Joining
instructions
We're so pleased that you're joining us for Hartlepool Folk Festival!
Firstly, apologies for this information arriving so late. As we told you a few weeks ago, in early August, the National Museum of the Royal Navy (usually home to the daytime portion of the festival) told us it would be unable to honour our booking, as they would be carrying out large-scale maintenance work on HMS Trincomalee. With only 8 weeks to go before the festival, this has meant a huge logistical challenge in terms of moving the entire daytime portion of the event to new venues – but we’ve managed it! The festival will be wholly based on the historic Hartlepool Headland, which means all venues will be within a few minutes’ walk of each other. In addition, the venue-based events will take place surrounding our new free outdoor family festival, which will make for a brilliant atmosphere. The Headland is the loveliest part of the town, with around 1500 years of incredible history, and we think the festival will be our best yet!
Below you'll find some useful information about wristbands, tickets and the venues. We can’t wait to see you in Hartlepool!
Arriving
BOX OFFICE OPENS AT 12 NOON ON FRIDAY, 30 September. Please do not come to the ticket desk before this time - the team have a lot to set up. If they have to respond to enquiries before the official opening time, it makes the rest of a very busy day much harder. Thanks for your cooperation!
Tickets
Box Office is located in the foyer of the Borough Hall, Middlegate, Hartlepool TS24 0JD. Exchange your ticket receipt for wristbands or event tickets here. If If If you have purchased advance tickets for individual events, you MUST exchange your receipt for an event ticket at the Box Office.
Tickets will be available from Box Office for many individual events throughout the weekend.
Event Admissions Policy
Doors open approximately 30 minutes before events start. Day and weekend tickets grant, but do not guarantee, admission to any festival event. The exception is the Borough Hall, where all ticketholders can be comfortably accommodated. Having said this, moving the festival to the Headland’s larger venues means that far more people can be accommodated in all concerts, allowing for much greater flexibility.
For events where individual tickets have been pre-sold, event ticket-holders will be asked to queue separately, and when doors open (up to 30 minutes before the show) they will be admitted to the venue at the same time as Day and Weekend ticket-holders. This is to ensure that everyone holding an advance event ticket may be accommodated.
Individual events: Please check venues and individual event start times against the Festival Programme on the Website, and against any programme change notifications at Box Office. Occasionally changes do occur in the programming process, and we apologise for any inconvenience caused.
Caravans/Campervans
Caravan parking is at the National Museum of the Royal Navy, to the left of the Maritime Experience as you drive into the car park - stewards will direct you. There are portaloos, a non-potable water point, and a sanitation point for disposing of waste. The Fire Points will be signposted. Please practice good caravanning safety and keep your own fire bucket near the entrance of your vehicle. There is overnight security in the campervan area.
Please follow the instructions of the caravan site managers to your pitch. These have been laid out in accordance with the directions of our fire safety consultant and allocated distance between vehicles must be observed.
If you’ve booked a caravan spot, your Caravan Pass can be collected with your festival wristbands. Staff will take note of your vehicle reg. Please display your pass in the window of your vehicle for the duration of your stay. The hardstanding space is open from midday on Friday until midday on Monday.
Parking for Cars Accompanying Caravans
The dedicated space for caravans and motorhomes is strictly limited to live-in vehicles. Once your caravan is pitched, please move your car to the main carpark area. This allows us to keep all of the caravans and motorhomes as close together as possible, which makes them easier to monitor by our overnight security officers, and allows us to stay within the area allocated by the museum. The main parking site is very close to the dedicated hardstanding area. If you park next to your caravan, you’ll be asked by the site manager to move your car.
Parking and Getting Around
There is substantial free street parking on the Headland, as well as in the area surrounding the Borough Hall.
The Festival is operating a free bus service to take visitors to and from the site. Bus times are as follows:
The bus will pick up from the front of the NMRN, and stop immediately outside the Borough Hall. The journey time is approximately 6 minutes. If you need to eat or feel like changing for the evening, you might want to avoid the bottleneck by doing those things first and catching a slightly later bus.
Friday
4pm - 8pm, 10pm - 1am
Saturday
9am - 12pm, 5pm - 8pm, 11pm - 1am
Sunday
9am - 12pm, 5pm - 8pm, 10pm - 11pm
If you wish to go back and forth outside of the shuttle times, the Stagecoach Number 7 bus operates regularly (every 10 – 15 minutes) throughout the day and until 11pm, stopping outside the NMRN/ADSA and directly outside the Borough Hall. The timetable is available here:
Accessibility
We were not able to source a fully wheelchair-accessible shuttle coach with the capacity we required; however, the Stagecoach No7 bus is fully accessible and travels the same route as the shuttle. If you are a disabled visitor who has needs that are not served by these arrangements, please let us know your requirements in advance so that we can do our best to make alternative arrangements for you.
All venues are completely accessible.
If you are disabled and require a free carer’s/companion’s ticket, please let us know in advance.
Food and Drink
Sit-down options on the Headland are rather limited, but The Duke of Cleveland serves food, including Sunday lunches. Be prepared though - it gets very busy! Mary Rowntrees, next to the Pot House, is a new Thai restaurant. There are cafés (including another great little Thai café!) and takeaways on Northgate. We’re hoping the new Sea Shack seafood takeaway will have opened near the Town Moor, where there’s also a horsebox coffee wagon.
There will be street food options outside the Borough Hall - you are welcome to bring your takeaway into the venue. Inside, we will be serving the now-legendary Farm Shop pies, and welcoming Three Brothers Brewery from Stockton-on-Tees, who are providing our real ale bar this year. The Borough Hall also has a fully stocked theatre bar.
The Headland has some great pubs. The Fisherman’s Arms has bar snacks, including Farm Shop pies, and it’s a fantastic pub for real ales and a warm welcome. It is a festival venue, and is holding a beer festival over the weekend. The Pot House is also a festival venue and has several rooms, so it’s useful for starting your own music sessions.
That should be all the info you need prior to arrival, but if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us. We hope you have a fantastic festival.
Joan and the Festival Team