Where it All Began 2027

About Where It All Began

Grange Farm at Abbots Ripton carries a specific festival memory: it is the former Secret Garden Party site. From 18–20 June 2027, Where It All Began runs its grassroots music festival at the Huntingdon site, with a planned capacity of 5,000–8,000. The festival began in 2025.

Its roots feed through Chai Wallahs, which began in 1999 as a small chai stall serving tea, incense and drumming workshops, then added a live stage in 2007. The model is community-owned and crowdfunded, with no shareholders.

Lineup and Programme

The bill is tied to grassroots and independent artists, with collaborative programming involving independent venues and promoter collectives. Genres span alternative and dance music, jazz and afro sounds, funk and folk, house and bass, blues and rock, plus Latin, hip-hop and pop.

Music runs across Chai Wallahs, The Bohemian Triangle, Where The Wild Things Are and The Grand Union. There are workshops too. DJ workshops, skate tuition, street-art sessions, scrapyard making, youth-led DJ competitions, poetry, storytelling, immersive theatre and collective music-making sit around the live programme.

Who Is It For?

The festival is aimed at grassroots music fans, families, first-time festival-goers and people bringing younger listeners with them. It is not adults-only. Children aged 14 or under must be with a parent or guardian, and teens aged 15–17 must be accompanied by an adult aged 21+.

Family workshops and activities sit alongside the music, with a family café space on site. Bars operate Challenge 25.

The Venue and Site

Grange Farm, Abbots Ripton sits near Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire, on the former Secret Garden Party site. The Secret Garden Party team programmes an open-air stage there. Camping is built in.

Person tickets include camping and access to the full four days, with campervans and caravans allowed. Facilities include compost and portaloo-style toilets, showers, water points, bars, food vendors with vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options, a medical and welfare hub, and card payments across the site.

Travel

Grange Farm sits near Abbots Ripton, outside Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire. Huntingdon is the nearest rail option.

• Rail: Huntingdon Station is 6.51 km from Abbots Ripton; St Neots is 17.69 km and Peterborough is 21.23 km.
• Road: Access routes include the B1090, B1043, A1(M) and A141.
• Parking: On-site parking is available in advance for £25.00; accessible parking for Blue Badge holders is available by request.
• Nearby cities: Cambridge is about 18 miles away, Peterborough about 13 miles and London about 60 miles.