Behind the scenes: the life of a festival organiser

Priston Music Festival is a small, free weekend festival in Priston village near Bath which takes place on the third weekend in September every year. It has established a reputation for top-class acts, both national and local and for being a fun, family-friendly festival. 

But how did it all start, and what are the challenges in finding suitable performers, creating an interesting programme, recruiting volunteers, obtaining the right licences and insurances, feeding people and financing a not-for-profit festival, publicising the event and making sure the punters always have a great time?

Owain Jones has been involved with the festival since the start, and tonight he will tell us stories about the highs, the lows, the fun and the mistakes which he and the committee have experienced over the last 15 years of running this great local festival.

Owain was co-founder of Priston Festival and Chair of the charity’s Trustees from 2008 – 2024. Since 2012 he has been the main programmer for the festival, which puts on about 35 acts and other features on five stages in the small village of Priston, nr Bath. Owain is also a songwriter, and member of the Fantasy Orchestra in Bristol. With Sue, his partner, who is also a festival Trustee, they attend a number of local festivals, including running a stall at Glastonbury Festival. Owain worked in various South West universities as a cultural geographer and was appointed as the first Professor of Environmental Humanities in the UK in 2014, and was deputy director of Bath Spa University’s research centre for the Environmental Humanities from 2016 – 2019. He has published many academic papers and books.

Priston Festival 2025 website here