The making of CarFest
For the fourth time in five years (Covid interrupted the annual flow, obvs), we arrived at CarFest on bank holiday Friday for a weekend of off-grid happiness. Pulling up, desperate to get out of the car given all of the camping gear stacked on my lap, all the feels from CarFests gone by return. This year CarFests North and South would be combined and the first thing I noticed was the sheer scale. It made me wonder how on earth this thing is created?
CarFest was the brain child of Chris Evans. After a short Google to find out more I learn that back in the day he sat down with a production agency to brainstorm a potential festival. The next thing the agency knew he was announcing it live on air. He was posing the question about whether there would be enough portaloos to launch the festival in 2012 given that the Olympics would also be in town. The agency rapidly got loo booking! Whether that story is true or not, it’s a solid tactic. Announce something massive in front a big group of people, then you’ve kind of got to deliver it.
And so, CarFest was born.
This mega family event is now over 10 years old and it’s grown to be seven festivals rolled into one. Music, cars, food, wellness, celebs, retro, kids’ stuff, it does it all. Fascinated by behind the scenes, I wander around in awe longing to see the project plan. I’ve so many questions. The bands, the infrastructure, the cars, the camping, the fairground, the food, the security, the communications, oh and the fundraising.. it goes on. Whose job is it to manage the 2023 masterplan? Not only that, but the tickets for 2024 go on sale next week so there’s clearly more than one operation being planned at any one time.
I want to understand how it started. How many people are in the organizing team – now and back then? How much investment did it take to put the first festival on, and how did the team know that people would come? How many people did come and how many toilets did it actually need?! How long does it take to set up and build before the audience arrives?
As I stood waiting for my Friday night food, I wondered how much chicken the burrito guys had brought with them? Where they were storing it? A utility van came from the back, moving some bin bags. What’s happening to all of the rubbish? When I wake up in the middle of the night and hear the gentle rumble of trucks, I’m guessing that’s the clean-up operation.
More and more eco conscious, this year there were no plastic cups to buy. Instead there's paper cups that can be returned for 10p a pop. Whose idea was that? Just how many paper cups are needed for this festival? Genuinely one of the loveliest sights of the weekend were the industrious kids scouring the fields for the paper cups and politely asking for empties so that they could earn some pocket money for each one returned.
We’ve been blessed with sunshine in previous CarFest years but this weekend was predicted to be a bit iffy. Are there wet weather plans in place? Will all the bands ‘do a Taylor’ now that we’ve seen Swifty perform majestically in the rain on the Eras tour? I’m sure that’s the deal when they sign up, but I’m guessing so is actually turning up. This CarFest, Strictly favourite Anton du Beke didn’t show because his flight was delayed. But, the show must go on and we were treated to some top-drawer spontaneous Eminem rapping by the keyboard player from The Feeling (round of applause for Ciaran Jeremiah). I’m keen to know just how spontaneous this actually was because you’ve got to feel for the poor person backstage who’s checking flight tracker to see if Anton would actually arrive. That’s a fairly stressful watch-party.
What’s been created at CarFest is magical and it’s clear to see there’s now a CarFest family. As I sit in the sun and watch a live version of Taskmaster, there’s clearly a network of contacts who are key to putting on this show. Alex and Rachel Horne are an integral part. Rob Brydon and his family are also now part of the furniture. He’s clearly told Lee Mack to get in on the action and this year he turns up too. So how did that all start? Who made the first phone call?
Then there’s the most important part - the funds that are donated from this mega event. Millions of pounds have been raised for children’s charities as a result of this festival, and so there must be a full feedback loop and process needed for how this is managed and spent. There’s another meaty chapter for the project plan right there.
The whole weekend fills me with joy. The camping in a small tent less so as the years go by, but the lack of decent sleep is soon forgotten once the sun comes out and the breakfast cooking starts. The fresh air, the ridiculous costumes (it was YMCA heavy this year due to the Village People being on the bill), the beer, the music, and the truly awesome homemade bubble machine that makes an appearance every year. They’re all the simple pleasures that make me very, very happy. And so as I walk up the hill to my car to head home, I look back with a full heart. The weather didn’t let us down and it was another special weekend that I’ll treasure. Having been a part of the audience for many years, I am hooked and I want more. It’s time for me to find out about what it takes to put on this extraordinary show. The Wikipedia page is lacking, there’s no ‘Welcome to Wrexham’ Disney+ style documentary on hand to satisfy my curiosity, so standby as I try to uncover the behind the scenes secrets from the making of CarFest.
