'Women-only' LGBT music festival plan for Derbyshire countryside

A “women only” LGBT music festival with up to 1,000 guests could take place in the Derbyshire countryside every year.
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Fiona-Lisa Grant has applied to Derbyshire Dales District Council to host FemmeFest on the same site used for the Y Not music festival, at Green View Farm, Pikehall, near Matlock.

If approved, the music festival, marketed online as “the hottest lesbian ticket of 2021” would take place from September 3-6 and is for guests aged 18 and above and is for women only.

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It is advertised online as a festival for “lesbian, bi, transgender and queer women”.

The festival is planned for the same site as the popular Y Not music event in Derbyshire, shown here in 2019The festival is planned for the same site as the popular Y Not music event in Derbyshire, shown here in 2019
The festival is planned for the same site as the popular Y Not music event in Derbyshire, shown here in 2019

The event listing details: “26 incredible acts, singers and DJs all delivering a packed weekend of music. It’s going to be one huge party and the place to go.”

A council licensing hearing on June 8, will decide its fate.

The application for the festival details that live music would be playing from 5pm to 9pm on the Friday, 11am until 9pm on the Saturday and noon until 9pm on Sunday – totalling 23 hours.

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It says it plans to host the festival each year in either June, July, August or September.

Meanwhile, alcohol would be on sale from 10am through to 2am on each of the three days, totalling a combined 42 hours.

A statement from the applicant reads: “Attendees will be allowed to bring what security deem ‘a reasonable amount of alcohol’ to the festival, decantated or in plastic containers only.

“Any drinks brought to site will be restricted to being consumed with in the camping area only.

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“Alcohol purchased on site (with in the arena) will be served in plastic glasses and restricted to being consumed with in arena only.”

A Facebook page for the festival, set up last June, has 1,067 likes.

A post from mid-January shows that the event had been due to take place from June 25-28, but was shifted by organisers to push it until after all adults are due to have been offered Covid-19 vaccines.

A post later in January says the event will have “rapid on-site testing”.

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Neither police or council officers have objected to the plans, but have recommended a slew of conditions to ensure it goes ahead safely and does not impact residents negatively.

The district council’s noise pollution team referred to the festival as a “relatively small gathering”.

Its health and safety officers wrote: “The event planning will need to be dynamic to ensure that public health guidance on issues surrounding Covid-19 are implemented as government guidance is published i.e. testing/vaccinations/antibody certification.”

A statement from the applicant, submitted with her application, reads: “I would like to firstly reassure you that my festival is nowhere near on the scale of Y Not.

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“I am expecting 500-1,000 attendees. The festival is a ‘women only’ event and the expected age range is between 25-65.

“I am more than happy to have a meeting with all residents once we are allowed to, to answer any questions or concerns.

“I live in Matlock, but I have previously lived in a small village that held an annual music festival and so I can fully understand the concern that some of you may have.