Editorial policy
How WarnFestivals builds and reviews festival guides so you can plan with fewer surprises — and understand where our information comes from.
Balanced, not hype
Clear updates
Transparent funding
What this means in practice
WarnFestivals publishes experience-led festival guides designed to help people make confident decisions about tickets, travel, and accommodation — not just browse lineups.
We are a festival discovery and planning website. We are not a promoter, ticket seller, or official organiser, and our content is written independently with the aim of being genuinely helpful.
Our experience
WarnFestivals is run by a long-time festival fan who has been attending and following UK music festivals for over 30 years.
That experience dates back to the mid-1990s, including events such as V96 at Hylands Park in Chelmsford, where Pulp headlined. The WarnFestivals website was first launched in 2001 and has evolved over time into a dedicated festival discovery hub.
This background shapes how our guides are written: practical, grounded, and focused on what actually affects the on-the-day experience.
What we aim to help you decide
Each WarnFestivals guide is written with the same core questions in mind:
- Is this festival actually right for the person reading?
- What planning decisions make the biggest difference to the experience?
- What do first-time visitors commonly underestimate or get wrong?
That means our guides go beyond headline announcements. We explain crowds, travel realities, accommodation choices, timing, and expectations — the factors that shape how a festival feels on the ground.
How we use sources
We prioritise primary, official sources for factual information, including:
- Festival organiser and promoter websites
- Primary ticketing partners such as Ticketmaster and See Tickets
- Official travel guidance, entry rules, accessibility information, and FAQs
Alongside this, we review recurring attendee feedback patterns from long-running community discussion and trusted platforms. Rather than quoting individual opinions, we focus on issues that appear consistently — such as crowd flow, exits, queues, transport pinch points, or weather impact.
Balanced, not promotional
We do not present every festival as suitable for everyone.
Where relevant, our guides clearly explain:
- Who a festival is best suited to
- Who may find it challenging
- Where planning decisions affect enjoyment most
This balanced approach reflects our commitment to accuracy, clarity, and user trust, rather than hype.
Updates and accuracy
Festival details change. Lineups evolve, travel arrangements update, and entry rules can be revised.
To manage this:
- We include a “Last updated” note on guides so you can see when key information was last checked
- We clearly flag when details are unconfirmed or subject to change
- We avoid speculation and do not promise performances, setlists, or special appearances
We always recommend confirming final details directly with the festival before travelling.
Independence and objectivity
WarnFestivals operates independently.
- We are not paid by festivals to promote events
- Inclusion on the site is not influenced by commercial relationships
- We aim to highlight practical downsides where relevant, such as queues, crowd density, travel pressure, or accommodation costs
Our priority is helping readers make informed decisions — even if that means a festival may not be right for everyone.
Commercial transparency
WarnFestivals includes ticket, hotel, and travel links. Some of these use affiliate tracking, which helps support the running of the site.
This never influences how festivals are described. If a festival is busy, intense, logistically challenging, or unsuitable for some audiences, we say so clearly — because long-term trust matters more than short-term clicks.
Who our content is for
WarnFestivals is designed for people who:
- Want clear, practical festival planning advice
- Prefer honest guidance over marketing language
- Are comparing festivals before committing time and money
Our guides may not suit readers looking for official announcements, insider access, or promotional coverage only.
Why trust WarnFestivals?
- Experience: Our guides are shaped by decades of attending and following music festivals.
- Transparency: We explain how our content is created, updated, and funded.
- Independence: We are not owned by a promoter or ticketing company.
- Helpful focus: Our aim is to help you decide if a festival is right for you — not to sell you on it.
Feedback and corrections
We welcome corrections and updates. If you spot something out of date or unclear, contact us via the site and we’ll review it.
FAQ
Are you the official festival website?
No. WarnFestivals is an independent festival discovery and planning site. We link to official sources so you can verify key details.
How do you decide what to include in a guide?
We focus on what helps readers make a decision and plan properly: dates, location, travel, accommodation, ticket guidance, common mistakes, and what the experience is typically like.
Where does your information come from?
We use primary official sources for factual details (organisers, ticketing partners, venue and travel guidance). We also review recurring attendee feedback patterns to highlight common real-world issues.
How often do you update guides?
When key information changes. Most guides include a “Last updated” note so you can see when details were last checked against official sources.
Do affiliate links affect your recommendations?
No. Affiliate tracking helps support the site but does not change how festivals are described. We aim to be balanced and clear about who a festival is (and isn’t) suited to.
Do you quote reviews from social media or forums?
We may summarise recurring themes, but we avoid cherry-picking single comments as “truth”. We focus on patterns that appear consistently.
How can I request a correction?
Use the site contact option to share the correction and (if possible) a supporting official link. We’ll review and update where appropriate.