We have ticket discounts for single parents, for students, for church leaders, the unemployed and disabled, but it’s frustrating for us knowing that there are plenty of people who would get a huge amount out of Greenbelt who simply can’t afford to come. 

We scratched our heads at Greenbelt HQ wondering what we could do, and someone had an outrageous plan: why not make tickets FREE?

OK, much as we’d love to, we can’t do that for everyone. But in 2010, we created our Open Festival scheme, which seeks to give away 200 completely free tickets to those who need them most.

Getting hold of them is really easy: write a letter on one side of A4, outlining who you'd like to come and why.

Perhaps you are a group of asylum seekers or young people, or maybe you help out at a group with learning difficulties…

Send your application to the following address by 31st May. It may be that we get more applications than there are free tickets, in which case we’ll do a random ballot. Either way, you’ll be contacted by the end of June and told if you’ve been successful. If you are, you’ll be on your way to Greenbelt for the first time, for nothing. 

Open Festival
Greenbelt Festivals
All Hallows on the Wall
83 London Wall
London
EC2M 5ND

Previous applicants

In 2010, the Genesis Trust (genesistrust.org.uk) applied on behalf of a group of their Life Skills members. Life Skills is a scheme run by the Genesis Trust to help homeless and vulnerable people move forwards in their lives and make positive progress, through courses in subjects like computer skills, literacy and numeracy, practical efforts at getting people back into work, and social activities like crafts, trips out and spiritual support.

Here’s what a Life Skills member had to say about their time at Greenbelt:-

I found Greenbelt to be a positive experience.  The festival was very entertaining and social with a variety of music, seminars and activities.  The atmosphere was lively yet easy going and it was nice to attend a festival where the vast majority of people were friendly... My favourite performances were from Beverley Knight and Lovers Electric and it was a real eye opener going to the Sunday service at the Trinity church – quite different from what I’ve been used to in the past.

And it was positive from the point of view of the Trust as well. Here’s group leader Carey Skelton:-

We are still reaping the benefits of going away as a group to Greenbelt... [the Life Skills members] really enjoyed being part of a group and feeling that they belonged.