An underground psychedelic trance music festival is coming to the Cotswolds for the first time in September 2026, with its licence officially approved.
Born out of London's underground psytrance scene, Existence Festival is a celebration of the roots of UK psychedelic, featuring a lineup of up-and-coming DJs from the underground circuit, performing against a backdrop of colourful artwork and dazzling light shows on its hand-crafted stage setups.
Having taken place at sites in rural Oxfordshire and Wiltshire since 2023, the 1,500-capacity festival is coming to its new Cotswolds location at Boldridge Farm in Long Newnton, near Tetbury, from Thursday 3 to Sunday 6 September 2026.
Along with multiple music stages, there will be a range of vendors and bars serving food and drink, and a chill-out area with music and workshops at the strictly 18-plus festival, with the option of camping or staying in live-in vehicles on site.
The festival was due to take place in June this year, but was postponed due to 'a complex legal issue', the team said in an Instagram post. Cotswold District Council approved its new premises licence for the new dates at a meeting last week.
More than 70 local people objected to the licence for various reasons, including the impact the festival could have on a wedding on Saturday 5 September 2026 at the nearby Holy Trinity Church, and its reception with dinner at an open-sided marquee in the garden of Ashley Manor, according to local democracy reporter Carmelo Garcia.
A solicitor speaking on behalf of the festival said they were working with professionals to develop a sound management plan to minimise disturbance, and were willing go 'above and beyond' to not disturb the wedding, even closing one of the stages during speeches.
Local councillors and public speakers also expressed concerns at the meeting around the amount of water that would be provided at the site, road safety with access via a narrow lane, and fire safety following the government's recent severe warning for wildfires.
But solicitor Rebecca Lowe told the meeting that council officers were happy that the festival's water plan was sufficient, and that a team of professionals had been employed to lay out safety plans for the event.
For more information about the festival – including this year's lineup – and to book tickets, visit the Existence Festival website.
