Take part
What we offer to event organisers and performers
Are you a performer, event organiser or agent interested in being part of the Festival of Chichester?
If so, please double check that you understand the way we work.
The Festival of Chichester is a charitable group that acts as a support umbrella for independently organised events. However, we do not actually organise events ourselves.
So, it will be up to you as performer/agent to choose a venue and work with that venue – you keep the ticket revenues and pay the hire fees.
Assuming you have a venue in mind, once approved your event becomes part of the festival and for a very modest fee it appears in our widely distributed brochure and on our website.
You’re still advised to promote your own event as much as possible. We also offer a ticketing service with online and physical ticket options (there’s a small commission for the box office).
If you are looking for a festival which hires acts directly, then we are afraid we are not for you.
Assuming that you understand the way we work, please keep reading below for details of how to take the next step. We welcome entries from 4 December 2024 until 31 January 2025.
How to take part in our 2025 festival
Please read the notes below.
The function described below is available from Wednesday 4 December 2024.
If you have not already signed up in a previous year, then firstly click on the SIGN UP link at the top of the page. Once signed up, you LOG IN, make payment, and then click on ADD YOUR EVENT (top RHS of the screen) to submit your event(s).
If you hit difficulties, we can email you a Word file to complete. Please contact support@festivalofchichester.co.uk for it.
Notes on submitting your event
Please complete a separate entry for each event you are proposing to run.
You can submit another entry once you’ve completed the form. You can partially complete or save the form mid-way.
We suggest that you have the following to hand before you start:
- A 50-word description of your event.
- An image ready to upload from your computer, as a JPG file at a medium to high resolution. We need a real image, not a poster or anything with lettering on it, that’s free from copyright. We are asking for one main image – the one that which is associated with your event across all platforms – brochure, festival website and box office.
- A debit or credit card. Electronic payment is taken by us during the application process.
Please refer to our detailed notes for filling in the form.
What we do
Our role is to coordinate events, provide general publicity by producing a festival brochure and the local press, promoting you on social media, plus arranging for you to sell tickets via a central ticket booking facility.
We are not able to fund or produce events directly, but we will provide a framework to showcase the events which you are organising.
You will be responsible for all aspects of production for your event, including hiring a venue, health and safety, licensing and insurance, as applicable.
- We will publicise your event in the printed festival brochure, in an e-brochure and on the website, and in general terms in the local press and other media. However you will also need to promote your own event yourself.
- We will organise central booking and ticketing, available in person, by post and online via our ticket agency Chichester Box Office at The Novium.
There is no problem with you selling additional tickets yourself, but do please allow a fair number of tickets to be sold so that people can purchase tickets for all events from the Chichester box office. You can request to be emailed a list of those attending your event.
Ticket contract: During the registration process please have a look at the ticket contract for ticket sales, which is available from the application form, assuming that you are intending to sell tickets through the Chichester Box Office at the Novium at boxoffice@chichester.gov.uk.
If you indicate on the form that you would like to proceed, the Box Office will send you a contract for signing.
No tickets can be sold by the Box Office unless you complete and return the ticket contract to them.
If you have problems with any of the above arrangements, please contact us.
What you will need to do
You will need to:
- Make your entry application via this website.
- Book and pay for your own venue.
- Sign and return the contract for tickets to the Chichester Box Office, if you would like to sell tickets through it.
- Follow Health and Safety Regulations.
- Check you have insurance for your event.
- Carry out publicity for your event.
- Organise stewarding and any refreshments.
You are responsible for all aspects of your event.
During the registration process, please keep a note of the information you have submitted, especially your ticket prices and the number of tickets being offered on sale.
The contact name for your event should be the same on both the submission form and the Chichester Box Office contract, if you are using it to sell your tickets.
Useful information
Festival Administration Fee
Please see the section on the submission form.
The application fee for a single event entry form is £24. For an event that occurs more than once the fee is £37 regardless of how many times it recurs. In our new application procedure, you’ll need to pay the application fee before you enter the details onto our system. The payment will require a debit or credit card. If your organisation doesn’t have access to a credit card please contact support@festivalofchichester.co.uk.
The fee is the same irrespective of whether the event is free, paid-for, or whether it’s in-person or online.
Licensing Laws
Before confirming your event, please ensure that if applicable your venue has a Premises Licence for presenting regulated entertainment.
Equally, if you plan to provide alcohol at your event – either for sale or included in the price of the ticket, you will need to check the venue has an Alcohol Licence.
Information can be found on Chichester District Council’s website www.chichester.gov.uk to apply for a licence.
Alternatively you can contact the Licensing Officer at Environmental Health on 01243 785166.
Health & Safety At Your Event
As you will be aware, all event organisers are responsible for ensuring the events they manage comply with Health and Safety legislation.
You can download the festival health and safety guidance notes from our website footer.
Public Liability Insurance
The Festival cannot provide public liability insurance.
It is your responsibility as an event organiser to ensure that public liability cover is in place.
Venues often have such cover but you must discuss this with them to ensure you are covered. If not, you will need to find another venue or arrange public liability cover.
Venues
There are many suitable venues in and around Chichester.
Check out our venues page.
Festival Contacts
Please see our contacts page.
Want to know more?
If you require any assistance with registering or adding your event, then please don’t hesitate to contact us.
