When a friend and I started Festival One ten years ago, a very dynamic lady by the name of Kylee made herself known! (No surprise to those of you who know her). We first met outside The Music Box stage on a super hot Waikato day as the festival was in full swing. Kylee was thrilled to be able to be at a Festival like this, and brimming with ideas, suggestions and ways to make Festival more friendly for those with differing abilities. By the end of that Festival we’d agreed to stay in touch and get working on it. Which we did. Over the years that morphed into Kylee’s idea of The Soul Lounge - a dedicated space to make accessing a large event like this easier for those who might otherwise find it very difficult. Over the years we got better and better. Kylee met Mike - or was it the other way around? - at Festival and a whole other story story started alongside. Awesome! Along the way we jointly won a couple of awards for accessibility. A great honour.
Then we moved site. Away from the organised and paved Mystery Creek to a gorgeous piece of green fields farm that has been gifted to us to use for Festival One. To be frank, the move is glorious on many fronts, but it has made some things from a Soul Lounge perspective more challenging - particularly movement around the site for Soul Lounge attendees. Are we working on that? We sure are, but it will take us a few years to catch up to where we were at the old site.
So what does that mean for the Soul Lounge at Festival One 2025? It means that the Soul Lounge itself will be as you are expecting it to be. We have moved the position from last year to place it more centrally for easier movement, but still away from too much noise. We are building a revised Soul Lounge platform beside the sound desk at The One Arena, but we do realise that until we can get more groundwork done getting there will be challenging for some. Apologies. We are working on it. The new Soul Lounge location is closer to the heart of Festival One - The Market, with the Bank, shops, food vendors and general market carry on. And of course there will be all the marvellous things on at the Soul Lounge that you would expect.
Plus - we are doing one more thing differently. If access to stages is harder at the moment, why don’t we bring some of the acts to the Soul Lounge instead? Well … we are. So stand by! Special Soul lounge concerts.
Looking forward to seeing you there in 2025 and going on this journey of constant improvement together. Thanks for your understanding, and will be keen to hear all your feedback so we can catch up to where we were in new circumstances, and then get even better.
G - Festival One Director.
At The Soul Lounge, our focus is on creating an accessible and inclusive space at Festival One.
We've carefully crafted The Soul Lounge to serve multiple purposes—it's a lounge, a tenting area, a vibrant community hub, and a place where individuals with disabilities, neurodiversity, differing abilities, illnesses, and injuries can find a welcoming home.
Our commitment is to further accessibility and ensure that as many as possible are included in the Festival One experience.
All festival-goers are welcome to visit our space. We provide specific support for those with access needs, differabilities and disabilities. This includes injuries, illnesses (chronic, acute and invisible), neurodivergence and intellectual differences, mental health issues, anxiety, and sensory sensitivities. We also provide support for caregivers and caregiving families.
The Soul Lounge was established with a clear mission—to break down barriers to participation, particularly for those with disabilities and differing abilities.
We uphold our values of Tautoko (Acceptance), Aroha (Love), Awhi (Embrace), and Whakatapoko (Accessibility) as the guiding principles of our mission.
We aim to ensure that all individuals can enjoy and partake in festival life, both now and in the future. This journey is about fostering a sense of acceptance, love, and accessibility within the vibrant festival community, where everyone is invited to belong and connect.
If you require additional assistance or support, please contact us. We are more than willing to work with you to help you address any unique or individual barriers or circumstances you may face. We have a range of items we can access as needed. The earlier you get in touch the easier this is to do.
Our primary community hub, The Soul Lounge Marquee, is where you can connect, relax, and socialize with our team and fellow festival-goers. Inside, you'll find comfy seating with sofas, chairs, and beanbags, fans, a hydration station, an art and book corner, various games, and live feed broadcasts from the One Arena. Enjoy engaging guest speaker events and occasional guest artists. Outside the marquee, there are picnic tables, beanbags, and outdoor games for unwinding and connecting during your Festival One experience.
Designed for accessibility, the One Arena Platform ensures a great view for those in wheelchairs and those with mobility and access need requirements with the support of our volunteers nearby. This can also serve as a space for neurodiversity, and those who may feel overwhelmed from the crowds. Our Soul Lounge Volunteers will be on hand to assist whenever the stage is open for performances. Comforts include deck chairs, power for charging mobility equipment, and easy access to assistance. An accessible bathroom is nearby. The platform area also serves as a gathering point for The Soul Lounge community and transport meet point for support to and from the Soul Lounge Marquee.
Our quiet rest space in the overnight marquee is available for those with disabilities or illness who need a cool, peaceful place to rest during the day. It's closely monitored to maintain a quiet atmosphere, ensuring access for those who need it.
Within the main marquee, our Sensory Space provides a calm environment for reading, drawing, coloring, and other activities. Upon request, access to sensory boxes is available, filled with fidgets and sensory tools. For those deeply overwhelmed, our exclusive sensory tent offers a tranquil retreat, accessible by permission only. It provides a serene space with sensory chairs, headphones, soothing lights, and a secure area for personal reflection.
We offer various accommodation options, including tents and caravans. For those who cannot stay in a tent or caravan, we have limited space in a marquee with single beds. Hospital beds can be arranged based on need and capacity.
For those camping with The Soul Lounge who need support with meals due to access needs, we may be able to help you with this, so please get in touch with us.
We have a small selection of camping gear available for hire. This is not guaranteed due to the small stock and is first in first served. If you are needing to hire gear, get in touch with soullounge@festival.one as soon as you can and we will do our best in assisting you with your requests.
It's crucial to recognise that Hartford Farms is a year-round working farm with cattle, which results in varying levels of accessibility from year to year. The accessibility at this location differs significantly from our previous venue at Mystery Creek. Please be aware that this year at Hartford Farms, not all stages are accessible to our disability community, and site accessibility will vary based on individual needs and your comfort with uneven terrain.
We understand that every person's disability experience is unique. We are fully committed, in partnership with Festival One, to building a highly accessible event in the years to come.
Why should you attend the festival this year? Because we're dedicated to creating a sense of community where we can collectively shape the future we desire. We invite you to embark on this journey with us, starting from where we are and believing in what's possible for our future events at this venue.
If you have any questions, suggestions, or concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out. We value your input and thoughts as we navigate this journey together towards greater accessibility + inclusivity.
Email: soullounge@festival.one
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Register: You can register with us by completing the form below. This helps us to prepare for and ensures we can cater for anyone’s specific access needs.
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We love having the Soul Lounge as an integral part of Festival One.
For 2025, the team would love to hear from you if festival environments aren't within reach for you, or if you require assistance/support. We'd love to get to know you, have a chat, and see where we can help to make your attendance at Festival a reality. Why do I need to complete this form?
Although you do not have to provide us with any information to attend Festival, we are better able to cater for your needs if we are aware ahead of time. By connecting with you in advance, we are able to offer a more personalised service suited to your individual needs, and we are also able to ensure we have enough equipment to cater for the Festival One community.