Unlock the secrets to building a sustainable, thriving event with First Festival, the essential podcast for micro and small festival organisers.
Hosted by the Association of Independent Festivals (AIF) CEO John Rostron, each episode pairs festival movers-and-shakers with experts to tackle everything from finding your niche to licensing, marketing, environmental impact, and so much more.
Hear unfiltered first edition stories from world-class founders and gain the practical blueprints you need to professionalise your festival’s future.
Find out more about the Association of Independent Festivals here - www.aiforg.com (http://www.aiforg.com)
In this final Q&A Episode, we tackle key questions, big talking points and offer foundational insights for Micro & Very Small Festivals. From legal experts on the pros and cons of festival business structure options, to demystifying funding opportunities. What to consider when managing your finances as a sole trader, and how to make up your essential marketing toolkit. Plus much more! Essential listening to professionalise your festival's future.
John Rostron - Host, CEO of the Association of Independent Festivals (AIF)
Sophie Evans - Co-Host, Campaigns & Recourses at the AIF
Azorra (Legal) - azorra.co.uk (http://www.azorra.co.uk)
Vision For Sustainable Events - visionsustainableevents.org (http://visionsustainableevents.org)
PRS Foundation - prsfoundation.com/funding-support (http://prsfoundation.com/funding-support)
Arts Council England - artscouncil.org.uk (https://www.artscouncil.org.uk)
Creative Wales - creative.wales (http://creative.wales)
Council Wales - arts.wales (http://arts.wales)
Creative Scotland - (https://www.creativescotland.com/)creativescotland.com (http://creativescotland.com)
Vicky In Finance - linkedin.com/in/vicky-westcott-69466751 (http://linkedin.com/in/vicky-westcott-69466751)
Gigantic Ticketing - gigantic.com (http://gigantic.com)
Please note: everything covered in this episode is general information only and is not intended to constitute legal advice. It does not take into account your individual circumstances. So you should always take specific legal and tax advice before making decisions about your business.
Brought to you by the Association of Independent Festivals (AIF), edited by Trevor Deeble (bex.pop (https://bex-pop.com/)), produced by Sophie Evans
MUSIC
(1) Artist: Tai Hâf Heb Drigolyn, Track: Siwgr
(2) Artist: Soft Hearted Scientists, Track: At Night The Quarry Glows Like A Mothership
18 Jun 2026
Marketing & Audiences
Marketing and audience consultant Ellie White and Found Festival's Harri Rose discuss strategies for packaging unique selling points and building dedicated communities for festivals.
9 Jun 2026
Sustainability & Accessibility
Shambala Festival Co-Founder Chris Johnson and Noteworthy Access Founder Yiska Ansel discuss how sustainability and accessibility drive festival innovation and audience growth in this interview.
5 Jun 2026
Money, Money, Money?
Festival organizer Shane Daunt and finance expert Chris Carter discuss sustainable event finances, budgeting, and risk management in this interview.
22 May 2026
FIRST Q&A
Host John Rostron and Sophie Evans from AIF interview Rob Wilkinson of Ethical Staffing & My Cause UK about festival community building, supplier deals, and PRS tariffs.
12 May 2026
The Power of Production & Paperwork
Millie Devereux and Sam Morgan discuss production, paperwork, and safety planning, revealing how meticulous logistics ensure festival success and public safety.
2 May 2026
People, Purpose & Community
Sue Brand, founder of TestFest, and Rob Wilkinson, director of Ethical Staffing, discuss building community and managing volunteers for impactful events.
2 May 2026
Finding Your Festival Vision
Leon Cole of Field Maneuvers and Dulcie Horn of Chuffed Digital discuss building a festival vision and sustainable growth in this interview.
24 Apr 2026
Welcome! Introducing First Festival Podcast
John Rostron (AIF CEO) and Sophie Evans (AIF Campaigns & Resources) introduce the First Festival podcast, sharing its purpose and upcoming topics to support emerging festival organizers.
Who has been a guest on First Festival
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Harri Rose
Ellie White
Chris Johnson
Yiska Ansel
Shane Daunt
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Spotify
5.0 / 5
1 ratings
Contact First Festival
Guest appearances
Books guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
Host of First Festival?
Claim your podcast to manage its listing and keep your show details accurate.
Pod Engine is an independent podcast discovery and analytics service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by this podcast. Artwork and show content belong to their owners. Full legal notice.
Explore this show Podcast research with Pod Engine
