Bearded Theory is a multi-award winning creative and performing arts festival set in the beautiful grounds of Catton Park in the heart of the National Forest. The festival borders 3 counties of West Midlands, South Derbyshire and Staffordshire and only 2 hours away for 50% of the UKs population.

Most recently, we have made the shortlist for Festival of the Year at the Music Week Awards 2024, and won Promoter of the Year at the UK Festival Awards in 2023. In 2016, we won UK’s Best Family Festival at the UK Festival Awards. 2014 saw us winning Promoter of the Year award at the UK Festival Awards and Festival Kidz Silver Award. In 2013, after being shortlisted for many years, we finally won Best Small Festival at the UK Festival Awards and a Festival Kidz Gold Award. In 2011, we won the UK’s Best Independent Festival at the AIM Music Awards. Over the years, we have also been shortlisted for many awards including Best Grassroots and Best Toilets. We have also been named as Gig of the Year, Festival of the Year and named as the UK’s Best Family and Medium sized festival in various major print media.

In our history, we have donated and generated well over £300,000 to charity. We have financially supported a vast amount of youth clubs in deprived areas across the Midlands to enable their survival, supported local Village Halls with funding the replacement sound and lighting equipment, supplied and paid for stocked bars to be sold at charity events, mended holes in Village Hall roofs, financially support food banks and rescue centres and much more besides. We continue to financially support National and local charities from the festivals profits.

The festival has always been audience led and we book acts off the back of your recommendations, improve our infrastructure in line with feedback and source the vendors and bars off the back of the suggestions of people that attend.