On August bank holiday weekend 2024 (23-26th), we are delighted to announce that the festival will return. We have a new venue at Stafford Showground. It’ll be a new festival but we’ll return with the same passion!
Why a Physical Festival?
The Catalyst Festival is all about gathering, loving God and mission — empowering us to make a difference in our workplaces, communities and nations. We believe God has called us to be a blessing in every part of our society, using our skills and passions for the common good. And we also believe God has called us to take the good news of Jesus Christ to the nations of the world.
So every two years our network of churches gather together to worship Jesus, hear from the Bible, enjoy one another’s gifts, and get caught up in the bigger picture of what God’s doing.
Take a look at all the different tabs just below this section for all the information about the Festival – if there’s anything you’re still not sure about, just drop us an email on bookings@catalystnetwork.org and we’ll be happy to help out!
Frequently Asked Questions
When do prices go up?
- Early bird prices end 31st March 2024
Where is it?
How can I get there?
- If you’re driving the showground is on the A518 Stafford to Uttoxeter road about 4 miles just outside Stafford. Drivers from either the North or South using the M6 motorway should exit at junction 14 and follow the signs for the County Showground.
- If you’re not driving to the festival the nearest transport link would be to Stafford Train station. Unfortunately we are unable to assist in getting to the showground from the station.
When can I arrive?
- Cars will be allowed on site for arrival from 1pm on Friday 23rd August.
When do I have to Depart?
- The programme will finish during the morning of Monday 26 August. There will still be time to pack up your tent, and you’ll need to be off site by 3pm.
Can I use my car on site?
- All cars must be off site and in the car park by 7pm on Friday.
- Cars will be allowed back on site on the Monday to allow you pack your things, you will need to be off site again by 3pm.
- Outside of arrival and departure no cars will be allowed on site or the duration of the festival
Can I stay off site?
- You can stay off site, when filling in your ticket details just select ‘not camping’.
- If you’ll be staying off site but wish to have a tent on site to keep your things that’s perfectly fine, just make sure you add a tent to your ticket order!
- Unfortunately we are unable to offer reduced ticket prices for those staying off site
Will day tickets be available?
- Day tickets will be available nearer to the time. They will go on sale in due course as we draw closer to the festival.
Can I pay in Instalments
- Yes! We want as many people to join us at the Festival as possible so we have done all we can to make buying your tickets as affordable as possible. We also have an instalment plan available at checkout if you’d prefer not to pay in full right away. We just ask for a 25% deposit at checkout with the remainder spread across in 5 monthly instalments. Find the booking link below.
How can I serve?
- It’s servant hearted people like you that make the Festival possible! There’s a wide selection of ways you can serve; from helping in the Youth/Kids rooms to being on the site maintenance teams, from stewarding to helping set up or take down the site, We’d love to have you involved.
- As a thank you for giving up your time to help make the festival happen Part-Time Servers get 50% off, Full-Time Servers come for FREE!
- When making your booking choose either a Full-Time or a Part-Time server ticket, then when adding ticket details choose which team you’d like to be a part off. If you’d like to serve in a way that isn’t listed please emails bookings@catalystnetwork.org and we’ll see what we can do.
- Some serving teams require a DBS check.
Can you serve this year at the Festival?
As you’ll no doubt understand, putting on an event for thousands of people to attend takes a lot of work and a lot of people to make that happen. We are launching our appeal for HELP!
There are hundreds of opportunities to serve and in return you are either able to come to the Festival free or for a discounted price. See a list of all our serving opportunities below and note how you can sign up to be a part of that particular team. For questions about serving please email bookings@catalystnetwork.org or servers@catalystnetwork.org
BSL
This is a specialist role standing at the front of the main meeting room interpreting the words of the service into British Sign Language to aid those with hearing impairments so that they may engage in the meetings. This role requires qualification and experience, if you are qualified and have experience interpreting into sign language please email. You can sign up for this team when you book your ticket.
COMMUNICATIONS
Are you a wiz with a camera, love making reels for social media or covering live events? We’re looking for people with skills in using social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok), copy writing skills, graphic design or photography skills to help us cover the Festival, both during and in the run up to the event. To volunteer for this team please email communications@catalystnetwork.org and let us know about the experience you can bring to our team. We’d love to have you on board.
CONTROL TEAM
This operational team are responsible for the safety and security of the site, manning the Event Control Room and coordinating and responding to operational needs around site. You can sign up for this team when you book your ticket.
HEALTH & SAFETY
This specialist team are responsible for ensuring the event runs in a safe manner: ensuring venues are ready to open, overseeing the emergency response onsite and advising teams on how to operate safely. If you have health & safety or fire safety experience, please email us at bookings@catalystnetwork.org
GATE TEAM
This team oversees the gates in and out of the festival. Serving on this team would involve guiding people in and out of the showground on arrival and departure, making sure no-one is entering the grounds that shouldn’t, and directing vehicles that are day visitors into the car park to ensure all cars are parked properly and safely. You can sign up for this team when you book your ticket.
KIDS & YOUTH (UNDER 19s) – All roles with children will require a DBS
While it’s great to serve on these teams so that parents have the availability to go to the main being on one of these teams goes so far beyond that. It’s a privilege to serve young people, being on any of these teams gives you the opportunity to help sow so many seeds of faith. Some of these seeds you’ll see grow and flourish whilst at the festival, others many do not bear fruit till later in life. But the work you’ll have the privilege of doing wil be life changing for 100’s of young people.
If you’d like to serve a specific age you are welcome to sign up to a specific team. Or if you’re happy serving any age please sign up and we’ll put you where we need you. Please note that all roles working with children at the Festival will require us to take you through a DBS check. Once signed up we will contact you in due course.
THE SNUG (AGES 0-2 WITH THEIR ADULTS)
Only part time
Meeting in just the mornings, even the littlest ones need some care. If you have the skill to care for babies and toddlers, then this is the place for you.
SPARKS (AGE 3)
Only part time
Morning sessions only.
FLAMES (AGE 4)
Only part time
Morning sessions only. For those just finishing pre-school/nursery and about to start reception.
BLAZE
(SCHOOL YEARS RECEPTION, 1-2)
Only part time
Morning sessions only.
IGNITE
(SCHOOL YEARS 3-6)
Morning and afternoon sessions.
COLOURS (ADDITIONAL NEEDS SUPPORT)
We support children and young people with additional needs in all the main kids and youth groups, and we also have access to a dedicated break-out space for those who need it. Ideally, you’d have some experience working (paid or unpaid) with people who have additional needs, but if you have a heart for children and some patience, we can train you in the rest!
YOUTH
(SCHOOL YEAR 7-13)
So many of these teenagers will have just been to Newday, which we know will have been amazing! Let’s keep the momentum going and build on what God has been doing in their lives! As part of the youth team, you’ll be engaging with teenagers to ensure they feel welcomed, safe, and ministered to.
NEIGHBOURHOOD HOSTS
This is a small team of around 3-6 people. Every church on site will be in a neighbourhood; Blue, Red, Yellow. As a Neighbourhood host you’ll be looking after one of these neighbourhoods. It’ll be your responsibility to check in on the church coordinators during arrival, help make sure everyone is feeling welcomed and safe. During the festival you’ll be the primary contact for church coordinators to contact if any issues arise in your zone. You can sign up for this team when you book your ticket.
SERVER CARE
Catalyst Festival wouldn’t happen without an amazing team of dedicated servers, therefore we need a team of supportive, helpful and friendly people to help look after the servers coming to the event in various roles. Based out of the Server Restaurant, you’ll be the first port of call for servers on site. You can sign up for this team when you book your ticket.
SITE MAINTENANCE
Things break and unfortunately toilets get blocked. Will you be the superhero to come fix everything when it all goes wrong? You can sign up for this team when you book your ticket.
THE BARN VENUE TEAM
Outside the main meetings will have lots of fun activities going on. The barn venue is where they’ll be happening. You can sign up for this team when you book your ticket.
WELCOME TEAM (Part time role)
The welcome team greet everyone on their way into the adult meetings: if you’ve got a friendly disposition, this is the perfect role for you! You can sign up for this team when you book your ticket.
OFFICE/INFO
Everyone will have questions whilst on site and lots of little admin bits need doing, working in the office you’ll be helping out with various admin tasks that need doing whilst everyone is at the festival. You’ll also be the information point people will come to if they have questions; people will come wanting to know when/where seminars are, they’ll be looking for their lost property, and of course people will lose the wristbands and need a replacement. You can sign up for this team when you book your ticket.
SET UP
A Festival this size doesn’t just appear overnight, it needs some very keen people to come a day or two early to set it up. Maybe you could come early to help put out the chairs and get the venues set up. As this role is pre-event you can do this as well as serving on another team. You can sign up for this team when you book your ticket.
STEWARDING
With thousands of people on site we need to make sure that everyone in the venues is safe. On the stewarding team you’ll be doing a few things; checking wristbands as everyone comes into venues for morning and evening meetings, making sure aisle aren’t blocked, and being on hand to answer any questions (everyone will want to know where the toilet is). You can sign up for this team when you book your ticket.
ZONES
Zones are all about Life, with multiple different zones for equipping us for various aspects of life as a Christian; prophetic healing, social action, ministry, and much more! We need people to help make Zones happen, either as someone who will take responsibility for a whole zone or as a person on the zone team. If you have an idea for a zone and could supply a team to make it happen email bookings@catalystfestival.org. You can sign up for this team when you book your ticket.
If you’d like any further information regarding any specific serving team email either bookings@catalystnetwork.org or servers@catalystnetwork.org If you’d like to serve on any of these teams but can’t find them listed when booking in please email bookings@catalystnetwork.org or servers@catalystnetwork.org and we’ll provide you with a server team code to use when booking your tickets.
