Making hay: Stable Events’ James Gower on the creation of The Great British Farm Fest
Stable Events’ James Gower on the creation of The Great British Farm Fest…
Sheep that look like celebrities, weird- shaped vegetables, and Jeremy Clarkson. What more could you want from a new event celebrating great British farmers. But all jokes aside, that’s just a flavour of what visitors can expect when they walk through the gates of The Great British Farm Fest in May.
Combining the traditional joy of a large country fair with the energy of a modern music festival, The Great British Farm Fest is being curated by the brains behind The Game Fair, Taste of London, Top Gear Live, and the Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials. But unlike these classic live events, The Great British Farm Fest will have a “twist”.
James Gower, managing director of Stable Events, just one of the creative and business minds behind the new three-day event at Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire, explains all: “The Great British Farm Fest is the result of two projects aligning. Our traditional countryside business had been talking to Stoneleigh about the old Royal Show and whether there was a chance to revive it. Meanwhile, my business partner Richard Hease had been to an AEO reunion and Chris Hughes [ex Brand Events] was talking about running a modern day country show with some old colleagues of his, and Jeremy Clarkson.
“Richard said, ‘Well, hang on a minute. We’re looking at possibly doing a modern version of a country show and so are you, so how about we join forces?”
SUPPORT
That first conversation took place roughly seven months ago and The Great British Farm Fest launched in November. Already, the event has support from Clarkson, Lisa Hogan, Kaleb Cooper, Charlie Ireland, all stars of Clarkson’s Farm, and farmer and television presenter Adam Henson. But that’s not all. There’ll be music from Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Alex James, and Groove Armada in the Hawkstone Music Arena and sector support from the Royal Agricultural Society of England, the National Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs, and the Farmers Guardian. It’s an incredibly positive start. However, with the event taking place from May 22-24, 2026, the organising team does not have much time to organise an ambitious new concept.
CLARKSON TWIST
According to Gower, Stable Events has huge expertise and understanding of the countryside and Hughes has a “big skill set” around food and drink. Therefore, roles and responsibilities are being split so that all parties can work to their strengths. Catherine Bishop, Stable Events’ head of operations is overseeing ops but for The Great British Farm Fest, Rupert Bassadone’s Ops People has been contracted to provide site management and operational support whilst Fixr has been engaged for ticketing.
“We also have the support of Stoneleigh, which was the place where people used to come together to celebrate agriculture,” Gower continues. “We’re hoping to bring some of that heritage back and celebrate British agriculture in a modern way, with a Clarkson twist.”
DIFFERENT HYBRID
Gower says that Clarkson’s Farm, Clarkson’s pub called The Farmer’s Dog, and Clarkson’s Hawkstone brewery – all powerful brands – have enabled the team to accelerate event plans.
He hopes that The Great British Farm Fest will capture the hearts and minds of a family audience, a generation who remember old farming techniques and a new generation that is keen to discover modern methods. The event will be a marriage of old and
new and Gower expects the show to appeal to an audience hooked on watching Clarkson’s often comical foray into the world of agriculture.
Gower adds: “The Great British Farm Fest is not a traditional country show; it’s a country show with a Clarkson-esque viewpoint, and then at night it turns into a music festival. It’s a different hybrid altogether.”
In year one, the organising team wishes to attract 60,000 people over the course of three days. Gower says that weekend tickets are the most popular and there’s a belief that Farm Fest Ltd has hit upon a concept that could grow legs and attract more than 150,000 people. Gower comments: “I think that the audience is going to be interesting. We hope that we’re going to see people that traditionally go to shows but we know we’re going to get a huge number of people that are fans of Clarkson’s Farm so it’s very likely we’re going to introduce a whole bunch of new people to the best of British.”
ONE OF THE GREATS
“Great British Farm Fest has the potential to be one of the greats,” exclaims Gower. “We’ve set a low number of 60,000 people for the weekend but I think we’ll attract more and the timing of the show is never better.
“We organise The Game Fair and Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials but I don’t think there’s much crossover with this show. We didn’t want to create a competitor but we knew we needed to create something that was complimentary.”
“Do you still get excited about launching a show?” StandOut asks.
“Well, you kind of know you’re alive, don’t you?” Gower answers. “Chris is The Great British Farm Fest’s festival director. He is notoriously creative and he is quick so the pace on this show is rapid.
“Over the next few months, there’ll be a lot more engagement with the talent, marketing will really kick in and then there’s all of the normal planning, organising, and meetings.
“There will be some special attractions that we haven’t announced yet, which will need some special skill sets so in terms of what’s next, there’s a lot of traditional organising to be done around a non-traditional event and I am really looking forward to it.”
