Northern Kin Festival Event Info

Northern Kin's picturesque new music site is located at STANHOPE, CO. DURHAM, DL13 2YL

Food & Drink

Our beautiful new site has huge food and drink improvements. We're further expanding our range of food traders and can guarantee that a new, larger range of all kinds of food (including vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options) will be available right through the festival in our new Food Court area, at competitive prices. We're using festival bar specialists to run multiple bars at the site, including a new, bigger, real ale bar, with more choice, premium bar with specialist options, and can bar, all with the same competitive drink prices and more bar staff to make sure you’re not queuing. We want you to have a great time without making a hole in your wallet!

Northern Kin's Beautiful New Site

Our operations team have been working incredibly hard in the background over the last 12 months, engaging with government and industry bodies to plan for all eventualities. One of the things that has become very clear during that time is that space will be a key requirement for all events in the summer of 2021 and beyond. Those familiar with Northern Kin Festival will be aware that while the previous site was incredibly friendly and atmospheric, it was cosy to say the least. To ensure that Northern Kin could take place in the immediate post-restrictions period, our team have worked tirelessly through a lengthy process to secure an incredible new Main Field, within Stanhope, which affords a much more usable space, that allows you the opportunity of lots more space and allows us to introduce some great changes, including a significantly larger Big Top tent for a bigger and better Main Stage, more spacious viewing area, a large al-fresco outdoor area, between several different bars, offering much quicker service and more choice, plus a food court with an enhanced range, offering great variety. These incredible additions, plus a hugely enhanced camping experience in a larger space, will make your experience of Northern Kin even better.

ALL Camp Site A and B ticket-holders will be in the Main Field, and all Site C ticket-holders will be located in Northern Kin's previous home - the Castle Park (our new Site C), as detailed on the map, below, with all the same facilities as Sites A and B - showers, toilet blocks, drinking water, ELSAN waste disposal and 24/7 security.

Those customers camped on Campsite C will be able to access the new main field using a free shuttle bus which will run continuously, every 15 minutes, at all hours of the day, across the festival weekend, taking you from the entrance of your campsite to the entrance of the fantastic new Main Music Field. This bus will also stop in Stanhope Market Place on every trip for anyone who wants to use the shops, pubs, or facilities within Stanhope Village, at any time. You just jump on the shuttle bus running all day, every day, and you'll be dropped off in the Main Music Field in 5 minutes and can travel back and forth between the camp and music sites, at your leisure

We hope you'll agree that this is the a fantastic improvement, and when you see the picturesque new site and spacious layout, you will not be disappointed, as we can promise that the improvements will be stunning. For the Northern Kin Team, it's a labour of love and everything will be improved - camping and festival space, number of bars, food choice, stage and production and all, with what we can honestly say, is the best line up we've had.

Finding the new site will be easy, as it's just at the other side of Stanhope and will be well signposted on the weekend of the festival. You all kept the faith with us and retained your tickets through a year that's been horrendous for everyone, in so many ways. We all need to enjoy ourselves soon, and we're going to thank you with something that is going to be very, very special. The countdown to Northern Kin 2021 is on.

Parking

There is free vehicle parking for non-campers, close to Camp Site C, which will be clearly signposted on the weekend, with a free car park 'park and ride' return shuttle bus running throughout the event weekend, to take you to and from the music arena in just 5 minutes.

What Can You Bring Into The Music Arena?

Folding chairs and picnic blankets can be brought into the festival but there will be a standing area close to the front of the stage where they can't be located.
Campers - you may bring food and drink on the camp site when you arrive, for personal consumption in the camp site only.
When entering the music entertainment area, a small food picnic in a bag or holdall is allowed (no rucksacks or large cool boxes, for safety and security reasons), plus one 500ml plastic, sealed and previously unopened bottle of soft drink or water per person is permitted. However, your own alcohol may not be consumed in the designated entertainment area due to licensing restrictions.
Free drinking water will be provided so you can bring in an empty reusable plastic or aluminium bottle for refills.
NO GLASS or metal utensils are allowed on the site due to Health & Safety restrictions.

Information for our disabled guests

If ordering camping tickets, if you are a Blue Badge Holder you can also order a free Disabled Camping Area Permit (in addition to your camping tickets) which permits you to camp in the Disabled Camping Area, located closest to the music entertainment area.
If you need accompanying by a carer, a free carers ticket is available. Please email us via our Contact Page to confirm your details and ticket(s) order number and we will email you back a link to download one free carers ticket.
Disabled toilet facilities are available throughout the festival site.
There is 'Park and Ride' Day Car Parking, located next to Camp Site C (see site map above, on this page) and is just a 5 minutes shuttle bus trip to the main music site. The Park and Ride shuttle bus will run continuously throughout the festival weekend. The free car parking area is also the closest parking available for our day visitor disabled guests and is only a short walk to the free shuttle bus pick up/drop off point.

Dogs

Dogs are allowed but must be kept on a lead at all times, with any fouling picked up and disposed of in the appropriate area. If your dog shows any signs of distress when near the music area please remove them for their welfare.

Security & Medical

There will be full 24 hour security and a medics team on site throughout the weekend.

Site Access Times

Day Visitors
Friday Access: 5pm – Midnight
Saturday Access: 11.30am – Midnight
Sunday Access: 11.30am – Midnight

Campers*
Friday Access: 12noon - 8pm
Saturday Access: 8am - 5pm
Sunday Access: 8am - 5pm

* The above times are for vehicle access in order to enter the site and set up your camping pitch. If you cannot access camping between these times just email us and we will make special arrangements for you to come in at a time convenient to you.

Directions from the West

FESTIVAL MUSIC SITE & CAMP SITES A AND B

At Alston, take the A689 (signposted to Nenthead, Stanhope and Durham). Continue on A689 through the following places: Nenthead, Cowshill, Wearhead, Ireshopeburn, St. John's Chapel, Westgate and Eastgate. Continue on through Stanhope, and just before you are emerging from the far end of Stanhope there is a petrol station on your right. You are now very close to the entrance to Northern Kin (signposted) which will appear on your right. There will be clear road signs displayed for the festival, well before the site.

CAMP SITE C

DAY VISITOR PARKING WITH PARK AND RIDE

At Alston, take the A689 (signposted to Nenthead, Stanhope and Durham). Continue on A689 through the following places: Nenthead, Cowshill, Wearhead, Ireshopeburn, St. John's Chapel, Westgate and Eastgate. When you have just entered Stanhope, the first turn on the right is signposted B6278 (Barnard Castle, Eggleston). This is the turnoff you need to take. The road takes you over the river by a stone bridge (beware this is on a sharp bend) and doubles back on itself following the river on the other side towards the Park and Ride Car Park. Keep following the river for about half a mile until you begin to approach a sharpish right hand corner. At this corner on the left there is a disused ford across the river, two park benches and a turnoff into a lane. Take the turnoff into the lane. Follow the lane to the Car Park entrance, about 150 metres.

Directions from the East

FESTIVAL MUSIC SITE & CAMP SITES A AND B

From the roundabout where the A689 crosses the A68 near Crook, take the A689 exit (signposted Wolsingham, Stanhope). Continue through Wolsingham and Frosterley, but look out on your left for the entrance to Northern Kin (signposted), which will appear on your left before you arrive at Stanhope. There will be clear road signs displayed for the festival, well before the site.

CAMP SITE C

DAY VISITOR PARKING WITH PARK AND RIDE

From the roundabout where the A689 crosses the A68 near Crook, take the A689 exit (signposted Wolsingham, Stanhope). Continue through Wolsingham and Frosterley. Proceed into Stanhope, past the petrol station on the left. Keep going past the market place on the left (Pack Horse Inn is on the left, Bonny Moor Hen on the right). Go past the castle entrance on the left, and the Durham Dales Centre on the right. The next turn on the left is signposted "Open Air Swimming Pool". Do not take this turning but continue and look out for the next turning on the left, signposted B6278 (Barnard Castle, Eggleston). This is the turnoff you need to take. The road takes you over the river by a stone bridge (beware this is on a sharp bend) and doubles back on itself following the river on the other side towards the Park and Ride Car Park. Keep following the river for about half a mile until you begin to approach a sharpish right hand corner. At this corner on the left there is a disused ford across the river, two park benches and a turnoff into a lane. Take the turnoff into the lane. Follow the lane to Car Park entrance, about 150 metres.

Items Prohibited From The Event

Items Prohibited from all Areas of the Event:

Aerosols over 500ml, Air horns, Fireworks, Flares, Glass of any sort, Illegal Substances, Drugs, "Legal Highs" (as covered by PS16 Legislation or as otherwise determined by Security, including, for clarification, Nitrous Oxide), Unidentified Substances, Any Other Illegal Item, Laser Equipment, Laser Pens, Megaphones or any other item designed specifically to amplify sound, Chinese Lanterns or similar items, Petrol Burners, Sound Systems or Other Speakers, Tabards or other items of high visibility.

Items Prohibited from the Arena but Permitted within the Campsite:

Bags larger than an A4 size, Bags or other Carriage Items which cannot be fully searched or split to allow searching, Alcohol of any kind, Camping Equipment including any type of cooking equipment, Any drink in a container capable of holding more than 500ml or any drink where the seal applied by the manufacturer has been broken.

Right to Refuse Possession:

The organisers of Northern Kin Festival, in line with their belief that safety of the overall event and it's attendees should be prioritised above the convenience or wishes of any one person, reserve the right for any representative, including but not limited to any authorised security personnel, to refuse permission to any person access to the event or any area within that event while in possession of any item which they or their representative deem to be unsafe, undesirable or unwelcome in any way. The decision of Management in this respect is final and there is no recourse, other than the consumers' statutory rights, which are respected throughout.

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