Standon Calling: East Herts Council grants licence for new-look festival from 2026

Standon Calling can be revived from next summer after East Herts Council agreed to grant a new premises licence for the festival.

Alex Trenchard, founder of the festival at his family estate, Standon Lordship, is planning a series of eight one-day events over two weeks rather than a single four-day festival as in the past.

The event was postponed in 2024 and did not happen this year either, but will be allowed from next year after the council’s licensing sub-committee decided at a meeting on Friday (Sept 26) to grant the new licence.

Mr Trenchard said that “rising costs” had made the business model used until 2023 “difficult to manage”.

He said: “The reason why Standon Calling festival has endured for so long is that we have done so with the support of our local community. There have been bumps along the road, but we’ve always attempted to address any issues that have arisen.

“The application… is for a series of events over a two-weekend period between May and September to allow us to put a series of shows on, but individual day shows rather than overnight camping shows.

“This licence is part of my efforts to ensure that a festival that has been a part of the community since 2006 continues.”

Mr Trenchard claimed that as many as 3,000 residents of Standon and Puckeridge have attended previous festivals, though two residents raised objections to the plans for a new licence, citing concerns about noise and traffic.

In previous years, around 17,000 festival-goers have attended Standon Calling, but the festival will be able to have a capacity of 30,000 from 2028, with a staged increase from 20,000 in 2026.

There will also be an earlier finish time than in previous years. Rather than playing music until as late as 4am, the main stage will finish at 11pm and only smaller bars will continue playing music until 2am.

The bars are designed to cater exclusively for “boutique camping” guests, with Mr Trenchard hoping around 500 campers may be allowed through a separate temporary event notice.

Another change will be made to access arrangements, with up to three entry and exit points around the festival rather than the single point used in previous years.

Hertfordshire police had initially objected to the plans, but they rescinded their objection after Mr Trenchard agreed to conditions, including submitting a yearly event management plan and having some staff wear body-worn cameras.

Dates for next year’s event have not yet been announced, but they will be confirmed at least six months before the first day of the festival.