Staying Safe
We’re proud that Solas Festival has been incident-free and, with your help, we fully intend to repeat this. The advice offered below is not designed to worry you, but to help you feel prepared, because we’re confident that you’ll be comfortable and secure at the festival. We’d like to encourage everyone to take responsibility for themselves and those around them, so that together we can enjoy all the delights of Solas Festival in a safe and truly careful environment.
Keeping your children safe
We will make every effort to protect your children onsite, but you are responsible for your own children at all times. Solas doesn’t currently offer any programming where you can leave your children unattended, and there’s no organised babysitting service during the festival.
If your child is lost, you should alert a Solas Festival volunteer immediately. If your child is old enough to remember a meeting point, we recommend choosing the Hearth venue which will host many of the sessions designed for children and will be a friendly and safe environment for them. Or, bring them into Festival Reception at the start of the weekend and we’ll provide a plain weather-proof wristband for you to write your mobile number on and attach to your child’s wrist, allowing us to contact you quickly if your child becomes separated from you.
First Aid provision
Professional First Aiders will be on site over the weekend. Please alert a steward immediately in the event of an accident or medical emergency.
Road safety
There may be vehicles on site at times during the festival, this will be kept to a minimum however we ask that you take care and look out when crossing roads in the Estate.
Fire safety
Small barbecues are allowed in the designated area, and there’s a managed fire pit at The Stables, but please do not light any open fires anywhere on site. Never leave barbecues unattended and be fire safety conscious when using camping stoves or gas lamps. Personal generators are not permitted on site.
If you’re using a disposable barbecue don’t be tempted to bring the glowing embers into your tent to keep yourself warm…there’s a very real risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. Barbecues and stoves need good ventilation – do your cooking outside your tent or yurt.
Alcohol and illegal drugs
We are a family-friendly festival and we have a zero-tolerance policy on illegal drug-taking. If you are offered illegal drugs on site, please inform a Solas Festival steward immediately. We will always call the police if illegal drugs are discovered.
Alcohol will be on sale on site, but our priority is to maintain the festival as a safe, family-friendly and peaceful environment. Excessive drinking will not be tolerated, nor will under-age drinking, nor behaviour which intimidates or disturbs other festivalgoers. Anyone in breach of this policy may be asked to leave the festival. Smoking is now illegal in enclosed public areas. Solas Festival will enforce a no smoking ban in all enclosed structures.
Glass free festival
Please do not bring any glass to the festival. The site is surrounded by a working farm and post festival there will be cattle and horses on the fields we use. Glass is dangerous for both livestock and vehicle tyres. Please use (recyclable) alternatives.
Night security
Our night stewards will be patrolling regularly and key areas of our site will be lit, but please take extra care at night. Carry your torch and your mobile and don’t wander off on your own or with someone you don’t know. That said, our site is very small, and our festival community is very friendly, so you’re unlikely to run into any trouble day or night – common sense rules apply.
The site
We want you to enjoy the beautiful natural setting of our festival, but please take care in the grounds of Errol Park. Parents are responsible for their own children onsite and should ensure that their children comply with these rules.
Some areas of the site are out of bounds. They will be clearly marked and we ask you to ensure you and your family members respect these limits.