Frequently Asked Questions

Under 5s are free, however they do need a ticket, these can be ordered at the same time you buy your tickets or as a later addition.

We do not offer refunds unless the event is cancelled by Kelburn Arts or local authority due to fault or mismanagement by Kelburn Arts. Please see the Terms & Conditions of sale.

Kelburn Arts recognises the good work and ethical ticket resale platform Tixel. We will not accept resold tickets that have been sold/purchased/transferred on other platforms. This is to protect customers from ticket touts and scammers. Tickets can be sold at 8% over their face value at the point of sale, which means that most booking fees can be recouped, but people are not profiteering.

All Weekend and Day Kelburn Garden Party tickets include camping. Please note that all Youth and Adult ticketholders will have to pay the £10 environmental bond in cash on arrival.

Yes – If you are coming to Kelburn in a live-in vehicle, camper van or caravan then you must buy a Live-In Vehicle plot ticket.

The plots are 4x6m in size and you must fit completely inside your plot.

If you need more space, for example to extend an awning, picnic area or an extra wide or long vehicle or similar, then you must buy more than one plot. If you are coming in a caravan then you must either fit car and caravan in your plot space(s) or buy a plot ticket for the caravan plus a parking ticket for the car and move your car into the car park once the caravan is positioned.

Camping in anything other genuine campervan, caravan or trailer tent will NOT be permitted on the live in field.

Sleeping in your car or in a panel van will NOT be permitted.

Plots are given out in the order that people arrive so if you wish to be beside friends who also have a live-in vehicle then you must arrive together.

Unfortunately we are not currently able to offer powered live-in pitches (watch this space for upgrades).

Due to capacity sales this year we will only be releasing a limited supply of Sunday day tickets in the weeks before the festival. Sign up to our Mailing List below to be notified when they are released.

Available until 02/04/2027 (3 months prior to the 1st day of the event).

Spread the cost of your ticket throughout the year using one of the Citizen Ticket Payment Plans. Payment plans are only available on Tier 3 Admission Tickets. Tier 3 is our standard advance full price. These go on sale at the same time as our Early Bird and Tier 2 Tickets. To buy a ticket using a payment plan, add a Tier 3 ticket to your basket and proceed to the checkout. On the payment page the option to Pay in instalments will be listed (if you have a Tier 3 ticket in your basket).

Select “set up a payment plan’ and select over how many months you would like to pay. For the Kelburn Garden Party the latest final instalment will be two months prior to the festival.

Buying a ticket using a payment plan is you making a commitment to buy your ticket over a period of time, but it is not a credit product. You are entering an agreement to pay the full ticket price when the first instalment is transacted, and you are authorising future transactions on that same payment method. The transaction will be completed only once your payment of all instalments has been processed and the total is paid in full.

If you miss an instalment you will be asked to provide an updated payment method, and you will have a limited time to make that instalment. If you do not pay any of the instalments in full by the dates set out at the time you made the purchase, and we are not provided with an alternative credit or debit card you will lose (i) all instalments already paid and (ii) the ticket(s) will be void.

Subject to availability, we may exercise our discretion and permit you to restart instalments or settling the outstanding balance, with a view to making your void ticket into a valid ticket again. If you wish to seek to do this, you must contact ChatCT the Customer Service team at Citizen Ticket. There can be no guarantee of availability in such cases.

If you are unable to attend the festival and you are still making payments via a payment plan, it may be best to make full payment and list your ticket on TIXEL.

For 4 day Weekend Ticket holders, you can arrive from 4pm on the Thursday to set up camp and get your wristband. Entertainment starts at 6pm.

For 3 day weekend ticket holders, the carpark and campsite open from 2pm on Friday and the campsite closes at 1pm on Monday. The box office opens at 2pm and closes at 10pm on Friday.

The car parks and live-in fields shut at 10pm each night, no vehicles will be allowed to access the live-in field after it gets dark.

The Box Office and Wristband exchange closes:

10pm on Thursday, Friday & Saturday

8pm Sunday night. You will not be able to collect your wristband after box office closes.

IMPORTANT: If you arrive after 10pm, you will not be allowed to bring a vehicle onsite. If you arrive after the box office closes, you will not be allowed into the festival arena.

Yes! In fact we recommend it, it means you don’t have to worry about parking.

It also means there are fewer cars on the road, travel is one of the biggest contributors to carbon emissions for any event!

Our buses leave from both Glasgow and Edinburgh direct to the festival site and can be booked here on our Kelburn Bus page.

We also have a shuttle bus which is timed to meet specific trains at Largs.

Taxi & Drop Off/Pick Up is located on the ‘high road’ outside the Pavillion / Box Office

Kelburn Bus & Shuttle Bus will pick up and drop off next to the Pavillion / Box Office

The Kelburn Bus can be booked here.

If you have bought a car parking ticket then you can park onsite. We usually sell out of car park space so buy your car parking ticket in advance.

If you are planning to drive you must book a parking ticket before you come.

We regularly sell out of parking. Parking will only be available for purchase onsite if we do not sell out in advance, we’ll be sure to advertise when we’re running low on Advance Parking Tickets.

Please do not park in nearby streets in Fairlie or Largs, it leads to frustration from our neighbours and could have a negative impact on the future of the festival. We like our neighbours and want to show them respect. We will be operating a towaway scheme for inconsiderately parked vehicles in the vicinity of the site.

If you are a blue badge holder we can also try to park you closer to where you are camped – please note you will still need to have purchased a parking ticket – please complete the Accessiblilty Needs Form to register for Accessible Parking

We price our Parking to encourage lift sharing and use of public transport.

There are some spaces near to the box office where bikes can be secured (for example to some thin but sturdy trees). Please ask at box office for a blank wristband to write your details on in case we need to contact you.

Motorcycle parking is in the shore field (one of the only flat fields). Its free but you must get a ticket in advance (strict capacity). You must provide your own lock and kickstand pad(s). There is no camping in this area.

For 4 day Weekend Ticket holders, you can arrive from 4pm on Thursday 4th July to set up camp and get your wristband. Entertainment starts at 6pm and finishes at 1am.

The carpark and campsite open at 2pm on Friday for people who have 3 day weekend tickets. with the main arena opening at 6pm on Friday. The festival ends at 3am on Monday morning (Sunday night), and the campsite closes at 1pm on Monday.

The car parks and live-in field shut at 10pm, no vehicles will be allowed to access the live-in field after it gets dark.

The box office and wristband exchange closes at 10pm Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and 8pm on Sunday.

IMPORTANT: If you arrive after 10pm, you will not be allowed to bring a vehicle onsite. If you arrive after the box office wristband exchange closes, you will not be allowed into the main festival arena.

Once you arrive at Kelburn you must swap your ticket for a security wristband in order to enter the arena and campsite. You can exchange your ticket for a wristband at the festival Box Office which is in the Pavilion (building beside the campsite).

DO NOT BUY WRISTBANDS FROM ANYONE OUTSIDE THE BOX OFFICE. Wristbands are not transferable, void if tampered and tamperproof. The only place to buy tickets and exchange them for wristbands is from Box Office. We control the wristbands very carefully and Security will check wristbands at all entrances and exits. If you are found with an inappropriate wristband it will be confiscated and you will have to buy a new one for the full walk-up price ticket or be ejected from site.

You may also be liable to criminal proceedings.

Yes, You will also need ID if there is an issue with your ticket.

Kelburn operates a CHALLENGE 25 policy which means that if you look younger than 25, you will be asked to prove that you are over 18.

Without acceptable photo ID you will not be allowed to enter the Kelburn Garden Party without an adult guardian and will be unable to purchase alcohol at the bars. At our one-night events, you will be refused entry entirely.

Acceptable ID is one of the following:

1. A valid passport
2. A valid UK or European Union photocard driving licence
3. A Ministry of Defence Form 90 (Defence Identity Card)
4. A photographic identity card bearing the national Proof of Age Standards Scheme (PASS) hologram (Young Scot card)
5. A national identity card issued by a European Union member state (other than the United Kingdom), Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Switzerland
6. A Biometric Immigration Document

In all cases, the ID must not be expired and the photo must clearly be of the card holder

Other forms of ID such as birth certificate, credit card or student card are not acceptable.

If you have lost or do not have ID then please consider a proof of age card.

You are allowed to bring a “reasonable” amount of alcohol to Kelburn, but this is only allowed to be consumed it in the campsites and the live-in vehicle fields.

You will not be allowed to bring your own alcohol into the main arena of the festival. Only alcohol purchased from the festival bars is allowed and security will conducting bag and body searches to ensure this. This is a licence condition.

Please note that glass bottles are not allowed anywhere on site. Please decant any drinks into suitable containers before coming.

The Environmental Bond is a returnable deposit scheme to help encourage good behaviour, increase the awareness of the safer spaces policy and reduce the festivals environmental footprint and impact on the land on which we party. Since 2025 the Environmental Bond has been added to the ticket price, so if you have a ticket you have already paid the deposit.

All Weekend Ticket holding Adults and Young People (those with a youth ticket) must make a pledge and pay their £10 Environmental Bond in order to use the land.

The £10 Environmental Bond is a deposit. It will be returned if you keep your promise to respect the your fellow campers and the environment. We ask everyone not to litter in the arena, in the glen and in the campsites: leave nothing but your footprints, and have packed up, tidied up and left the campsite by 1pm on Monday.

You can reclaim your £10 Environmental Bond by handing in a bin bag full of your litter, a small bag of cigarette butts, or by showing us a photo of your properly packed up tent (a photo of your cleared pitch will suffice).

This is done at the Box Office, which will be open for processing deposit returns at the end of the event, between 5pm and 8pm on Sunday and 9am and 2pm Monday. A member of the team will give you back your tenner and cut the recycling symbol from your wristband and you can go home feeling happy that you helped keep the site clean and the atmosphere electric.

IMPORTANT: You must present your wristband still attached to your wrist in an undamaged state to reclaim your bond.

Day Ticket holders

Day ticket holders do not pay an environment bond, but are still bound by the pledge. Day Ticket holders will be charged a £10 non-returnable late camping charge should they leave the site after 2pm the day after their day ticket was valid, and if they are still onsite by 5pm the day after their day ticket was valid they will be charged the final tier full weekend ticket upgrade price.

Environmental pledge

By entering Kelburn Garden Party you pledge to:

• respect your fellow campers; be inclusive and curious, enjoy the festival together safely.
• respect the environment, avoiding littering and protect the natural environment – separate your recyclable materials, use the bins and recycling facilities, Leave No Trace
• Leave toilets as you would like to find them, please let us know if there are any problems. 
• Join the call and look after yourselves and others.
• Pack up your belongings, leaving no trace in the campsite by 1pm on Monday
• Your Environmental Bond will be forfeit if any of the pledges are broken.

Bond repayment opens 5pm – 8pm on Sunday and 9am – 2pm on Monday. 

Anyone joining the bond repayment queue after the 2pm deadline will be turned away having forfeited their bond. 

Summer in Scotland can be unpredictable. We recommend that, as well as all your fabulous festival clothes (check out your local charity shops!) and toothbrush, you bring:

• A tent! For sustainability we recommend investing (if possible) in as good quality a tent as you can afford – it will last you many festivals, and other adventures too. We’d like to see fewer pop-ups being left behind!
• Waterproofs
• Wellies or walking boots
• Sun cream and sunhat
• A warm jumper (or buy one of our hoodies!)
• A Torch
• A portable electronics charger (Phone Chargers are available to purchase)
• A reusable water bottle (not glass)
• Extra socks
• Biodegradable face wipes
• Midge/insect repellent
• A couple of bin bags (to keep things dry/and or to help bin things)

You can buy emergency toiletries at the festival shop if needed. You can use camping stoves, but you arent allowed campfires or barbeques.

Fires of any kind including barbeques and woodfired stoves are not allowed anywhere on site except the designated campfire locations which can only be lit and tended by Kelburn Crew. This is part of our licence requirement. You may bring and use a camping gas type stovea to make your food/boil a kettle. Please follow the safety instructions on the stove and don’t be tempted cook inside your tent (there is a high risk of fire and carbon monoxide poisoning)!

Yes! You are welcome to leave and return once you have your wristband, just remember that our Car Parks close at 10pm each evening.

Yes – you can buy a branded Power bank with free refills/swap outs for the weekend.

Yes – there are plenty of free water points in both the campsites and arena. Just bring a reusable bottle or container (not glass) to fill up.

Yes, to an extent! (excluding Live-In Vehicles, which will be directed where to set up) If there are high winds forecast, we may forbid camping under or near tree lines and in wooded areas.

We have several camping fields which are either General or Family/Quiet Campsites. Neither require pre-booking, simply choose your preferred space.

Of course if you’re arriving with a larger group we’d recommend arriving early to secure a space that will suit, and if you arent a family or don’t need quiet, please do not set up in Family/Quiet Camping.

We will also have a dedicated space available in our Family / Quiet Campsite for customers with accessibility requirements. Our Accessible campsite requires Pre Booking, and will be allocated to people who complete the Accessibility Needs Form.

Unfortunately not, unless you also have a live-in vehicle and have booked the relevant ticket. Only one small tent per live in vehicle is permitted as a secondary living unit. This needs to fit in the live-in pitches. There will be no exceptions to this.

You will need to arrive at the same time as them to camp together – meet outside the festival site and come in convoy to be parked up together.

All bars and food traders at Kelburn Garden Party will be accepting cashless payments. Not all of them will be accepting cash, Kelburn will have two cash and card bars, the rest will be cashless. You can use debit/credit cards or apps on your phone, such as Google Pay and Apple Pay.

Pre-paid debit cards are a good option for children where needed so they can purchase food and soft drinks independently.

We’d also recommend small amounts of cash will still be needed around the site for workshops and retailers.

Programmes are available on arrival at our Box Office and also at our Information Point and are free of charge.

No, you can simply turn up, get yourself a nice spot, relax and enjoy!

– Massages and Sauna’s are the exceptions to this rule…

Kelburn Garden Party is small festival set in the grounds of Kelburn Castle and the surrounding glen.

Whilst very beautiful, it is also an innately challenging environment for those with mobility issues.

Ground surfaces vary from tarmac and hard standing roadways through to grass (sometimes mud) and dirt/gravel paths, many of which are uneven and steep.

We have 3.5 kilometers of Woodland Paths throughout the Neverending Glen include some steep uneven stair ways and many irregular surfaces. Access to the top of the waterfall is step free with a gentle slope from the Ice House Gate (near the Castle). This is a 50 meter walk and includes some of the Never Ending Glen Curations

Access upto the Top of the Glen – We have a team of Bumpy Busses and an access vehicle which can offer rides to the top section of the glen, where we have our Beech Plateau stage and Boat. Paths back down involve some uneven woodland steps and some inclines, a conductor will be at the top of the hill, and can help you hail a ride back down, if the route isn’t for you.

Please Tell us about your access needs in the Accessibility Needs Form.

The Festival’s Accessible Camping and Parking areas have strict capacity controls and require those who wish to camp in Accessible Camping or to park in accessible parking to register in advance. Please complete the Accessibility Needs Form so that we can allocate you some space in the campsite.

If you are a registered blue badge holder (for parking) we can park you closer to where you are camped – please note you will still need to purchase a parking ticket, and you must have your valid blue badge available for inspection upon arrival.

Our accessible spaces will be fully allocated in advance, please register for one of the limited number of spaces, once fully allocated we will be able to coordinate your arrival with the traffic team to help you out as much

We provide accessible toilets in at least 4 locations on site.

We are pleased to announce that we will have a changing places toilet and rinse down facility which can be used for accessible showering. This unit, provided by Mobiloo will be staffed and available to those who need it during its staffed hours. Outside these hours the unit will be available to meet urgent emergency needs, call the Event Control Number to arrange out-of-hours access.

This facility will be in the same area as the Lovely Loos and Showers up near the Wristband Exchange. Facility opening hours will be updated in due course.

Please complete the Accessibility Needs Form to tell us about your Access Needs

Unfortunately, due to the small size of the festival and the layout of the stages, we are unable to provide wheelchair accessible viewing platforms. However, our team will be happy to accommodate any attendee who requires additional assistance (by helping people to the front, or to get to some of the natural raised accessible viewing positions).

Our Onsite Medical Team have fridges for chilled medicine storage, please complete the Accessibility Needs Form to arrange this in advance.

We recognise that the festival environment can be overwhelming and some of our audience will need to find a space to retreat and step away from noise and crowds. We do our best to provide calmer areas (welfare area is a good go to) but other areas are also available; but please note it can be challenge to manage calmer spaces in a festival environment.

The New Zealand Garden, beyond the Plaisance, has a schedule of calm and wellness activities throughout the daytime. The festival site encompasses a large estate with quiet walking routes up and out of the festival.

Please see ‘General FAQ’ section below if you have issues related to noise or lighting.

If you require an assistance dog, you must provide evidence that the animal is registered with Assistance Dogs (UK).  Please Complete the Accessibility Needs Form to be issued with an Assistance Dog Ticket.

We are changing the way that our Companion and Carer Tickets are allocated; After you have bought your ticket please complete the Accessibility Needs Form. Companion tickets are issued manually to those who require them by a team who work intermittently throughout the year.

Companion tickets are for Customers aged 18 and over requiring assistance and support throughout the festival are entitled to apply for one free pass for their Personal Assistant/Support worker.

The support needed must be significant and substantial, and in excess of what could be reasonably expected of any family/friends who would otherwise already be accompanying you. Please note that the customer requiring assistance must have a valid festival ticket before completing the Accessibility Needs Form

This is not a buy-one-get-one free scheme but a reasonable adjustment to enable a ticket holder to attend an event that they otherwise would not be able to. Abuse of this scheme will not be tolerated. 

Kelburn Garden Party features loud music. Please bring ear protection if required. Disposable Earplugs are available at our First Aid and Welfare station, multi use ear plugs can be purchased from information and merchandise stalls.

Please be aware that all of our events will feature strobe lighting.

The Kelburn team absolutely love dogs and all pets and that’s why we do not allow them on site. During the festival, the site is noisy and dangerous for dogs and all other animals. Animals will not be allowed into the arena at any time and unaccompanied pets left in vehicles, tied up, or wandering the site will be reported to the police. We want your furry pals to be safe so please don’t bring them.

Please note that emotional support animals are not legally recognised in the UK. If you require an assistance dog, you must provide evidence that the animal is registered with Assistance Dogs (UK).

There are currently no plans to develop a Kelburn Garden Party App so please use our website for all your needs (including all of the fabulous information about line up and acts!)