Plastic Pint Glasses

Environmental issues are pretty high on everyone's agenda at the moment, no more so than at the Festival. Therefore we're pleased to say that we are currently finalising a system of reusing plastic pint glasses at our bars, which is going to have a major impact on the tidiness of the site and reduce the number of glasses that we waste.

Because we want to maintain a traditionally pulled pint, we have to have rigid plastic glasses and not cardboard ones. In previous year's we've got through around 40,000 plastic glasses, many of which have ended up littering the site and can be really hard to pick up once they become shattered and embedded in the ground.

This year we've decided to introduce a mandatory deposit on all plastic pint glasses, which will drastically reduce the number that we need. We're aware that some customers might be concerned about the initial deposit cost, but if they want to get this money back they can when they leave the festival. We're also going to get the glasses printed up, so that people might want to keep them as souvenirs and re-use when they get home as well as at the festival (rather like the glass tankards which we already produce).

If customers are concerned that their glasses have become dirty, there will be machines to give them a quick wash, though we hope people are cooperative and don't demand a clean glass everytime they order a pint, as that would rather defeat the objective! All in all we think it going to be a major improvement and we really hope that our customers support us. We're even going to ensure the same age restrictions from when getting your deposit back as when buying a pint, so that kid's don't go around nicking unattended glass that they find on the floor, which we know has happened at some other events.

Cheers!
Eddie Barcan
Folk Festival Manager

Festival podcast

Ladies and gentleman, we are pleased to announce the imminent arrival of.......[drum roll]................

THE FESTIVAL PODCAST!

Yes indeed, keep an eye out on the Festival website homepage starting the day before the Festival where the first of five 5 minute podcasts will be available for download. The podcasts will feature exclusive artist interviews, backstage gossip and much more. They will also all be available after the festival from the website, so don't worry if you miss out because you are actually there!

Lovely. Technology eh? Marvellous int' it!

Countdown to the 2008 Festival

Hi there...and welcome to the Folk Festival 2008 Blog.

We'll be keeping you uptodate on all things Cambridge Folk Festival both in the run up to this year's event and also during the Festival itself.

Well, with just 50 days to go until the Folk Festival here's a few things relating to this year's event:

TICKETS
Please note that all Full Weekend Full Festival, Friday, Saturday and Sunday tickets are now sold out. Coldhams Common camping is still available to existing Full Festival ticket holders and Thursday night tickets are still available for Cambridge City Residents.

FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS
Here's some of the highlights to look forward to this year:

• Another 'cool as folk' line-up, featuring the best in contemporary folk and roots music, sees world- renowned headliners alongside up-and-coming new artists.
  
• Rare and special performances include k.d. lang, Joan Armatrading, The Imagined Village, Billy Bragg, John Hiatt, Judy Collins, Allen Toussaint, Martha Wainwright, The Waifs, Laura Marling and Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba.
  
• The Festival’s tradition of introducing young, up and coming artists continues with Club Tent Showcases from: the hotly tipped and mesmerising singer and fiddle player Bella Hardy; stunning Irish-born and former Cherish The Ladies’ lead singer, Heidi Talbot; Kate Rusby favourite, Ruth Notman, acclaimed for her pure and powerful voice; respected Essex instrumental outfit and Devon singer Mawkin:Causley; vibrant teenage folk-rockers Wheeler Street.
  
• A very special Scottish Showcase, funded by the Scottish Arts Council, which features some of their best established musicians alongside young up and coming Scottish folk artists appearing at the Festival.
  
• Print media partners MOJO magazine will present The MOJO Interview, with Billy Bragg, Martin Carthy, Simon Emmerson and Chris Wood talking about Englishness and folk music.
  
• BBC Radio 2, who remain committed to the event as a sponsor, shall be recording and broadcasting highlights from the Festival, as shall BBC Four.

IT'S GOOD TO BE GREEN
The Festival is committed to continuing to reduce its impact on the environment. For 2008 we will be continuing with our various existing green initiatives such as recycling and we will also be introducing some new ones including the banning of using carrier bags on site. Please help to play your part. Why not leave the car at home and travel to the Festival by public transport? We provide free buses to and from the Festival from Cambridge bus and trains stations when you arrive and depart. Alternatively, maybe consider using liftshare, www.liftshare.com More information will be posted shortly on the 'Environment' page of our website.

We'll be in touch again soon. Bye for now....
All at the Cambridge Folk Festival