
Changing tunes: why we’re choosing local festivals
Changing tunes: why we’re choosing local festivals
Rohan works as a Stay Up Late Assistant. He has also had a Gig Buddy for many years and loves going to see live music.
Stay Up Late went to Glastonbury festival for 10 years. In 2024, we decided to change things up a bit, and attend a number of smaller festivals more local to our HQ in Sussex with the hopes of making it more affordable and more accessible for more adults with learning disabilities and/or autism to attend.

For many, this was their first ever experience of attending a music festival, and for many more it was their first time going without parents or carers. Rohan went to Love Supreme, and gives his thoughts, feelings and suggestions about it here.
What festivals had you been to before this year?
I had actually been to Love Supreme before, in 2023. I went with my parents and I thought it was nice, a relaxed festival that was accessible. I recommended that Stay Up Late should go to Love Supreme as a group in 2024.
How was going to Love Supreme with Stay Up Late a different experience for you?
I went with the other Gig Buddies in a group instead of with my parents. It was much better, it was more fun and I really enjoyed myself. Also, with Gig Buddies we got the train and then a coach together to get to the festival, that was really fun.
“We went to quite a mix of festivals this summer. You get to see different places and artists. Going with Gig Buddies is the best way to go to a festival because you get to see people with disabilities doing things they want to do – it makes me happy to see that.”


What was good about Love Supreme this year?
I can’t remember the names of any bands I saw, but the music was really good. There were lots of different tents and stalls, and I thought the price was OK for what you got. Food and drink were nice, with lots of choice. One stall had a machine that took both cash and card, so that was good for people with disabilities to use but it was a bit strange giving your order to a machine instead of a person!
Were there any negatives?
There was basically no phone signal at the festival, so it was really hard to meet up with friends because you couldn’t message or call them. Leaving at night was also a bit tricky, the bus back to the train station was really packed. It also got very cold, the weather wasn’t very good for July, and so we left earlier than I would have liked.


Did you think Love Supreme was accessible?
It was quite accessible, even though in some places it was very busy. There was an access tent but I didn’t use it. Overall the festival site was laid out well with plenty of space which was good for access.
What do you think Stay Up Late should do next year?
Whatever festivals we go to, we should arrive later and then be able to stay right to the end. We are called Stay Up Late, not Go Home Early! It would be good to try something different – for me it is all about the music so it depends what bands are on. We could wait to buy the tickets until the line up has been announced so we know what we are going to see. Also, we are a Sussex based charity so we should go to something local! That way, more people can go as well.
