Press Release 27/04/08
National UK recognition as one of the top 20 small festivals for the second year running.
The organisers and supporters of the Celtic Blue Rock Festival, North Pembrokeshire have again been celebrating the news that a National News papers has given the community festival a top 20 slot for best UK small festivals for 2008.
The organisers of the voluntary run festival are busy preparing for the 2008 event that will be held from the 1st to the 3rd of August in the parish of Llanfyrnach. The festival was started in 2004 by local people who needed to raise money to pay for legal help to save the local small community school in the nearby village of Hermon. The passion and determination of the local community to save the school saw a successful high court hearing in London leading to an unsuccessful judicial review. The festival greatly assisted the small community to raise the £79,000 legal cost that the community landed up with after losing their brave fight. The 52 pupils of the rural primary school of Hermon opened the first festival singing as the Hemron primary school choir for the last time before the school closed.
Since 2004 the festival has grown from strength to strength with 2008 having a 10,000 licence capacity. There will also be a special ceremony at the 2008 festival when the community will be celebration their recent achievement of purchasing the Hermon community school building and site from the local authority for £120,000. The building now houses numerous community enterprises such as a new permanent office for the Celtic Blue Rock Community Arts association.
The voluntary chair of the Blue Rock Festival – Becky Benson noted. “It is fantastic how people from across West Wales have helped support and grow the community festival, the recognition in the Observer newspaper is fantastic tribute to community empowerment – We try to keep the entry cost to the festival as low as possible so that young people and families can afford to attend and have a great outdoor music experience”
The festival will have 6 stages this year, also a well-developed kids family area, Eco and Craft Zones and many free workshops. There will be a local food and market area as well as numerous cafes, on site grocery shops and glamorous DJ bars. Over a 100 bands are giving of their time freely to support the community event and over 500 volunteers ensures the event is kept firmly in the community sector. The cost of attending the Festival is very reasonable with 12 year olds and under for free and an all in adult cost of £25 that includes free camping and free secured car parks. The current ticket special price of £25 will close on the 15th of June and the organisers wish to encourage people to book their tickets early so as to avoid disappointment. Tickets can be bought securely on line by visiting www.celticbluerock.org.uk
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See attached the Observer Newspaper Article –
Also attached a list of the 20 festivals mentioned - See £25 Celtic Blue Rock charge as being cheapest for a full weekend - we try to keep the price low so that rural young people can afford to attend.

For further details contact – Cris Tomos - Voluntary Festival Secretary on 07974 099738