History
A short history
of Campout.
From a first gathering in the Black Mountains in 2016 to ten years of fires, fields and friendships.
From a first gathering in the Black Mountains in 2016 to ten years of fires, fields and friendships.
Campfire Convention was conceived as a social network in 2016. As a launch preview, we staged the first Campfire Convention 001.UK in the Black Mountains, in fields around The Bridge Inn. 250 people gathered, with Brian Eno and Scilla Elworthy as keynote speakers, around sessions on Universal Basic Income, the refugee crisis and much more. Eno later became Campfire's first patron.
We began lighting Beacons around the UK, staging Campfire Conversations from Edinburgh and Hartlepool in the north to Axbridge, Lewes and Bournemouth in the south. Many were hosted by people we hadn't yet met face-to-face, each with a unique theme — the Axbridge event a mini-festival in its own right, with views across the Somerset Levels to Glastonbury Tor.
Campout 2018 trailblazed our first Open Space experiment, back at The Bridge Inn. A small gathering came together around a blank blackboard and proposed their own programme across two days. A remarkable success — proof that our community would enthusiastically self-organise an open, democratic programme.
Campout 2019 was a full gathering of 200 at Field 725 outside Frome — a vibrant mix of talks, fireside sessions, wellbeing and music. Emergent themes ranged from the power of ceremony and the joy of singing to leadership and ‘it all comes back to love’. Highlights included a keynote from Roger Hallam, co-founder of Extinction Rebellion.
For the summer solstice, World Harmony Online was an ambitious six-stage online festival that drew an audience from over 60 countries — launching themes of community connection and universal wisdom, with Beacons visualised through drone programming and a specially commissioned version of ‘Love Is The Answer’ sung by Mozez.
After the pandemic, Campout returned to a field at Fernhill Farm in the Mendips — our first co-created event, over four days, blending talks, open space, wellbeing, music, arts and crafts and a children's space, with transformational breathwork into dance.
Campout 2023 was another story of co-creation, on the edge of the Chilterns. “A mind-blowing, life-changing event,” said one of the 300 attendees — carrying that connectedness and empowerment back into the world.
Staged over blissfully warm days at Three Pools, Abergavenny, Campout 2024 was another landmark — “a little taste of heaven right here on earth,” as one camper put it.
We returned to Three Pools for another four-day gathering — “next level amazing”, “a quantum leap into the next cycle”, “a little bit of heaven in a field”. A tribe found, hearts opened, baggage cleared in the safe hands of good people.
For our 10th anniversary, Campout returns to where it all began: The Bridge at Michaelchurch Escley, now extended into 30 acres of fields. The perfect setting for our next chapter.
Ten years on, the fire's still lit. Come and join us around the circle.
Book Campout 2026