Organiser Paul Dengel on how the Forty Hall Farm-based music event is aiming for a comeback this year

Livestock Festival takes place across Forty Hall Farm with barns converted into stages for a unique setting (credit Livestock)

Last year was the toughest since Livestock Music Festival began – having to cancel the event was awful.

The great news is that as part of our summer of great events, Livestock is back for 2025. Fourteen years on from the first street parties that grew into Livestock Music Festival, it returns against the picturesque backdrop of Forty Hall Farm and, as ever, we are aiming to build on past successes to make this year the best year yet.

After having to cancel the festival in 2024, we are issuing tickets slightly differently for this year’s event on 19^th July. We are aiming for the festival to be pre-booked tickets only. With this in mind we are initially putting tickets on sale until 18th June. This is an important date for Livestock, as at this point we need to know we have enough in reserve to cover the costs of putting on the event, which are significant. Livestock is a not-for-profit community enterprise run by local people, which currently receives no outside funding or sponsorship – if the tickets do not sell in sufficient numbers, we are unable to put on the event. It is that simple.

Livestock’s line-up will also be different this year as our long-term partners St Harmonica’s Blues Club can sadly not provide the Woodland Blues Stage programme. They will of course be back in future, and there will still be three main stages featuring a diverse range of superb music covering a wide range of genres and showcasing some incredible new acts, as well as some huge festival favourites.

With The Kubricks, The Britpop Boys, The Vipers, The Ukulele Ska Collective, Spirit of Springsteen and Lost Chimes already confirmed, the full line-up will be released soon. As always, we will continue supporting and promoting local talent while drawing together some of the finest festival bands. Look out for updates of exciting developments as they happen.

In an economy which, over recent years, has been increasingly difficult for live music, it is even more difficult for small, independent, live music ventures like Livestock to survive. In recent years around 200 independent festivals have gone for good, including some significant names in the industry and according to The Music Venues Trust an average of two independent live music venues close permanently every week. We obviously don’t want that to happen, not just for us but for the whole live music culture of Enfield and the surrounding areas. A love of live music is why we do this, after all.

As well as the festival, in our effort to maintain a live music presence all year round, there is Music from The Black Barn on the second Saturday of each month and our regular partnership with Broomfield Park, called Park Live. Acts for these events will be confirmed soon with great shows to come throughout the year.

For more information about Livestock Festival and buying tickets:
Visit livestockuk.com

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