USEFUL INFO

how to find us

directions

If you use Google maps the site is on there marked as ‘Almscliffe Valley’ – if you search for that it should take you to the site entrance.

The closest permanent landmark to the festival site is the Square and Compass pub in North Rigton, postcode LS17 0DJ for other Sat Navs.  From the little roundabout by the pub go up Rigton Hill, heading uphill. As the houses run out the road goes downhill through some trees. After a national speed limit sign the road bends round to the left. Continue 150 yards further and the site entrance is on your left just before a ‘priority over oncoming vehicles’ road sign. The fencing and gate at the entrance are painted sage green so you’ll know you’ve reached the right place!

///what3words site entrance location:      ///shelters.natural.sideboard

Google Maps / Apple Maps site entrance location: 53.942950, -1.579923 
Type that into the search in either app on your phone and it will centre on the site entrance.

by taxi

If you are being picked up by a taxi we ask that you try to arrange to be picked up from the site entrance. The above info should be sufficient to guide your drive there.

If it’s only possible to be picked up from a landmark then the nearest one is the Square and Compass pub which is a ten minute walk from the site. Please be aware that this walk is along a fairly narrow, tree-lined, un-lit country lane so it’s not exactly ideal!

In any event, if exiting the site Friday or Saturday night, please do so as quietly as possible. The farm have had a couple of complaints this year so there’s some sensitivity around this.

If you’re arriving by taxi we suggest you give your driver  the ///what3words location or map cooridinates. Failing that, ask them to go to the Square and Compass and then guide them on to the site using the directions above.

Alongside Uber, local firms are:

Premier: 0113 288 8855
Harrogate Cars: 01423 810777
Freedom Taxis: 01423 595959

arrival / parking

Please familiarise yourself with the site map further down this page. Please take note where you will be camping, where you need to park / where to drive and finally where the entrance into the festival area is.

Please aim to arrive between 10am and 3pm on Friday. The darker blue arrows on the site map are the route to follow. You will be met by a team member at the entrance to the camping field where you will register your arrival and collect wrist bands. You can then proceed into the camping field, pull over to unload your stuff and then continue on to park in the parking field. From collecting wristbands please observe a dead-slow, max 10mph speed limit as there will be children around. Not all camping pitches are equal with some on a slight slope and it will be first come first served so arrive early if you’re keen to secure a decent pitch. Please pitch up considerately as we have lots of tents to fit in! We do politely request that everyone be on-site by 3pm but if you really can’t arrive before then please email or message John! No vehicles in the camping field to go past the green fences at any time please.

Please aim to arrive between 10am and 3pm on the Friday. You will be met by a team member at the entrance to the camping field where you will register your arrival and collect wrist bands. Please then follow the darker blue arrows through the camping and parking fields to the area for campervans.

Glamping tents are numbered. You will be given your number in advance of the event. We ask that you identify the location of your tent from the site map below so you know where it is.

Please collect wristbands on arrival, park in the parking field and carry your stuff down to the glamping field. If your glamping tent is in the general camping field (tent numbers 1 – 7), feel free to pull over to unload your stuff in the camping field before continuing on to park in the parking field.

No vehicles in the glamping field at any time, including Sunday for safety reasons. Thanks for your cooperation with this!

Please can you have completely vacated your pitch by 11am the following morning to make room for Saturday-only people and be on your way by midday.

Camping arrival details as above only there will be no one handing out wristbands on arrival. Please arrive between 9:30am and midday, get pitched up and collect your wrist bands from the bar tent or ask for Ian. 

Please collect wrist bands from the team member at the entrance to the camping field and then follow the darker blue arrows straight into the parking field to park up. Please arrive between 11 and 3 if possible. The bar is open with DJ on from midday.

Please follow the darker blue arrows straight into the parking field to park up and then collect wrist bands from the bar tent. Please arrive between 9:30am and midday. Kids activities start from 9:30am with DJs on from 10am.

site map

Kids Safety

This is a private event that you attend in the knowledge that your kids are entirely your responsibility and there will be no other liability in the event of any accidents. The site is set 200m down a track off a fairly quiet country road so we’re well away from cars.

The event is private and invite-only so all attendees will be friends or friends-of-friends. We are not near any public footpaths so it should only really be attendees on site.

In terms of potential hazards there is a stream running along the northern fence line of the site. It’s very small and in summer won’t have much water in it. There’s a drop down to it of around a foot or so at the points it’s accessible. In the north-east corner of the site there is a very small bridge that crosses the stream and it runs a little deeper here.

There is also a pond in the glamping area. Much of the edge of the pond will be thick with reeds in August though the water is directly accessible at plenty of points and the water is deep enough to be hazardous for small children and would certainly be difficult to get out of because of silt and weed.

Whilst we are keeping vehicles on-site to an absolute minimum there will unavoidably be some as follows:

  • Bands coming and going both days
  • Saturday AM: Friday single-night campers leaving and Saturday single-night campers arriving
  • Saturday AM: Toilet company on-site early to service portaloos throughout the site.

We will have open log fires burning in our fire pits both nights from around 8pm.

Finally and perhaps the greatest risk, there is potential for injury around the bouncy castle and inflatable slide which we would stress are unsupervised. There were a couple of bumps last time and we wish to be clear that children use these at their own risk.

It is highly preferable if parents supervise their kids when they’re using these facilities. Given that in reality this won’t always be the case, we politely request that you clearly brief your kids on usage guidelines ahead of them being set loose! No shoes, nothing sharp and no food or drink on any inflatable. Also no climbing onto the upper parts of inflatables which creates the risk of a fall. Please wait your turn to avoid any inflatable getting too busy. Please be mindful of other children – take care around younger kids on the bouncy castle and please don’t start sliding down the slide until any kids at the bottom are out of the way.

It is generally going to be a safe environment but this is a private friends event and your kids are your responsibility both with respect of their safety and the safety of others. You checked a box when signing up waiving the organisers from any liability in the event of property damage, property theft, or for personal injury, disability or death. We’re just gently reminding you here of this ahead of the event as whilst the waiver covers everything, the greatest risk feels like it’s around kids.

What's On

There will be separate banners on-site showing the schedule for the stage and the kids area.

KIDS tuck shop

We will once again be operating a kids tuck shop run by the kids for the kids! Each child is eligible to do a half hour stint at the shop, working in pairs. The way this works is that you supply your child with sweets, crisps treats etc. to sell,  they sell what they can in their half hour ‘shift’ and can keep the money from any sales.

MONEY

Our food vendors & coffee/milkshake trailers all take cash or card. There will be merch for sale for adults and kids – again card or cash payments welcome. The one thing you will definitely need a bit of cash for is the kids tuck shop as mentioned above. We won’t be doing change so if you’re bringing kids please arm them with a few 50ps / £1 coins!

PHOTO / VIDEO

If you end up posting any photos / videos to your social feeds please add the hashtag #hopestock25

I personally would love copies of any good photos / videos, so after the event it’d lovely if you could message me with any you’re happy to share!

We will have an official photographer and videographer working the event. Links to what they capture will be shared in the facebook group afterwards and there will be free downloads available so you can get copies of whatever you want. I may post certain things on my personal facebook account and the videographer, who is doing this as a favour, may use the video for promotional purposes.

If you’re not happy with you or your children being photographed / filmed, please make this request to the photographer / videographer at the time and they’ll be happy to respect the request.

OTHER IMPORTANT INFO

i) Well behaved dogs are welcome but must be kept on a lead in both the camping and festival areas at all times. There may be livestock in adjacent fields and we did have one biting incident last time.

ii) The bar is open 12pm – 12:30am Friday, 10am – 12:30am Saturday. All attendees get unlimited soft drinks. Adult soft drinks are available from the bar at any time, kids drinks will be set out on a dedicated table. Those with an all-inclusive booze wristband get unlimited alcoholic drinks. If you just want a couple or three alcoholic drinks per day then there’s the option to buy drinks tokens which must be bought in advance of the event. These can be exchanged at the bar for: cocktail / pint / large wine / large spirit and mixer etc.

Beer / cider is self-serve, everything else (cocktails, wine, fizz, spirits, shots) is via the bar. If a beer tap runs dry please inform the bar team so they know to change the barrel. The bar shuts each evening at 12:30 and there is no entry after that time. We will leave out plenty of beers and bottles of spirits / wine for those who  still have a raging thirst! Your wristband indicates to the bar team whether you’re on the all-inclusive. Please note there will be no alcohol available to purchase at the event and we politely request no drinks are bought to the site. If you want to drink booze you need an AI wristband or drinks tokens which must be bought when you sign up.

One final point on booze, I am having to estimate how much of lot of different types of alcoholic beverage a large number of people will drink over 2 days which is a lot of guesswork. We will have more than enough alcohol overall to see us through – I assure you of that – but some individual things will inevitably run out towards the end of each day just to forewarn you. It’s a one-off event and I can’t return stuff so that’s just how it has to be. I’m sure you won’t struggle to find something else to sup on ;o)

We are being as eco-friendly as we can, using compostable and recyclable cups. We have plenty but not enough for continued single-use and want to discourage single-use anyway to keep it green so please re-use / re-fill where possible!

iii) We have 3 food vendors, an iced coffee / milkshake trailer and a coffee van so a range of food will be available (to buy) at any given time with plenty of options for kids and those with dietary requirements. Payment can be made by card or cash. You’re obviously welcome to bring your own snacks / food should you wish but…. point iv)…

iv) No fires or BBQs at all (camping stoves off the ground are fine)

v) Water – there is one tap located within the festival area delivering safe drinking water (see the plan for location). This one tap is to serve everyone so please use it considerately and avoid unnecessary water spillage onto the ground as it could get boggy!

vi) The Kids area – big tent and activity marquee – is where all kids activities will take place through the day including face painting and a glitter bar both days, the latter of which is very much for adults too! From 6 / 6:30pm both evenings we will be screening kids TV programmes and movies on a large TV. Please ask your children not to change DVDs themselves. It’s expensive hired-in equipment and we ask that only adults operate it. Thanks.

The circus skills workshops that take place both days are drop-in sessions for up to a maximum of 24 kids at a time.

vii) I’m intentionally repeating myself in asking that you please ensure your children are aware that there is no footwear, nothing sharp and no food / drink allowed on the bouncy castle and inflatable slide. Please also be aware that they are unsupervised. Children use these subject to your permission and at your own risk! By the nature of the activity there is the potential for injury. You shoulder this risk if you allow your children to use them and our recommendation is that you supervise their use of these facilities at all times. In checking the liability waiver on the sign-up form you agreed to indemnify the organisers of any liability in the event of an accident.

viii) Key stuff to bring includes: something to sit on, warm clothing for the evening, torches, powerbanks, festival wipes (a surprisingly refreshing alternative to a shower!)… See the FAQ below for more details.

ix) After hours – amplified music will stop around midnight both nights to be fair to those camping with kids as well as nearby residents. For those wishing to carry on there will be an after-hours acoustic jam around the fire pit. Any musicians are very much encouraged to bring an instrument!

x) If you wish to leave the site at any time during the event that is fine of course. Please observe the dead slow 10mph speed limit and exit quietly to respect local residents.

xi) Please note there is no first aid provision on-site. The nearest A&E is Harrogate District Hospital Emergency Department.

xii) There is no electric / nowhere to plug in on-site so please come with everything fully charged and armed with power banks!

xiii) Our site hire gives us the use of 3 fields: the main field which is split into the festival area and glamping, the parking field and the camping field. All attendees need to stay within these 3 fields please at all times (as well as the arrival track of course). All adjacent fields are strictly out of bounds and the farm have been very clear that they are not to be entered. Please brief your kids accordingly!

If you are leaving the site Friday or Saturday evening please be super respectful of local neighbours! The farm have had a couple of complaints this year so there’s some sensitivity around this. If going home by taxi, it’s best if you can arrange to be collected from the site entrance. If you need to walk to the Square & Compass for collection please keep volume levels as low as possible. Thanks!

xiv) We will have a Whatsapp group designed to help you locate your child if you don’t know where they are. Details to follow.

DEPARTURE

There will be breakfast available from our caterers Sunday morning but outside of that the plan is to pack up and go home. Please can glampers have vacated their tents by 11:30am. All campers / glampers / campervans to have vacated the site completely by midday please. No cars in the camping or glamping areas please. Campers can pull up alongside the green fence in the camping field (as on arrival) to load up.

the important stuff

Frequently Asked Questions

You can sign up any time between now and the 30th June 2025 / until the event sells out. We need to know final numbers by then to allow us to finalise logistics and start buying booze!

At the point of sign up you’re welcome to pay in full or a 50% deposit will secure your place. The balance payment is due by the 31st May 2025 please!

Check the ‘What’s On?’ page where performance and kids activity times will be announced nearer the time.

FRIDAY 29th AUG

10am – 3pm Arrival / pitch tents. 
12pm Bar opens
12pm DJ
1:30pm – 8pm Live music 
12pm onwards Kids activities 
8pm – 12am DJS
12:30am Bar closes
12:30am After hours acoustic session around the fire pit. Bring an instrument!

SATURDAY 30th AUG

9am onwards Kids activities
10am DJs
11am Bar opens
12pm – 8:30pm Live Music
8:30pm – 12am ‘Rave In A Field’ 
12:30am Bar closes
12:30am After hours acoustic session around the fire pit. Bring an instrument!

SUNDAY 31st AUG

10am – 3pm Event team break down and clean up
12pm Campers to have vacated the site by this time please (from midday onwards suppliers will be onsite breaking down fencing, staging etc. so we need everyone to be out of the way for then please)

As the date approaches we will update the ‘What’s on?’ page with a full time line of activities and performances. There will also be signage at the event detailing timings. 

Arrival is any time between 10am and 3pm on Friday. Campers can drop off kit in the camping field before proceeding to park in the parking field. Glampers please parking the parking field and then locate your bell tent. Please observe a dead slow max speed limit of 10mph at all times when driving within the site for the safety of children. No vehicles permitted at any time (including Sunday) in the camping and glamping areas.

For safety of children playing we politely ask everyone to be on site by 3pm Friday. If you are only able to arrive later, please let us know in advance and drive with extreme caution. 

Saturday only campers, please arrive on site by 10am Saturday morning if at all possible and drive dead slow, being mindful of children playing.

•  Picnic blankets, camping chairs etc. for sitting around outside.
•  Baby wipes / festival wipes!
•  Toilet rolls
•  Warm clothing for the evening – we’re on higher ground and there’s no indoor space so it’s likely to be chilly in the evening!
•  Cash to pay for purchases from food vendors and for kids to spend in the tuck shop.
•  Sun cream / hats.
•  Campers: a torch is a must and also some sort of battery powered lighting for your tent.
•  Power banks for charging phones.
•  Baby wipes / make up remover for kids getting their faces painted.
•  We’re in a field so suitable footwear – walking shoes etc.
•  Wellies and changes of clothes for kids in case they get wet in the stream.
•  Dancing shoes :o)

There is one tap on site that provides safe drinking water and is located in the festival area next to the bar. Please help yourself to water at any time and consider bringing suitable containers to fill for your requirements.

Please try not to let the tap run onto the ground to avoid making the area around it boggy.

Yes of course. There will be good quality male and female event toilets. There will be a supply of toilet rolls but it may run out so we’re advising everyone to bring a couple.

So it turns out that portashowers are bloody expensive so no, there will be no showers. A couple of people have asked about the scope for using solar / camping showers that they might bring themselves. If more than one family shows a genuine interest in this we will create a private area where such showers can be hung up.

As a festival style alternative we very much recommend the bath towel size ‘festival wipes’ available from Home Bargains and also from Amazon here.

In a word, no. There is no electric hook up for any form of camping and there’s nowhere within the festival site to plug into. Therefore please bring power banks for phones and make sure any lights etc. are battery powered.

Hopestock is an invite-only, friends event with no public ticketing which means we are able to keep it as private event. This means we are able to avoid the need for the likes of security, event licence, insurance and a whole host other things which would otherwise be required and helps us keep our pricing affordable.

There are a few key things to be aware of:

i) Everyone in attendance is at most once removed, from me (John) the organiser and it’s a friends event so we don’t feel the need for security.

ii) There is no medical tent. We’d recommend bringing along first aid basics like plasters, alcohol wipes etc. In the event of a more serious injury the nearest A&E is at Harrogate District Hospital, HG2 7SX.

iii) We don’t have liability insurance. In terms of risk / liability we’d suggest you see the event in the same way as a big gathering round your friends’ house. You accept the risks around personal injury and loss in attending. As a friends event I’d hope that is a given but just to cover ourselves we ask that you tick a box on the sign-up form to show that you formally agree to waive the organisers of liability in the event personal injury, damage to property etc. should that arise at the event.

iv) We don’t sell tickets. We ask you to ‘sign up’ to attend and the cost of your attendance is your contribution to the running cost of the event. I will not hold my friends to ransom so if you want to cancel any time up till the 1st June 2025 you are free to do so and will get a full refund. If you cancel after the 1st June you will get refunded most of what you paid. After that date we start buying things for the event (drinks etc.) that are specific to the number of people coming so we will retain a modest amount to cover this. If the event can’t go ahead for whatever reason, the likelihood is that we will look to reschedule in which case you can transfer forward to the new date or get a refund.

The event finances are formally handled by a partnership made up by John & Helen Hope. We take on the financial risk of running the event and when you pay us to attend, please consider your money safe. There are no legal terms and conditions to cover this – we consider the holding of funds and the issue of any refunds where required to be done in good faith in the spirit of this as a friends get together.

The site is set 200m down a track off a fairly quiet country road so we’re well away from cars. 

The event is private and invite-only  so all attendees will be friends or friends-of-friends. We are not near any public footpaths so it should only really be attendees on site.

In terms of potential hazards there is a stream running along the northern fenceline of the site. It’s very small and in summer won’t have much water in it. There’s a drop down to it of around a foot or so at the points it’s accessible.  These are indicated on the site map above. In the north-east corner of the site there is a very small bridge that crosses the stream and it runs a little deeper here. 

There is also a pond in the glamping area. Much of the edge of the pond will be thick with reeds in August though the water is directly accessible at plenty of points and the water is deep enough to be hazardous for small children and would certainly be difficult to get out of because of silt and weed.

Whilst we are keeping vehicles on-site to an absolute minimum there will inavoidably be some as follows:

  • Bands coming and going both days (via the access track along the northern boundary – see site map)
  • Saturday AM: Friday single-night campers leaving and Saturday single-night campers arriving
  • Saturday AM: Toilet company on-site early to service portaloos  

There is also potential for injury around the bouncy castle and inflatable slide  which we would stress are unsupervised. There were a couple of bumps last time! Children use these at their own risk!

Finally, we will have open log fires burning in our fire pites both nights from around 8pm.

It is generally going to be a safe environment but this is a private event and your kids are your responsibility.

This is covered in the points above but just to re-iterate for absolute clarity, Hopestock is a private event and you and those in your party attend at your own risk. When signing up you will need to tick a check box to waive the organisers of responsibility for any personal injury or property loss or damage that you may incur.

We urge particular caution with regard to your children around water hazards, vehicles, fire and on the bouncy castle / inflatable slide. 

For those signed up for alcohol we will have: self-serve, hand pull real ale from our friends at Ilkley Brewery; large self-serve ice boxes full of craft beer; bag-in-box proper cider; a manned bar serving cocktails, spirits & mixers, wine and fizz. For kids and ‘no alcohol adults’ there will be a table of self-serve soft drinks including fizzy drinks, squash, fruit juice and water.

Please try and re-use cups where possible to minimise waste and try to use the recycling facilities.

We have 3 food caterers on-site serving breakfast, lunch and dinner from Friday lunch through till Sunday breakfast. All three will have kid friendly options & veggie / vegan options.

In addition to these 3 we also have a coffee van serving coffee, tea and pastries.

All 4 caterers will be taking card and cash payments.

As is standard at festivals you are welcome to bring your own food and snacks. No BBQs or open fires please. The field must be left as we find it!

You will find bins dotted around the site. Please use these to help keep the camping and festival areas nice for everyone! Campers, please clean up after yourselves and leave your pitch as you found it.

All bins are general waste but strictly no sharps (inc needles) or glass. Any glass waste please take to the bar tent though we would prefer no glass bottles to be brought to site if possible.

All bins are general waste but strictly no sharps (inc needles) or glass. Any glass waste please take to the bar tent. You will spot our big waste container just north and across the entrance track from the camping field. You are welcome to put bagged up mixed waste in here. It will be taken to a processing plant after the event for sorting so that we can recycle as much as possible.

Dogs are welcome but must be kept on a lead at all times in both the festival and camping areas please.

Please ensure your children are aware that there is no footwear and no food / drink allowed on the bouncy castle and inflatable slide. Also no climbing on the higher parts of the inflatables on account of the risk of falling. Please also be aware that these ‘activities’ are unsupervised. Children use these subject to your permission and at your own risk! By the nature of the activity there is the potential for injury. You shoulder this risk if you allow your children to use them and our recommonendation is that you supervise their use of these facilities at all times. In checking the liability waiver on the sign-up form you agree to indemnify the organisers of any liability in the event of an accident.

Yes and there is no additional cost for parking. See the site map.

Almscliffe Crag is a local scenic spot / viewpoint from where you’ll have a great view down onto the festival site. If you’d like to get away from the festival for a couple of hours, or perhaps you’re coming without kids and are looking for a Saturday morning activity, then climb the crag! It’s a bit of a scramble in places but pretty easy even for children. There is parking here, less than 5 minutes drive from the site: https://goo.gl/maps/5xzraKfm52LRYcNS9

Sorry but no – the field needs to basicially be left as we find it on arrival so no fires or BBQs are allowed. 

For those travelling from outside of Yorkshire it may be possible, on request, to arrive on Thursday afternoon / evening if you’re using your own tent and wanting to make a proper break of it. Please note that toilet facilities may not yet be in place and you may be asked to help out a bit! Please speak to John if you’re wanting to do this.

Both Friday and Saturday night we will have a curfew for amplified music of 12am as imposed by the site owners and to be fair to those camping with kids.  The bar will stop serving at 12:30am.

For those wanting to carry on you’re welcome to keep on the beers in the seating tent area or around the fire pits. We’d encourage those with guitars to bring them for an after hours acoustic session. 

As this is a private event we have no dedicated first aid provisions. For those with kids especially we’d recommend bringing along first aid basics like plasters, alcohol wipes etc.

In the event of a more serious injury the nearest A&E is at Harrogate District Hospital, HG2 7SX

Email info@hopestock.info or message me via facebook messenger or Whatsapp.