Global festival with a local impact - Boomtown helps put Winchester district on the cultural map
Winchester district is gearing up to host one of the UK's most distinctive cultural events. Boomtown attracts tens of thousands of visitors to Winchester district and showcases the area's ability to host large-scale creativity, innovation, performance, and artistic talent on an international stage.
Unlike traditional music festivals, Boomtown is built around storytelling, theatrical experiences, visual arts, stage design, costume, street performance, and participatory culture. The festival has evolved into an immersive cultural experience that combines a swathe of creative experiences with environmental innovation and community engagement.
The festival attracts an audience of 63,000 people annually and employs around 12,000 people across the build, event and set-up - from set designers, builders and construction, to performers, artists, creatives and event professionals. The festival draws visitors and creatives locally and from across the UK and internationally, highlighting Winchester on an international stage whilst offering 1,000 discounted tickets to local residents.
Winchester is well recognised for its heritage, cathedral, literary connections, historic environment, Boomtown demonstrates that the district is equally capable of delivering contemporary culture at scale and actively supports the ambitions of the Winchester District Tourism Strategy, as the festival platforms the district as a destination for cultural tourism, strengthening its image as a contemporary destination, and attracts new visitors, particularly young people.
Despite there being considerable camping on site, coupled with non-festival visitors local accommodation reaches 100% occupancy, and the University of Winchester rent their halls to the crew for the nine weeks it takes to mount the festival, bringing wider economic benefit to the region. Boomtown organisers estimate £42 million for the UK economy with £36 million concentrated in Winchester, Hampshire and the South Downs Region.
Boomtown is at the forefront of sustainability within the festivals circuit. From hydrogen-powered stages, compost toilets, exclusively fair trade and free-range catering and a 95% recycling rate. A net zero, circular festival which is actively caring for the land it occupies year-round: improving hedgerows and planting wildflowers, maintaining bird and bat boxes.
In recent years, Boomtown has increased focus on community engagement, philanthropy, and local partnerships. The festival supports its charity partners not just with funding, but with platforms, storytelling, volunteering, and year-round collaboration. Each year Winchester Hospice receive £100,000 to help fund compassionate care for patients and their families. Boomtown also donated a combined £20,000 to the eight neighbouring parish councils, enabling a wide range of community-led projects and local improvements, ensuring continued support for the villages and communities closest to the festival.
Donations are also made to a variety of national charities, reflecting a commitment to environmental sustainability, education, and humanitarian support. These include Onboard Earth, supporting their mission to tackle environmental and humanitarian challenges through education and advocacy; War Child, providing protection, education and support to children affected by conflict around the world; and Solar for Schools, helping UK schools to install solar panels, allowing them to produce low-cost clean electricity, and run education programmes to teach children about the importance of a low-carbon future and inspire positive behaviour change.
Councillor Lucille Thompson, Cabinet Member for Culture and Business at Winchester City Council, said:
"Boomtown plays a vital role in promoting cultural diversity, creativity and community engagement. It brings a new younger generation to our district that might not otherwise visit. They help to boosts the local economy whilst creating opportunities across the wider creative ecosystem. We are thrilled that Boomtown calls Winchester its home."
Winchester City Council work closely in partnership with Boomtown to ensure a safe and enjoyable festival for all. Officers and partner agencies offer support and advice during the planning stages of the event and have a presence on site during the festival weekend. The approval of the 5-year planning permission by South Downs National Park acknowledges the significant efforts of the organisers to minimise their impact and commitment to working in partnership to deliver a culturally significant event.
As with previous years, Winchester’s multi-agency Safety Advisory Group has been working with organisers to make sure the festival’s impact on local residents is minimal, but if you do have concerns, head over to our Boomtown web page to find out how to get in touch with the organisers.