Saturday gates open: 6.00pm
Sunday gates open: 2pm for afternoon of interactive rehearsals and food festival featuring locally sourced produce and crafts.
What time does the Box Office at the event open? From 5.30pm on Saturday From 2pm on Sunday What time does the performance start? On both Saturday and Sunday night the musical performances will start at 7.30pm. What time will the performance end? Saturday finish time: approximately 10:30pm Sunday finish time: approximately 10pm Will there be an interval? Yes, there will be an interval of at least 30 minutes on each night so guests can walk about, buy food and drink and chat with other guests. The interval will be at approximately 8.30pm. Where is Play the Field 2009? Play the Field is located near to Keinton Mandeville in Somerset. Click here to visit our Getting Here page for full details and directions. Who is performing at Play the Field? Play the Field is a new breed of orchestral festival brought to you by world renowned conductor Charles Hazlewood, from the rural splendour of his Somerset farm, near Glastonbury. Over the August bank holiday Charles will present two of his orchestras in very different guises, he will also introduce the shows live from stage, in a effort to ‘open up’ the music. SaturdayCharles’s London based symphony orchestra, Excellent Device! will perform Holst’s the Planets prefaced by John Adam’s Short Ride in a Fast Machine. Excellent Device! are not your average symphony orchestra, these are 65 virtuosi! In between the orchestras performance of the individual planets, Glastonbury ‘regulars’ the Charles Hazlewood All Stars will improvise electronic musical responses to what the orchestra has just played. The All Stars are made up of some of the most exciting contemporary musicians around today, including Will Gregory (Goldfrapp) and Adrian Uttley (Portishead). For more information on Saturday night, The Planets please click here. SundayCharles’s period instrument orchestra, The Army of Generals and Russian violin virtuoso Alexander Sitkovetsky will be ‘painting in sound’ through Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons and Haydn’s Morning, Noon and Night Symphonies. The Army of Generals play on the same instruments Vivaldi and Haydn would have known. Their sound is very different from a modern orchestra: lighter, lither, and very athletic! On the Sunday, things get underway from 2pm when visitors to the afternoon food fair will be able to browse the various locally sourced food and drink stands, as well as listen to the sound check by the musicians, a rare privilege for music fans and those with a curious mind. For more information on Sunday night, The Four Seasons please click here. Who is Play the Field suitable for? Everyone! Whether you’re a regular concert go-er, a complete novice or a family looking to introduce your children to the delights of orchestral music...Play the Field is for you. What's Deborah Meaden's involvement in Play the Field? Seen her on BBC programme 'Dragon's Den' but why is she mentioned on the site? Deborah Meaden and Charles Hazlewood met by chance in a TV studio at The Proms last year and got on with each other brilliantly. Both residents of beautiful Somerset they decided to collaborate on something musical, something that would become a must-do event in the West Country, and Play The Field is the result. Can I park my car close to the venue? Yes, there is free car parking close to the stage area, just a short walking distance. Will there be a drop off and pick up point for people arriving by taxi / being dropped off and collected? Yes, the 'drop off' point will be clearly signed from the Keinton Mandeville direction. Please tell anyone collecting you to head for the 'drop off' point. Is there a minimum age limit for guests? Not at all, we welcome all ages but please remember that it can get chilly in the evening if you’re very young or elderly, so please bring adequate clothing/blankets for your group. Children under 13 are free when accompanied by a full paying adult. A maximum of two under 13’s per paying adult. What facilities are there on site? A diverse selection of food and drinks will be available to buy on site, provided by local farmers and traders in Somerset. Unlike other festivals, our superior quality toilet facilities will be clean and easily accessible during the concerts. Is there disabled access to the event? Disabled access is poor due to the nature of the pastureland surrounding the farm, although a disabled parking area will be reserved near the arena with a disabled toilet provided. Please contact Cass on info@playthefield.co.uk or 07798 554520 if you have additional questions about this. Is there a dress code, what should I wear? Not at all, come in whatever you wish! This is a chance to enjoy world-class classical music without the prim stuffiness. We’re not performing in a concert hall, we’re playing for you to enjoy yourself in the open air listening to brilliant orchestral music in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. Can I bring a picnic? Of course, bring what you want! There will also be an exciting, tasty range of food and drink to cater for every need, whether you fancy an organic burger or a locally produced cider or some summer sushi. Can I bring glass bottles onto the site? Glass bottles can be brought in to the arena but should be disposed of in the glass bottle bins near the bar. Mind you, we’ll have a good selection of reasonably priced, quality wines available from the bar, so you may prefer not to lug bottles and glasses. Also, the police have asked us to advise you that there’s a maximum of 2 bottles of wine per person, or 4 cans of beer. Can I bring my own seating? If you’d like but remember there’ll be lots of other guests too so no large or tall chairs please, they take up too much room and will obscure the view for others! Cushions will be available to hire for £2 each or you can order chairs and blankets online for collection at the event - and you get to take them home with you afterwards. Click here to visit the Jo Bananas website to order chairs and blankets. Can I hire or buy a chair to sit on when I get there? Thanks to specialist event suppliers 'Joe Bananas', you can order a camping chair for just £8.50 online today, and relax knowing that it will be waiting for you to collect and use at the event - plus, you can take it home with you! Fleece picnic blankets and other supplies are also available. Is seating allocated already, or is it on first come, first served basis, if we want to be near the front? Play the Field takes place in a field(!), so there are no allocated seats. The only area specially allocated is meant for our disabled guests. Can I bring my dog? As animal lovers, we’d like to have your pets come along but sadly, no dogs permitted in the arena for licensing reasons. Can I film the concert? No, we’d like you to enjoy the music without filming it for personal use. We’re talking to a number of potential media partners at the moment and they would film and record the event for us. Can I record the concert? No, BBC Radio 2 will be recording The Planets on Saturday night for broadcast later in the year so you’ll be able to enjoy the musical mastery again on radio. Is there a limit on the amount of alcohol I can bring with me to the site? We’d like you to enjoy yourselves but the police have asked us to advise you that there’s a maximum of 2 bottles of wine per person, or 4 cans of beer. Can I bring a BBQ? No because it would present a fire risk to yourself and other guests at this open-air event. Can I go forwards and backwards from the car park during the evening? Yes, you’ll be able to move around the site freely. How much do tickets cost?
All prices are subject to booking & postage fee dependent on booking method. Please click here for details. On the Gate, walk up prices will be as follows:
No other concessions will be available on the gate. I am a local resident how do I buy tickets? Unfortunately local ‘pay what you can’ tickets for people living with a few miles of the event are no longer available to purchase. Standard tickets are available over the counter in local outlets, click here for details of local outlets near you. Tickets will also be available to buy from the Box Office marquee near the gate at the event from 5.30pm on Saturday 29th and 2pm on Sunday 30th. Local 'pay what you can' tickets will not be available on the gate. Please note: as the festival takes place in a rural location (!) the card terminal connection may be slower than normal, to avoid queues please bring an alternative form of payment with you if possible. On the Gate Prices:
No other concessions will be available on the gate. How will I receive my tickets? If you order before the 26th August you will receive an email confirming your order and your tickets will be posted out to you using second class post. If you order after the 25th August your tickets will be available to collect from the ticket collection point in the Box Office Marquee near the gate, which will be clearly sign-posted from the car park. Please bring your email confirmation and some proof of address with you. Local tickets will be mailed out in three batches one on July 17th, one on August 17th and one on August 26th. Do I need a special ticket for the Food Market on Sunday? If you have a ticket for the Four Seasons concert then you are welcome to attend the food market on the Sunday afternoon. I ordered my tickets after the 25th August, how do I collect them? Anyone who orders their tickets after the 25th August can collect their tickets from the ticket collection point in the Box Office Marquee near the gate, which will be clearly sign-posted from the car park. Please bring your email confirmation and some proof of address with you. The Box Office marquee will be open from 5.30pm on Saturday 29th and 2pm on Sunday 30th I haven't received my tickets - what should I do? Tickets ordered after the 25th August will be available for collection from the Box Office marquee near the gate, which will be clearly sign-posted from the car park. Please bring your email confirmation and some proof of address with you. If you haven't received your email confirmation please double check your spam folder. If you ordered standard price tickets over the phone or online from Bath Festivals Box Office you can call them on 01225 463362 throughout the day on Saturday. If you have a query about local 'Pay what you can' tickets or are unable to contact Bath Festivals Box Office please contact the Box Office during opening hours on 07704 097 122 or come along to the Box Office marquee. The Box Office marquee is located near the gate and is open from 5.30pm on Saturday and 2pm on Sunday. Can I buy tickets on the night itself, as a walk-up ticket? On the Gate Prices:
No other concessions will be available on the gate. Where can I stay? Accommodation and camping is not available on site at the event. Click here to view the accommodation listed in the Places to Stay section of this website. What taxi firms are there locally? Mum's Taxi - 07711 572038 If I've lost something or left something behing, what should I do? Any items handed in to us during the event will be taken to the ticket office and can be collected from there. If you discover you’ve left something behind once you get home, please contact Cass Stainton on 07798 54520 or info@playthefield.co.uk Is there a mailing list for news updates? Yes, please sign up using the email address entry box at the top of this page. If I want to trade at Play the Field, who should I contact? We’re looking for a diverse selection of food and drink and entertainment for this unique event so if you have something to offer, please contact Jon Evans at jevans14@toucansurf.com | Book tickets for Play the FieldSaturday 29th August - Holst's The PlanetsSunday 30th August - Vivaldi's The Four Seasons Charles Hazlewood |