Fantasy Forest, a unique UK festival celebrating the popular fantasy genre, made a spectacular return to the glorious grounds of Sudeley Castle, Gloucestershire on 19 – 21 July 2024, with a packed programme of fantasy-themed experiences, live music and entertainment, a spectacular Wicker Fire Ceremony, Costume Competition, and much more!
Fantasy Forest is an independent festival which first took place in the grounds of the magnificent Sudeley Castle in 2019, and has continued to grow in popularity every year since, attracting visitors of all ages from across Gloucestershire, the UK and overseas. The 2024 festival was the largest to date and welcomed 18,000 people (both return visitors and newcomers) to experience the magic of this one-of-a-kind event.
This year’s festival was spread across Sudeley Castle’s substantial grounds, and the popular visitor attraction closed its castle doors and garden gates to day visitors from 20 – 21 July (in what the estate terms an ‘exceptional closure’) to exclusively welcome the thousands of Fantasy Forest Festival-goers.
Weekend camping tickets for the 2024 festival sold out within days when they went on sale in October 2023, shortly followed by weekend and Saturday day tickets, and by early June 2024, all tickets for the festival this July were sold out.
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Martin Pelgrim from Fantasy Forest said: “It’s amazing to see the continued rising popularity and support for Fantasy Forest Festival year on year. Our aim is to create a unique, inclusive, joyful experience to bring people together, and it’s remarkable to see tickets sell out so quickly. This year’s festival was our biggest to date, and it’s so rewarding to see so many new and familiar faces of all ages all coming together to embrace the varied fantasy genre.”
Highlights of this year’s festival included the ever-popular Costume Show and Costume Competition (held on Saturday 20th and Sunday 21st at the Cosplay Court). Festival-goers donned a remarkable array of screen-accurate, creative and lovingly hand-crafted costumes, and the costumed characters roaming the grounds (including Stormtroopers, Game of Thrones and Marvel characters, daleks, orcs, pirates and fairies) all added to the fantastical ambience of this inimitable festival.
Raffi Douglas, organiser of the Fantasy Forest Festival Costume Show and Competition, commented: “Each year our entrants never fail to amaze me with the imagination and creativity of their costumes and this year was certainly no exception. It’s touching to see such a diversity of ideas come together to produce something truly magical.”
Another highlight of the festival was the Wicker Fire Ceremony held on Saturday 20, which saw an impressive 12 foot wicker structure of a stag (this year’s festival symbol) set alight in a moving and poignant ceremony, which took place overlooking Sudeley Castle’s impressive Cotswold estate.
The Film Orchestra returned once again to this year’s Fantasy Forest Festival with another outstanding performance of recognisable scores from fantasy and sci-fi films and games, including Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers; Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest; My Neighbour Totoro; Star Wars; Doctor Who; and His Dark Materials, performed on the North Lawn, opposite Sudeley Castle’s ancient tithe barn.
Jane Whittle, founder and managing director of The Film Orchestra commented: “Each year we aim to raise the bar higher with increasingly challenging collaborations with our cosplay friends to create performances for the festival goers.
The Pirates, Star Wars, Lord of the Rings and Dr Who communities have pulled out all the stops in creating fabulous scenes to illustrate the music, with some amazing props.
We have made some wonderful friends and collaborators through Fantasy Forest, some of whom join us at our theatre concerts throughout the year. It’s been such a joyful experience and long may it continue!”
This year’s festival debuted new features, such as a Post Apocalyptic area, which included an array of post-apocalyptic artists, role-players and live entertainers hosting themed activities, such as post-societal carnival games, talisman making and costume distressing workshops.
Martin Pelgrim from Fantasy Forest Festival commented: “We are continuing to diversify, grow and adapt the programme on offer at Fantasy Forest Festival to span the breadth of the rich and varied fantasy genre, including new and interesting themes, such as the Post Apocalyptic area and Steampunk area, which perhaps aren’t represented at other festivals, particularly the larger, more mainstream festivals. This is part of what sets Fantasy Forest apart from other events, and makes it such a unique, diverse and inclusive festival.”
World-renowned fantasy artist Anne Stokes – whose spectacular artwork has featured world-wide on everything from t-shirts, posters and book covers to jigsaws, greeting cards and games, including Dungeons & Dragons - returned to this year’s festival to host an annual meet and greet (a.k.a Stoked 2024), alongside hosting workshops, signing sessions and a costume show based on her artwork.
Anne commented: “I am delighted to be part of Fantasy Forest festival again. We have exhibited at the festival every year since the start and it has been amazing to watch it grow into the huge and wonderful spectacle it is now. There is so much fun, creativity and excitement as thousands of like-minded people gather in the grounds of beautiful Sudeley Castle to share their love of all things fantasy.”
Festival-goers also enjoyed three stages of live music, as well as multiple entertainment stages dotted throughout the magnificent castle grounds. At the Medieval Village, visitors were able to step back in time and try their hand at medieval life skills such as archery, or watch a thrilling, immersive live battle reenactment. The Sherwood Outlaws brought the legend of Robin Hood to life through their live performance, combat displays, archery demonstrations, interactive theatre and an engaging craft corner for children. The Swords of Cygnus, put on an impressive display of 60 female fighters engaging in a full contact, historic medieval battle, fighting for the prized 2024 Fantasy Forest Cup.
At the Pirate Camp, visitors were able to immerse themselves in a bygone era with captivating story-telling, costumed actors and themed activity sessions for children provided by The Historical Living Company. Roaming pirates wandered the festival grounds while rousing live performances from bands including Ye Banished Privateers (a popular Swedish pirate band, whose headline performance at the festival in 2023 was met with acclaim) and The Boarding Crew, a pirate band hailing from Chesil Bay in Dorset, added to the atmosphere.
Martin Pelgrim from Fantasy Forest commented: “This year’s festival was a huge success. We welcomed 18,000 guests to Sudeley’s spectacular grounds in our biggest festival yet, to immerse themselves in a weekend of fantasy themed fun and unforgettable, unique experiences.
Work to programme 2025’s festival is already well underway, with the team excited to return to Sudeley Castle’s beautiful grounds. They've already booked the headline act, which will be the biggest international name hosted at the festival to date. The team are also working on some new features, including a Fantasy Writers Market and a special surprise addition that will blow visitors away!”
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