New music and arts festival launches in Somerset

A bold new music and arts festival launches in Bruton today (Wednesday 11 June) - and it’s already 50% crowdfunded by its future audience. Show of Hands will debut over the May Bank Holiday in 2026 at Gilcombe Farm, offering a fully independent, community-built alternative to the traditional festival model.

With no corporate sponsors, no VIP enclosures and no decisions made behind closed doors, the 2,500-capacity event gives backers the power to shape the lineup, layout and ethos - from naming bars to selecting acts.

Supporters have already pledged over half of the crowdfunding target ahead of today’s public launch - securing everything from early bird tickets and limited-edition merchandise to “Founding Member” status and champagne balloon flights over the West Country.

Designed as a 2,500-capacity weekend of live jazz, electronica, performance art, storytelling, craft and family workshops, Show of Hands aims to become a new annual fixture in the South West’s cultural calendar. The entire festival is being developed in open collaboration with its attendees, who will propose and vote on ideas and key programming decisions, shaping the experience together.

Image: Show of Hands Festival 

To mark the launch, five hot air balloons are lifting off at sunrise this morning from the festival site, soaring over the Somerset countryside and Glastonbury Tor. The dawn flight is not just a symbolic celebration - it’s also a taste of what’s to come. A limited number of balloon flights will be available as part of the festival’s crowdfunder rewards, offering backers the chance to take off during the event itself.

Festival Director Alex Lane, a seasoned producer who has worked on Green Man and Truck Festival, was raised in a family of pilots and is now blending his twin passions to launch something entirely new.

“Festivals have become too polished and passive. We want to bring back the playfulness, the personality and the sense of genuine participation,” said Lane. “This isn’t a product. It’s a process - and it belongs to the people who show up. You don’t just attend Show of Hands, you help make it.”

With hundreds already on board and a model that puts community first, Show of Hands is shaping up to be one of the most original new festivals in the country - and a grassroots alternative to the brand-led, top-down format that dominates much of the industry.

The crowdfunder opens publicly today with a selection of unique rewards on offer. Audiences can pledge at https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/showofhandsfestival. More information and campaign details can be found at https://show-of-hands.net/.