From the Fields

What From the Fields does

From the Fields is a UK-based independent events and music marketing agency headquartered in Manchester and founded in 2006 by Ben Robinson and Andy Smith. The company operates a portfolio of owned and co-produced festivals, festive light trails, and citywide cultural events, including Kendal Calling (a Lake District music festival drawing 40,000 attendees per day), Bluedot (a music, science and culture festival at the UNESCO World Heritage Site Jodrell Bank Observatory attracting 25,000 attendees), Christmas at Bute Park (a Cardiff light trail selling 145,000+ tickets in 2022 and generating £1.6 million in its inaugural year), Northern Lights Newcastle and Leeds (100,000+ and 115,000+ inaugural-year tickets respectively), Arts by the Sea (130,000 annual attendees, Arts Council England NPO), Festival of the Sky (60,000 attendees in Cleethorpes), The Winter of Light, and Winter Sounds Festival. The core full-time team is small (1-10 employees) and is supplemented by over 1,000 freelance and seasonal workers per event delivery cycle.

Name

From the Fields

Legal name

From the Fields Ltd

Website

https://fromthefields.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

From the Fields is a UK-based independent events and music marketing agency founded in 2006 producing award-winning festivals (Kendal Calling, Bluedot), festive light trails, and council cultural events alongside musical programming, artistic curation, and brand marketing services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live Event Production and Music Marketing

NAICS

Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (711310), Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Music Festival Organizers & Promoters (MPAGAAAB)

Keywords

• Live event production
• Music festival promotion
• Experiential brand marketing
• Artistic curation services
• Immersive light trails

Headquarters

HQ city

Manchester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Event Ticket Sales: Primary revenue from selling tickets to owned and co-produced festivals and light trail events including Kendal Calling (40,000/day capacity), Bluedot (25,000 capacity), Christmas at Bute Park (145,000+ tickets sold), and Northern Lights events.
2. Brand Partnerships and Sponsorship: Partnership campaigns with brands including Amazon Music, New Balance, Strongbow, Three, Virgin Trains. Services include brand activations, sponsored stages, exclusive content, merchandise collaborations, and experiential marketing at festivals.
3. Marketing Services: Full-service marketing agency offering campaign strategy, branding, content creation, social media management, PR, ticketing, and campaign delivery for music and event clients.
4. Event Curation Services: Artistic programming, musical curation, and event production services for client events including Arts by the Sea, Festival of the Sky, and council-commissioned cultural events.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

From the Fields is a creative and independent events and music marketing agency that produces and promotes a portfolio of UK festivals and light trails (Kendal Calling, Bluedot, Christmas at Bute Park, Northern Lights Newcastle, Northern Lights Leeds, Arts by the Sea, Festival of the Sky) and delivers contracted Musical Programming, Artistic Curation, and integrated Marketing Services to brands, councils, and cultural bodies.

Product overview

From the Fields is a creative and independent events and music marketing agency that operates as a portfolio of distinct event brands and service offerings. The company delivers award-winning festivals including Kendal Calling (Lake District music festival) and Bluedot (space/science/music festival at UNESCO World Heritage Jodrell Bank), along with light trail events such as Christmas at Bute Park, Northern Lights Newcastle and Northern Lights Leeds. The company also produces Arts by the Sea festival and Festival of the Sky. In addition to event production, From the Fields offers three core service lines: Musical Programming (booking live music and artists), Artistic Curation (visual arts, installations, and cultural programming), and Marketing Services (integrated campaign strategy and delivery). The portfolio spans music festivals, light trails, arts festivals, and community cultural events across the UK.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Kendal Calling A multi-award-winning independent music festival held annually at Lowther Deer Park in the Lake District, attracting 40,000 attendees per day and known as 'the Glastonbury of the North' for its diverse music lineups and headline acts.
• Bluedot Festival A festival of space exploration, music, science and culture held at Jodrell Bank Observatory, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Cheshire, attracting 25,000 attendees and combining music programming with scientific and cultural content.
• Christmas at Bute Park Wales' premier festive light trail in Bute Park, Cardiff, featuring illuminated sculptures, a Fire Garden, and marshmallow zone along a 1KM route, attracting over 145,000 visitors annually and recognised as the UK's biggest selling light trail outside of London.
• Northern Lights Newcastle An immersive light trail at Leazes Park in Newcastle city centre, featuring 10-12 installations over a one-mile accessible route with illuminations, audio, and a Christmas Village.
• The Winter of Light A site-specific immersive light artwork in St John's Gardens, Cardiff, featuring over 400 suspended light and sound orbs with synchronized audio, inspired by the ancient Welsh Midwinter celebration.
• Arts by the Sea Bournemouth's annual celebration of art, culture, people and place, run as an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation with participatory experiences, diverse music, art installations, and large-scale spectaculars, attracting 130,000 visitors annually.
• Festival of the Sky An arts and culture celebration in Cleethorpes featuring street theatre, live music, fire gardens and art installations, launched as a flagship moment of the Cleethorpes Regeneration Programme.
• Winter Sounds Festival A pilot grassroots music festival programmed across diverse venues in Conwy County, North Wales, featuring over 20 free live events to promote emerging live music talent in the region.
• Musical Programming Service An award-winning musical programming service booking sell-out festivals, tours, brand-led activations and artist showcases across various UK venues for event operators and brand clients.
• Artistic Curation Service An award-winning artistic curation and programming service creating experiences from projection-mapped spectaculars to carnival parades, installation artworks, and interactive theatre for client events.
• Marketing Services An integrated full-service marketing agency offering campaign strategy, branding, content creation, social media management, PR, ticketing, and campaign delivery for music and event clients, specialising in music marketing and experiential marketing.

Quantifiable outcome

• Christmas at Bute Park sold 80,000 tickets in inaugural year generating £1.6 million revenue
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered creative, core, key and minor.

• SquidsoupcreativeStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternationally renowned creative studio collaborated with From The Fields on The Winter of Light installation in St John's Gardens Cardiff, featuring over 400 suspended light orbs with synchronized audio.
• St John's Church ChoircreativeStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal community choir contributed voices and harmonies recorded in St John's Church for the Winter of Light installation, performing traditional Welsh folk tune 'Ar Lan Y Mor'.
• Arts Council EnglandcoreOthersLongstanding relationship with national arts funding body. Arts Council England supports citywide cultural events including Arts by the Sea (NPO status since 2015) and Festival of the Sky.
• Cardiff CouncilcoreOthersLocal government partner for Christmas at Bute Park light trail, The Winter of Light, and other Cardiff cultural events. Partnership includes shared entrance with Winter Wonderland at Castle North Gate.
• Bournemouth Council (BCP Council)coreOthersBCP Council launched Arts by the Sea in 2011 and continues as primary partner for Bournemouth's annual celebration of art, culture, people and place.
• North East Lincolnshire Council and CoastNELcoreOthersCouncil partnership for Festival of the Sky launch in Cleethorpes as flagship moment in Cleethorpes Regeneration Programme, in collaboration with Coastal Communities Fund.
• Cleethorpes CouncilcoreOthersCouncil partner for artistic planning and event curation at Festival of the Sky.
• Urban Green NewcastlekeyOthersCollaboration partner for Northern Lights Newcastle event at Leazes Park, working together to transform the park for the winter light trail.
• Amazon MusickeyGTM or Marketing PartnerBrand partnership for streaming services awareness campaign at Kendal Calling and Bluedot. Resulted in over 4,000 new customers for Amazon Music through exclusive content, merchandise, and loyalty experiences.
• New BalancekeyGTM or Marketing Partner2-year partnership celebrating New Balance's historical connection with Cumbria through campaign at Kendal Calling, including competitions, press trips, woodland party activations, and limited edition merchandise.
• StrongbowminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBrand partnership and marketing campaign collaboration at From the Fields events.
• Virgin TrainsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership activation with branded content and exclusive experiences at events.
• United UtilitiesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBrand partnership and marketing campaign collaboration.
• BruntwoodminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBrand partnership and marketing campaign collaboration.
• ThreeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBrand partnership and marketing campaign collaboration.
• Happy Mondays / LeftfieldkeyGTM or Marketing PartnerAmazon Music presented main stage performances at Kendal Calling and Bluedot with exclusive footage, interview content, and bespoke merchandise.
• Jodrell Bank ObservatorycoreOthersUNESCO World Heritage Site home to Bluedot festival. Partnership with University of Manchester for annual festival of science, music, and culture.
• Jodrell Bank Discovery CentrekeyOthersCharitable science discovery centre at Jodrell Bank Observatory. A Weekend In Outer Space online event raised funds to support the Discovery Centre during closure.
• For CardiffkeyOthersCommissioning body for site-specific lightwork 'The Winter of Light' in Cardiff, with ongoing partnership for annual global first bespoke installations.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Fever: Fever is a global live-entertainment discovery platform producing its own light trails, candlelight concerts, and immersive experiences across cities including the UK. Directly comparable as a producer of festive light trail experiences (the same format as Christmas at Bute Park and Northern Lights) competing for similar audiences and city partnerships.
• Kilimanjaro Live: Kilimanjaro Live is a UK independent festival and concert promoter running events such as Truck Festival, ArcTanGent, and 2000trees. Directly comparable as an independent UK promoter of mid-sized music festivals with similar attendee profiles and a parallel set of headline event properties.
• Secret Productions: Secret Productions is a UK independent events company producing Wilderness Festival, Country Living, and cultural brand experiences. Directly comparable as an independent UK event operator blending music festivals, brand experiences, and cultural programming under a single creative producer model.
• Broadwick Live: Broadwick Live produces and operates UK independent festivals and venues including Field Day, Printworks, and Depot. Highly comparable as a UK-based independent event operator producing award-winning music and cultural events with multi-format programming.
• DHP Family: DHP Family is a long-established independent UK concert, club and festival promoter (Splendour, Bearded Theory, Outbreak). Directly comparable as an independent UK multi-format promoter running owned festivals with similar ticket volumes and a similar ethos of artist-led curation.
• Brilliant Locations / Lightopia: Lightopia is a UK-based operator of large-scale illuminated light trail experiences in heritage parks and gardens. Directly comparable as a head-to-head competitor in the festive light trail format that drives the bulk of From the Fields' recent growth (Christmas at Bute Park, Northern Lights).

Broad incumbents

• AEG Presents: AEG Presents is the live entertainment arm of AEG operating major UK venues and festivals (All Points East, BST Hyde Park). Comparable as a festival promoter operating both owned events and venue-based programming in the UK, though at significantly larger scale as part of a global AEG portfolio.
• Festival Republic: Festival Republic is Live Nation's UK festival arm (Reading, Leeds, Download, Wireless) and the largest UK festival promoter. Comparable to From the Fields as a UK-focused event promoter producing multiple flagship music festivals and operating venues, though at materially larger scale and as part of a global Live Nation portfolio.

Others

• IMG Artists (Endeavor): IMG Artists is a global artist management, booking, and event production company. Comparable on the artist booking and musical programming service line that From the Fields offers to external clients, rather than as a direct festival competitor.

Emerging players

• Wild Rumpus: Wild Rumpus is a UK independent festival producer (Just So Festival, Timber Festival) focused on immersive family and arts programming. Comparable as a smaller UK indie event operator producing multi-disciplinary cultural festivals with council and arts funding relationships.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/fromthefieldsuk
• Facebookfacebook.com/fromthefieldsuk

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about From the Fields