Several traders have opted to pack up and leave Jeremy Clarkson's Farm-Fest ahead of schedule, claiming the event has failed to deliver any meaningful takings. The three-day festival is taking place over the Bank Holiday weekend across 300 acres at Stoneleigh Park, in Warwickshire, where adult tickets cost £35 for a half-day or £60 for an all-day admission. The festival celebrates the skills and produce of Britain's farmers, combining "the traditional joy of a large country fair with the excitement and energy of a modern music festival", according to the venue.
Reports suggest the music festival and country fair drew 20,000 visitors on Saturday alone, with 55,000 attendees expected across the entire weekend. The site boasts 12 arenas, ranging from talks and displays featuring Clarkson and Kaleb Cooper to live performances from Alex James from Blur, 10cc, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, and a DJ set by Groove Armada. More than 400 stalls were confirmed for the Bank Holiday event, yet a number of stallholders have voiced their dismay at being forced to depart early. Business owners have taken to social media to post tearful videos, with one trader titling hers 'what a shambles'.
Korrine Pallas, owner of pet product firm Phoenix Equestrian and Pet Supplies, was amongst those who departed the festival prematurely. She described Friday as 'the worst day's trading we have ever had'. In a video uploaded to the company's TikTok account, she said: 'It has been darn right awful at Farm-Fest. "When I say it's not worth getting out of bed for, it's an understatement. It has been horrific, and I know everyone else is feeling the same and is in the same boat as us.", reports the Mirror.
Korrine updated her followers yesterday in a tearful message announcing she was departing a day early — something the company had never previously done at a trade show. Holding back tears, she said: "It has been catastrophic for us, and when you are already a small family business in hard times it is heart-wrenching."
She revealed they were a 'few grand down', adding that attending on Sunday would set her back £400 'and I haven't even come near that in the last couple of days'.
Emma, co-founder of pet brand Pops and Coco, took to TikTok today to declare the event a shambles. She said: "There have been a lot of traders who have gone home – lots of traders left last night, particularly dog traders. I would say 90 per cent of traders across the whole showground, whatever they are selling, have either made a loss and they haven't made their costs back or they are only just making some money now."
A spokesman for Jeremy Clarkson's Great British Farm-Fest told MailOnline: "We have been working closely with traders at The Great British Farm-Fest to provide support during our inaugural weekend. We are surprised that a handful of exhibitors, out of the 400 who attended, left the show within a few hours of the first day without experiencing an event that has attracted over 50,000 visitors." The Mirror has reached out for comment.
