The Secret Garden Party

The Secret Garden Party, often referred to as SGP, is an indie arts and music festival held near Huntingdon in England, specifically in Abbots Ripton. Nestled within the grounds of a picturesque Georgian farmhouse, it boasts its own lakes, river, and beautifully landscaped gardens. Originally conceived in 2004 by Fred Fellowes and James Whewell as a refreshing departure from mainstream music festivals, SGP has steadily gained traction and size over the years. What began with a single stage and 300 attendees in 2002 has flourished into a sprawling event featuring over 15 stages and drawing in more than 35,000 revelers by 2017.

However, in March 2017, organizers announced that the 2017 edition would mark the festival's final installment.

During its initial 15-year span, The Secret Garden Party earned recognition, clinching the UK Festival Award for Best Small-Sized Festival in 2005 and 2008, later securing the Award for Best Medium-Sized Festival in 2011. Notably, it also received the Act of Independence award from the Association of Independent Festivals (AIF) for its partnership with The Loop, a harm reduction charity that provided on-site drug testing services—an initiative subsequently adopted by several other UK festivals.

Fast forward to August 2021, and news broke that after a five-year hiatus, the Secret Garden Party would make a comeback in the summer of 2022. The relaunch saw 20,000 tickets swiftly sell out in under 20 minutes through a registration process incorporating a questionnaire. Held from July 21 to 24, 2022, in Cambridgeshire, the festival unveiled its lineup each day of the event. Moreover, plans are underway for additional events in 2023 and 2024.

Notably, The Secret Garden Party lends its support to The Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM), dedicated to preventing male suicide in the UK, alongside the mental health charity My Black Dog as of 2022.