I really wasn’t sure what to expect when I was told we’d be heading to the Fairport Cropredy Convention this summer.
Everyone knows about Glastonbury, or Reading and Leeds, but I’d never even heard of the place until we arrived there, and whilst my festival experience is minimal, Cropredy is definitely one that needs to be talked about more often.
The folk and rock festival, held every August in Cropredy village in Oxfordshire, has been running since 1980.
It’s a relatively small festival in the grand scheme of things, with a capacity of around 20,000.
It’s organised every year by a band called the Fairport Convention, who up until now I hadn’t ever listened to before.
Music started on the Thursday afternoon and the festival came to a close with a 3 hour Fairport set on Saturday night.
And despite not knowing any of the acts at all, I still had an absolute blast.
There was a vast variety in terms of the kinds of music on stage, meaning everyone left with at least one favourite performance.
But the festival was about more than who was headlining that night.
The atmosphere was unmatched: everyone is encouraged to get up and get involved, and both the attendants and the volunteers were super friendly.
One of the biggest differences between Cropredy and any other big festival would be that instead of being situated in one plot of land, the whole village gets involved.
Every morning, the sports club would open up their showers for those who wanted to freshen up, then a short walk down the road led you to the village school, where breakfasts were served up from their lunch hall.
The village is situated on the Grand Union canal, so the towpath was lined with market stalls, and even an old butty which had been converted into a bar!
During the afternoon, you could visit the Brasenose Arms pub Garden for some more live music and a drink, before heading back to the main stage for the evening performances.
The main field was lined with heaps different food vendors, so there really was something for everyone here.
I wasn’t sure what the demographic would be like, but it turns out anyone and everyone is welcome at Cropredy.
Married couples who have been coming every year since the 80’s, and families carrying on old traditions with their young children.
I’d go as far as saying that this is one of the most welcoming, family-friendly festivals out there.
Everything was very relaxed, and there were so many different things to eat, drink, see and do, that it didn’t even matter if the festival line-up itself wasn’t quite your thing.
For me, one of the best things was getting to know people I wouldn’t normally be able to.
I spent the week with some extended family of all ages, some of which I hadn't seen since pre-pandemic, and yet I left with new friends, more family connections and memories that I know will last a long time.
So whilst this isn’t the kind of music I would usually listen to, I know for a fact that I’ll be heading back to Cropredy another year.
