W: Theo Thompson

As a young girl, grass-stained and barefoot in the backseat after Reading Festival, Bethany turned to her mum and shared a quiet but certain desire…to one day create an experience just like the one she had lived. “I’d never really seen anything like it in my own eyes before.
And I remember being just really taken aback. And ever since then I’ve always been like, I want that to be part of something that I do in some way.” Years later, that clarity, first sparked under stage lights and open skies, would become the seed of Friends of Friends: a grassroots festival committed to community, creativity and the quiet power of being exactly who you are.
Bethany, founder and curator of the festival, speaks on how what began as an instinctive passion has matured into a cultural intervention, resisting the rising commercial tide of festivals. “Every film that I’ve done has either been about music, about making music, a profound experience of music,” she says with a calm yet striking presence; measured but deeply expressive, reflective of someone who has lived every corner of her creative vision. Her roots lie not in formal music training, dyslexia complicated those early paths, but in sound, image and feeling. Music for her has always been visceral.

Friends of Friends is more than a festival. It’s a movement stitched together by shared purpose, spontaneous action and deep mutual care. “I want it to grow organically… it’s not about quantity… it’s about maintaining the ethos.” That ethos? Unfiltered joy. Emotional safety. Affordable access. And an unwavering belief in community first spaces.
The cost-of-living crisis, particularly among younger generations, has turned simple pleasures like going out into luxuries (as put by DJ/Producer Sherelle) and Bethany knows it. “It’s frustrating to see prices going up while quality goes down.” In response, she has created a production model powered not by capital, but by love. “That passion puts a lot more care and detail into our work… We save money. We work to keep that price affordable while reflecting the quality/experience that comes with that.” Volunteers and collaborators
turned friends gather not for profit, but because they believe in the thing they are building. It’s this model of passion over profit, inclusion over image that has revived something we risked losing. Bethany reflects, “It seems less and less common to dance in some scenes…
One of the reasons I’m so passionate about doing this is to bring back that mindset.” The mindset of the 60s. Freedom. Happiness. Community. “There was a really strong movement [back then], and I think that has broken apart. But with the uprising in micro festivals, this kind of thing can be brought back.”

Bethany’s approach is one of intuitive leadership. “How I see the festival is almost like a feature film,” she says. As with directing, festival building requires vision and flexibility: a belief in what’s possible, even as plans inevitably unravel. “When something’s hard or difficult, creativity comes out of it in weird and wonderful ways.”
This spirit informs every decision; from lineup curation to team building. “It’s more about how the individual feels, their passion, their outlook as opposed to all their experience,” she says of her collaborators. It is an emotional alignment, not a résumé, that earns you a place in this orbit. That belief has elevated countless emerging artists. “Ensuring sure we get as many people that are on a starting level is vital… your only limitation is what you think you can do.” Friends of Friends isn’t just a sonic space; it’s political, philosophical. It challenges the idea that escapism is frivolous. “It is very primal… instinctive… people call it escapism, but it’s natural,” Bethany explains. “You are connecting to yourself more and the people around you more.”

And that connection shows. This year, the festival’s lineup will be predominantly made up of artists from the FLINTA community; a deliberate move rooted not in trend, but in truth. FLINTA-friendly by design, not by campaign, Friends of Friends creates a space that feels safe because it is safe. “It’s not about gender… it’s about connection.” This shift isn’t accidental; it’s shaped through care, intention and a refusal to engage in tokenism. “It is a statement, but at the same time it’s not. It’s just that we are showcasing those that are highly talented.”
As Friends of Friends evolves, so too does its ethos – grounded in community, creativity and circular thinking. Festivals like this are not just events, but micro-worlds of our own making; places where the rules are rewritten and the spirit of togetherness outweighs everything else. One of the most compelling examples of Bethany’s philosophy is ‘Rebirth’, an anti-fashion initiative that rewards festivalgoers not for what they wear, but for how they express themselves. “We have developed ‘Rebirth’ for this year to tackle fast fashion … rethink what your wardrobe already has.” Winners receive a lifetime ticket not for spending the most, but for creating the most. But ‘Rebirth’ is more than a competition; it encapsulates the very essence of the 2025 edition. In this world, waste becomes art, fashion becomes expression and connection becomes the currency.

At its heart, Friends of Friends is an exercise in remembering. Remembering what it means to dance. To gather. To share space and sound without pretence. It’s about the younger version of Bethany, driving back from Reading Festival, wide eyed dreaming and the adult version, who never let go of her inner child. “I think sticking to that authentic self will always
be very rewarding. You will always know deep down that you’ve stuck to your inner child, which is really important.”
In a world where community is commodified and culture often sold before it’s made, Friends just need to be felt. And thanks to Bethany and the team, we are starting to feel
them again.

Friends Of Friends Festival
Tickets Link: https://fixr.co/event/friends-of-friends-summer-solstice-music-festival-tickets-84622101
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/friendsoffriendsfestival/