teens (see tickets page for details).
9. VENUE INFO:
Address: Llanfyllin Workhouse, A490, Y Dolydd, Llanfyllin SY22 5LD
This site is a former Victorian workhouse that is now owned and managed by a community trust, who bought the derelict, abandoned building and surrounding land in 2004. Since then they have been slowly restoring the building to get it back into use. The trust is open membership, and its members manage the project as volunteers.
The workhouse was built under the New Poor Law of 1834, which was designed to reduce relief to and extract labour from the poorest and most vulnerable members of society. It was a place of oppression and imprisonment, with poor living conditions and nutrition and forced labour for inhabitants. There is a history centre onsite where some of this history is documented, with the intention "to remember and celebrate those forgotten lives."
We chose this venue after lots of research into options for its amenities, its accessibility, its affordability, and because the core values of the trust and the project align with those of our own/the festival.
10. SURROUNDING AREA:
The festival site is located in a beautiful rural area of North Wales. If you are wanting to explore the area, here's a few nice things close by:
Lake Vyrnwy
Walking trails
Steam railway at Welshpool
Llanfyllin local holy well (of Saint Myllin)
11. MERCH AND MARKET:
There will be festival merch available with a design from this year's artist: [Pauli link]! And of course bands will be bringing their own merchandise. This is a great way to support the festival and your favourite bands - so remember to bring extra cash!
There will also be a DIY open market space where you can come and table your own zines, patches, handmade crafts etc. for sale or swaps. It's free to make a stall, but we do ask that you keep to the ethos of the festival (e.g. no resale of mass produced goods). We hope that this might make it easier for some of you to attend from afar... and of course, we love seeing everyone's crafts and DIY projects!
12. MONEY:
The festival is a not-for-profit event run by an unpaid organising crew. We have no external funding or supported finances.
Although this is a DIY event, there are also significant running costs.
We have not had the privilege this year of being able to host on a squatted site and so the venue is a core running cost. We will be giving some payment to the sound crew and kitchen crew, who are offering their professional services to the festival at friendly rates. We will also need to pay for marquees, legal requirements, transportation of infrastructure, lights, firewood, toilet paper... and many other small unexciting elements of making a festival happen.
Beyond core costs, we will be distributing the majority of money amongst our wonderful performers!
We estimate that this event may cost between £25-£30,000 to run. All of this will all be covered from your ticket and from merch and bar sales. We aim to keep the festival as financially accessible as we can by keeping ticket costs low and available on a sliding scale, however we appreciate your contributing to its happening by paying what you can.
Any money that isn't being used will be donated to grassroots activist or community groups.
We will hopefully be able to accept cash and card at the festival, however we encourage you to bring cash as card machines are susceptible to signal errors and it is a rural location. In addition, cash retains its value over time (where card payments mean money trickling into the hands of banks and unethical providers) and its use decreases societal reliance on systems that lend themselves to surveillance and control.
13. PARKING AND CAMPERVANS:
Parking Info: There is parking onsite for a limited number of vehicles close to the camping areas. We would strongly encourage everyone who feels able to come by public transport or by taking a lift to do so as we are concerned that the venue's vehicle capacity is significantly lower than the amount of vehicles we would all love to bring! There is a liftshare spreadsheet here.
We are however aware that some people will need to bring vehicles, for a long list of potential reasons. We do not want to restrict anyone's access to the festival by impeding their need of a vehicle. We also do not want to price vehicle tickets in such a way that creates a financial priviledge - we would like to allocate vehicle spaces based upon need. If you need to bring a vehicle, please fill in this form so that we can manage the number of vehicles on site.
Can I bring my campervan?
As stated above, we would strongly encourage everyone who feels able to come by public transport or by taking a lift to do so as we are concerned that the venue's vehicle capacity is significantly lower than the amount of vans we would all love to bring!
It doesn't really make a difference to us whether your vehicle is a car or a campervan as our main concern is whether it will fit. Some vehicles will be directed to the edge of the camping field and some will be in the carpark. As these areas are only a few metres apart we hope that drivers will be happy with parking wherever we need them to.
If you would like to bring a campervan, please fill in this form (same as above) so that we can manage the number of vehicles on site.
Do I need an additional ticket for my car/van?
No, we are a non-commercial not-for-profit festival so we will not be ripping you off by making you pay to bring your car or van, and as we have limited capacity we are trying to allocate vehicle spaces based upon need rather than financial priviledge. If you are able to travel by public transport or to get a lift, please do so.
14. TICKETS:
We aim to price our tickets in a way that is accessible, therefore they are priced on a sliding scale and we trust you to choose the tier that is most suitable to your income, personal situation and financial privilege. We have a lot of costs to make this festival happen and if we don't sell enough tickets at the mid-range level, we will not be able to make the event happen, We also have no funding or financial reserves so it would be a big help to us if you buy your ticket as early as possible to help us cover our initial up-front costs!
Please pay what you think you can reasonably afford, with reference to our sliding scale guide below.
The below guidelines are just for reference, you won’t be asked for any proof.
Below Cost (limited to 50 tickets, please only buy if you really need it!):
Frequently stressed about meeting basic needs and don’t always achieve them
Are not employed or are underemployed
Have no or very limited expendable income
Real Cost:
May stress about meeting some basic needs but still regularly achieve them
Are employed
Have some expendable income
Solidarity:
Are comfortably able to meet all basic needs
Have expendable income
We Love You AnarchaFolkFest Rate!
Feeling flush today and wanna support our grassroots experiment which has no funding?
We really appreciate you sending some extra £££ our way if you can afford to!
If you can't afford any of these rates, please send us an email on affcymru@protonmail.com and we'll see what we can sort out! We don't think that lack of money should stop you from being able to attend this event and aim to support everyone in attending the event within their means.
15. WATER & ELECTRICITY:
Drinking water will be available at points across the site.
There will be limited electric points, so we encourage you to bring power banks for your devices.
16. TRAVEL:
Public Transport
Trains in the UK are usually cheaper if you pre-book them, but can only be purchased 3 months before your journey. We recommend checking Traveline Cymru for up to date train and bus timetables, incase what we've linked below is out of date.
The closest train station is Welshpool, which is 11 miles away from the site - from there you can catch local buses closer to site.
Number 76 / 76B bus from Welshpool to Llanfyllin timetable is here. Be aware that it is rural, so there are only a few buses a day!
The closest 'big' train station is Shrewbsury which connects to bigger cities - there are a couple of buses a day between Llanfyllin/Shrewsbury, timetable here.
Drivers - if you have capacity to offer lifts in your vehicle from any of the local train stations (Welshpool / Gobowen / Shrewsbury), it would be brilliant if you can add this to the liftsharing sheet below.
Rideshare:
Reduce fossil fuel consumption, save money, make friends! To facilitate liftsharing we've set up (recycled from last year) a spreadsheet for you. If you have spare seats or need a lift, tell everyone about it here!
You are welcome to arrive at the site on Thursday. Please note that there will be no entertainment on Thursday night, but there might be lots of opportunities to help with last minute festival set-up! Otherwise please feel free to enjoy the campsite and have a quiet, restful evening after your journey and ahead of the scheduled festival programme.
Brexshit:
Yes, unfortunaetly Cymru is part of the United Kingdom and therefore if this is your first time visiting the UK or first time since Brexit, things may be a bit different when crossing the border. From April 9th 2025 most people from the EU and the rest of the world (excluding Ireland) visiting the UK will need to apply for a visitor visa, there is more information about it here. It takes around 3 days to be granted, so make sure you do this in good time. Once you have the ETA it will be valid for 2 years.
17. LANGUAGES:
Cymraeg
As anarchists we are against cultural imperialism and are for diversity and respect of different cultures, here in Wales this looks like acknowledging that the indigenous language Cymraeg has suffered a huge decline in the numbers of speakers with the rise of industry, capitalism and globalisation. The Welsh language is a living language - more than a quarter of the population of modern Cymru can speak or use Welsh despite the threats it has faced - it has had to contend with Latin, Norman French and English throughout the ages, yet has still managed to survive.. For many it is the language of everyday life and an innate part of the area’s cultural and natural heritage. We encourage you to use the original Welsh (Cymraeg) names of places when you visit Wales (Cymru) and to learn about the radical history of those who ensured it survived into the modern day.
International Languages
As organisers in a country with a minority language which is under threat, our aim is to promote and use the Welsh-language in as many of our communications (as we can manage with a DIY team, with only one fluent Welsh-speaker). Therefore, as we have limited capacity as organisers, we are not able to translate to other common languages spoken by AFF attendees (i.e. French, German, Dutch, Spanish, Portugese). We appreaciate that internationalism is part of what makes AFF special, and many people from different countries will be attending who may not be able to speak English fluently. We encourage a culture of DIY translation - feel free to make your own sineage at the festival, or organise to translate a workshop into a different language, it is up to everyone attending to help make this a multi-lingual event. For many of these commonly spoken languages translation apps can also be used (for example to translate this website) and apps can also be used in-situ during the festival for signage.
