Keep Festival Samaritans in the Fields 2026

At festivals, when things feel overwhelming

At festivals, not everyone is having the best time.

Festival Samaritans provide a 24-hour confidential listening service on site for anyone who needs it. You might find us at our green gazebo, or sitting with someone on a hay bale at 2am, making space for a conversation that might be hard to have anywhere else.

We support festival-goers, but also crew, artists, traders and volunteers. People working long hours, carrying responsibility, or simply trying to get through intense days in busy environments.

Festivals can be overwhelming. There is a lot happening, very little rest, and people often arrive already carrying things from their lives with them. Not everyone has somewhere to turn when that becomes too much. That is where we come in.

We have been part of festivals in the UK for over 50 years. We are the only branch of Samaritans that provides face-to-face support at events like this.

How this work is supported

This year, Samaritans is focusing resources on maintaining the national 24-hour helpline, which we fully support.

It means our work at festivals now relies on donations and community support to continue.

To be there in 2026, we need to raise £75,000.

What this funding does

Your donations keep our festival service running across a full season of around 18 to 22 events.

They make it possible for trained volunteers to travel to festivals and stay on site for the duration of each event. They also cover the practical side of the work, including the tents and equipment we work from, the vehicles that move everything between sites, and the insurance and logistics that keep the service running safely.

They also support the preparation behind the scenes. Every volunteer is trained and supported before they step onto a festival site, and that continues throughout the season so the service remains safe, consistent, and reliable wherever we are needed.

Without this support, we would not be able to continue providing a face-to-face listening service across festivals in the UK.

How we work on site

We offer a calm, confidential space to talk, whether that is in our tent or wherever someone feels able to sit down and take a moment. We listen without judgement and we stay present with people when things feel difficult or overwhelming.

We are there for festival-goers, but also for crew, artists and traders. Sometimes that means a conversation. Sometimes it means sitting with someone so they are not on their own in that moment.

We are there for the moments that can be hard to talk about elsewhere.

How to help

If you are able to donate, it really does make a difference. Even £5 helps us keep this work going, and larger contributions help us reach our goal more quickly.

If you cannot donate, you can still support us by leaving a message on this page about why Festival Samaritans matters to you. We are building a collection of voices that show why this service is valued.

You can also help by sharing this campaign with others.

Why this work matters

If you have ever felt overwhelmed, exhausted, or in need of someone to talk to in a high-pressure environment, you will understand why this matters.

At festivals, those moments can happen at any time. When they do, we are there.

Thank you

Festival Samaritans has been part of festival life for over 50 years.
With your support, we can continue to be there when people need us.
This continues because people like you decide it should.

Charity information

Samaritans is a registered charity in the UK and Republic of Ireland, providing confidential emotional support to anyone in despair or at risk of suicide, and working to raise public awareness of suicide and depression.

Charity number: 219432