Campsite seeks licence for solstice celebration
It wants to be able to serve alcohol and host live music
The nearest campsite to the Stonehenge circle wants permission to serve alcohol and play live music during its solstice celebration and beyond.
Stonehenge Campsite, at Berwick St James, is a family-run facility offering accommodation in yurts, shepherd’s huts, and glamping pods.
It also offers 25 hardstanding and 75 grass pitches for caravans and motorhomes, and a further 25 tent pitches.
For 18 years, the venue has hosted Solsticefest, a four-day, 500-capacity celebration aimed at tourists wanting to celebrate the sunrise on June 21, and including a shuttle bus to the stones.
The festival bills itself as “a unique micro spiritual well-being festival.”
Now it has approached Wiltshire Council, seeking permission to continue hosting the solstice event, offer occasional live music in the site’s barn, and sell alcoholic beverages in the camp shop year-round.
Although the music, featuring 12 bands over four days, would be performed inside the barn, the venue is asking for an outdoor performance licence, as the building is not soundproofed.
It is asking for a live and recorded music licence between noon and 10pm each day between June 18 and 22.
The licence application is being considered by council officers, with public consultation open until July 6.