Bearded Theory 2025

Bearded Theory takes place in the beautiful grounds of Catton Park, in the centre of the National Forest. Situated at the convergence of three counties — West Midlands, South Derbyshire and Staffordshire — it is within the reach of 50% of the UK in a two-hour drive.

The festival has received an impressive collection of accolades. Awards for 2024, alongside being nominated for Festival of the Year at the Music Week Awards. In 2023, it won Promoter of the Year at the UK Festival Awards. Previous accolades include the title of the UK’s Best Family Festival in 2016, Promoter of the Year in 2014 and Best Small Festival in 2013. At the AIM Music Awards in 2011, Bearded Theory won the UK’s Best Independent Festival award It has received numerous nominations over the years, including Best Grassroots Festival and Best Toilets, while also being regarded in major publications as the Gig of the Year, Festival of the Year, and the UK’s Best Family and Medium-Sized Festival.

Charitable Giving — A cornerstone of Bearded Theory's ethos is its commitment to charitable giving. The festival has to date raised and donated in excess of £300,000 to a variety of good causes, including youth clubs in deprived areas across the Midlands, funding village halls and providing resources for food banks and rescue centres. They have paid for sound and lighting equipment to be replaced, to stock the bars at charity events and to repair village hall roofs, to name a few. Profits from the festival still benefit both national and local charities.

In keeping with its audience-led ethos, Bearded Theory guarantees that its lineup, improvements to infrastructure and selection of vendors are all tailored based on the feedback and recommendations of those attending. This kind of working together has helped establish it as one of the U.K.’s best-loved and most inclusive festivals.