General FAQs

Oxfam Festival volunteering is a fantastic way to attend your favourite festivals, see some amazing acts, make new friends all whilst supporting Oxfam's work to end extreme poverty around the world.

You can choose to be a steward providing directions to the festival-going public, checking wristbands, or patrolling campsites and arenas. A campaigner engaging with the public about Oxfam’s work or volunteering in one of our shops providing festival-goers with the latest fashions donated by our amazing supporters.

You will be provided with training, a dedicated campsite ‘the Oxfield’ with showers and toilets, 24/7 hot water and meal tickets.

You are supporting the festival with the smooth running of the event. In return for providing volunteers to a festival, Oxfam receives funds which help us in our work fighting against poverty.

To volunteer at a festival with Oxfam you must be 18 on the day you are required to arrive on site for your first festival. We also welcome older and more experienced individuals. It’s great to have a variety of skills and to learn from each other while enjoying the festival together.

Oxfam festival volunteering opportunities are open to everyone. We aim to create an environment that realises, challenges and utilises everyone's skills.

More information on medical and accessibility requirements.

If you are from the Common Travel Area (UK, Republic of Ireland, Isle of Man), are an EU/EEA citizen holding Settled or Pre-Settled Status, have European Temporary Right to Remain, or have a Working Holiday Visa, you have the right to volunteer in the UK. If you hold a different visa or immigration status, you need to check if you have the right to volunteer before applying.

UK immigration rules allow visitors from the EU to undertake volunteering provided it lasts no longer than 30 days in total. We are unable to support volunteer visas.

We will be updating this information in early 2024, so please check back then if you are planning on bringing children.

Some of our family-friendly festivals will allow children to attend with volunteers. However, the rules for bringing children while you volunteer may differ from the festival’s rules for the public so please check our festival-specific pages first to see if we can accept children onsite.

In most cases a child ticket is required, you will need to confirm this yourself, and if required, purchase the ticket via the festival's website directly.

Each adult volunteer steward can bring two children under the age of 18, but you need to ensure there is a designated adult to supervise them when you are on shift. This person could be another volunteer who is working different shift times to you.

If you have purchased the relevant tickets and would like to bring your children, please email us at festivals@oxfam.org.uk and we will provide you with the child form to complete.

Information required includes a photo for their ID card, an emergency contact number, and the name of the individual who will be looking after the children while you are on shift. A new form will need to be completed for each additional festival you apply for.

You will need to provide your own camping equipment such as a tent, airbed, and sleeping bag.

At festivals where we have our own caterers, you will also need to bring a plate and eating utensils.

Always bring a mug (if you don’t have one you won’t get a hot drink from the tea buggy whilst on shift) and a reusable water bottle to keep yourself hydrated.

Make sure you have clothes suitable for both extremes of weather. We recommend always bringing a raincoat, wellington boots, and a warm jumper as well as a sunhat and sunscreen. We can provide legionnaires caps, emergency ponchos, earplugs, and sun cream if needed.

Essentially, be prepared for the best and the worst weather during the same shift. And bring spare socks! Remember if you're on a shift that starts at 2pm, it may be very cold by 10pm when it finishes.

Bring some good footwear. You need good solid shoes, boots, or wellies to wear on shift, as flip-flops, open-toed shoes, and high heels are prohibited.

Please check the individual festival's website for detailed information regarding restricted items, fires, and BBQs. The use of gazebos is usually permitted but we do sometimes have limited space in our campsite so please be prepared to take it down if asked.

Caterers may not be open when you arrive on-site, bring food and drink to keep you going before the festival starts and you are able to use your meal vouchers. Noodles and cereal bars are good options.

Take a look at our 'Festivals Packing List' page for a full list of items we recommend packing.

I am afraid not. Space is limited at all festivals and allocated based on how many tickets the festivals have sold. In addition, we need to ensure your welfare while volunteering. Our insurance does not cover you staying outside the designated Oxfam area. So, if anything were to happen to you, we wouldn’t be able to help! You can of course go and visit them when you are not on shift.

Usually no, you will need to arrange your own travel to the festival.

Travelling by car, caravan or campervan

It is important to tell us during sign-up how you intend to travel as some festivals will require you to be sent a car, caravan or campervan pass in advance.

At Glastonbury, there is a fee of £35 to bring a campervan or caravan, which is used to pay for the free busses (below). At all other festivals, there is no charge for vans.

Bus service to Glastonbury

We do run a bus service to Glastonbury from Temple Meads Train Station in Bristol, which we will be running free of charge this year. You can book your bus travel via the application form after you have signed up.

Shuttle car to WOMAD

We also run a free shuttle car to WOMAD from Kemble Railway Station.

Ferry to the Isle of Wight

For the Isle of Wight Festival, we offer a free Foot Passenger only ferry, and shuttle, from Southampton to the festival site, which can be booked on your application after you have signed up.

Ferries can be subject to delays so we recommend booking an open return railway ticket if you are travelling by train.

Need a lift? We encourage the use of the liftshare scheme which enables you to search for and offer lifts exclusively to other Oxfam volunteers.

Travelling alone? Don’t worry – making new friends is easy and you’ll be joining a friendly team who will welcome you into the ‘Oxfamily’.

We want all of our volunteers to have an enjoyable and safe time at your chosen festival. So, we do ask that you abide by our volunteer agreement to ensure the safety of yourself, your fellow volunteers, and the public and staff while on-site.

As an Oxfam Festivals volunteer, you are representing Oxfam and as such are expected to behave in an appropriate manner and in line with Oxfam’s values.

Any breach, such as absconding, not turning up to a shift or unruly behaviour will not be tolerated and will mean that you will be evicted from site. You will forfeit your deposit and will be banned from volunteering at festivals again.

ALL FESTIVALS ENFORCE A NO DRUGS POLICY. Anyone caught with illegal or banned substances will be dealt with in line with our volunteer agreement and drugs policy.

Your safety and welfare while on-site are paramount to us. If you are unable to turn up for your shifts for whatever reason, please do come and speak to us. We are there to help and can often rearrange your shifts for you so that you do not risk losing your deposit.

Our upcoming festivals are: 2000 Trees, Arctangent, Bearded Theory, Beautiful Days, Boardmasters, Boomtown Fair, Download, Glastonbury, Isle Of Wight, Latitude, Leeds, Reading Festival, Shambala, Wilderness, WOMAD

See a full list of festival volunteering opportunities.

When registering with us on-site, we ask for one of the following forms of photo ID:

Photo card driving license or Provisional Photo driving license, Passport, expired Passport (providing the picture still looks like you!), Student ID card, SIA card, Proof of Age card (issued by the Police), NHS staff card, Emergency Services staff card, Civil Service ID, Military ID, European (government-issued) ID card, European photo card Driving License.