Practical information for those Coming to the event

Food & Drinks

You are welcome to bring your own food and drink to the event, and we only ask that you do not bring any glass bottles/containers. Also Security may refuse entry if you are bringing an excessive quantity of alcohol (e.g. a giant slab of lager).

We have a small range of food concessions run by local businesses and serving a selection of delectables to keep you going. There will be vegan options available.

Seating/Standing/Ground Conditions

We do not have any seating, but there are a few park benches dotted around the hill.

Attendees are welcome to bring camping chairs and picnic blankets, but please follow the instructions of the Stewards and Security, there are some areas which chairs/picnic blankets may not be appropriate at particular times in the evening. (full picnic and dining sets are not appropriate at this event). Please take anything you bring away with you.

The ground on Calton Hill is uneven and slopey (it is a craggy volcanic hill). When its raining the grass and rocks become slippery

• wear sensible shoes (good walking boots)
• take your time moving around the site
• bring a torch/flashlight
• help others

For details of special access arrangements (including free carer/companion tickets and booking prearranged vehicle/taxi drop off to the top of the hill) please contact access [at] beltane [dot] org

Toilets

We have a large number of portaloo toilets located on the hill (half way up) and we also have outdoor urinals (just next to the portaloos). Some of the portaloos have small sanitary waste disposal bins in them, these have signs to say that they have a bin, but otherwise our toilets are for all genders.

There is also a stewarded wheelchair accessible portaloo located in the welfare/first aid area on the flat paved area at the top of the hill.

Please use them considerately and leave them for the next person as you would wish to find them.

Do not urinate on trees/walls/bushes/doorways on the hill or in the city.

We have some hand wash facilities out side the block of portaloos – please wash your hands!

Waste/Litter/Recycling

There will be additional waste bins on the hill for you to put in your waste. We have Dry Mixed recycling and general waste, and all waste is sorted, separated and and processed for recycling off site. Please help us minimize damage to the park by either binning your waste or taking it home with you.

Conditions of Entry:

Children/U16s

• All persons aged under 16s must be accompanied at all times by an appropriate adult with an adult ticket and must themselves have a valid children’s ticket. This includes babies, toddlers, infants and junior aged children.
• The Gate Staff and management of the festival reserve the right to refuse admission, and will make a discretionary appropriate supervision assessment for each group arriving with those aged under 16.
  • this assessment will look at ratio of appropriate adults to under 16s
• To uphold our safeguarding responsibilities:
  • We will ask for the adults name and number at the box office when buying your ticket
  • Children will be given a wristband to wear with your details on them.
• Advice for Parents and Guardians on bringing children:
  • You know your children better than we do; we advise caution and discretion for parents/guardians bringing children, however we do welcome families coming to celebrate beltane with us.
  • The event contains semi-nudity and uninhibited behaviour, your discretion is advised.
  • The event features loud noises, strange body painted characters and fire, lots of fire.
  • There will be crowds; arrange a meeting place with your children in case you accidentally get separated, we recommend the first aid point on the car park.
  • the main festivities start after sun down (around 9.25pm)
  • it will be dark
• Ear protection is advised for all small ears
• Whilst we do not have a fully dedicated baby-changing facility, we do have a baby change pull down in our two accessible portaloo units. We ask that diapers/nappies and other changing materials are disposed of in sanitary disposal bins located just outside the portaloos.

Safer Spaces

• Beltane Fire Society events operate within a culture of creating safer spaces built on mutual respect and consent. We expect all attendees to embrace this culture and to call out breaches – seek a steward if you see something which endangers our safer space.
• BFS aims to provide a welcoming and celebratory atmosphere. Harassment of performers or other audience members will not be tolerated.

Being Around Fire at a Fire Festival

• Help yourself by staying out of performance and production areas, which will be marked out with either willows, ropes, barriers or fences with signs
• The event does include a lot of fire, although there wont be any big fire works.
• Follow the directions given by BFS Stewards and technical crew
• Please avoid wearing synthetic clothes (but do wrap up for being on a hill in Scotland)
• Please try to observe a 2 meter minimum distance from performers moving or performing with fire.
• Familiarise yourself with where the medical assistance is (at the top car park).
• Do not play with the fires, our volunteers have trained for months to be here this evening.

Use of Camera’s and Smart Phones

• Flash photography can be very distracting for performers, we ask that you switch off the flash on your phone or camera.
• Please do not hold your phone or camera in the faces of our participants, they are volunteers and do not enjoy close proximity interactions with phone and camera lenses (they prefer to see your faces).
• Drone use is not permitted on site and the police will be called should a drone come into the airspace above the festival
• We would much prefer it if you kept your devices in your pockets and celebrated the festival with us with your hands free to clap and your eyes free to watch
• Do not walk backwards holding a camera/camera phone, the ground is uneven and you wont be paying attention.

Filming and Photography

By entering the festival, you are entering an area where photography, audio and video recording by our volunteers is happening. Primarily they are capturing our participants, but occasionally we will use images, audio and video featuring our audience.

Your entry and presence on the event premises constitutes your consent to be photographed, filmed, and/or otherwise recorded and to the release, publication, exhibition, or reproduction of any and all recorded media of your appearance, voice, and name for any purpose whatsoever in perpetuity in connection with the Beltane Fire Society, including, by way of example only, use on websites, in social media, news and advertising.

By entering the event premises, you waive and release any claims you may have related to the use of recorded media of you at the event, including, without limitation, any right to inspect or approve the photo, video or audio recording of you, any claims for invasion of privacy, violation of the right of publicity, defamation, and copyright infringement or for any fees for use of such record media.

You understand that all photography, filming and/or recording will be done in reliance on this consent.

N.B. If after the festival you see footage or a picture of yourself that you would prefer not to be used, please contact festival@beltane.org and our volunteers will do their best, but we cannot guarantee help.

Prohibited items

We do not permit members of the public to bring or use the following items on our event site;

• Large Bags/airport luggage please no bigger than an A3 piece of paper: we do not have a cloakroom/left luggage.
• Glass
• Drums
• Loud instruments
• Fire Props
• BBQs, Fire Pits or Fire Wood
• Flammable Liquids
• Dogs (Except Guide Dogs)
• Drones
• any such items that the security team feel represent a danger to public safety or the event’s reputation

A Random Search Policy will be in effect; the event safety team reserve the right to refuse admission .