Volunteer at the Ella Street Festival

Help make our community festival happen — however much time you can spare.

The Ella Street Festival is run entirely by volunteers. Whether you can help for an hour on the day, enjoy organising behind the scenes, or want to take ownership of a specific part of the festival, we’d love to have you involved.

Most roles don’t require experience — just enthusiasm and reliability. Support is always provided, and many roles can be shared.

Anyone Can Help

Perfect for first-time volunteers or anyone who wants a simple, social role on the day.

  • Help manage road closures by directing traffic to diversion routes and assisting permitted vehicles. You’ll work in pairs at a barrier.

    • One‑hour rotating shifts

    • Friendly, outdoor role with lots of interaction

    • Clear instructions provided on the day

    When: On the day

  • Walk around the festival keeping an eye on crowd levels, helping visitors with directions, and flagging any concerns to the Safety team.

    • Active, social role

    • Great way to see the whole festival

    • No special training required

    When: On the day goes here

  • Help transform Ella Street into a festival space and return it to normal afterwards.

    • Put up bunting, banners and decorations

    • Assist with packing everything away at the end

    • Hands‑on and creative

    When: Before, during and after the event

Own a Part of the Festival

These roles are ideal if you’d like responsibility for a specific activity, area, or group of performers — with plenty of support.

  • Take ownership of a specific activity area. You’ll help set it up, run it safely on the day, and pack it away afterwards.

    Activities include:

    • Colour Fight

    • Clothes Swap

    • Book Swap

    • Silent Disco

    • Scrap Store

    • ReWilding

    Clear guidance provided

    Can be shared between two people

    One of the most fun ways to volunteer

    When: Planning and on the day

  • Coordinate performers on the main music stage, manage the running order on the day, and work closely with the Performer Liaison.

    • Great for people who enjoy live music

    • Uses existing schedules and support

    When: Planning and on the day text goes here

  • Organise and support artists performing on the Green space.

    • Community‑focused role

    • Works well for someone with creative or local contacts

    When: Planning and on the day

  • Support and schedule artists performing around the street.

    • Flexible, creative role

    • Ideal if you enjoy variety and movement

    When: Planning and on the day

  • Help assess and organise food stalls, check paperwork, and allocate pitches.

    • Uses an existing booking system

    • Support available from the wider team

    When: Planning and on the day

  • Support non‑food stalls by reviewing applications and allocating spaces.

    • Uses an existing booking system

    • No technical knowledge required

    When: Planning and on the day

Lead & Support Roles

Behind-the-scenes roles that help keep everything running smoothly.

  • Help spread the word about the festival and share updates on the day.

    • Create posts, share photos, and help tell the festival story

    • Support provided – no professional background needed

    • Great for creative or media‑minded volunteers

    When: Before, during and after the event

  • Help organise practical essentials like toilets, power, gazebos, tables and signage.

    • Mostly planning beforehand, with hands‑on help on the day

    • Practical, problem‑solving role

    When: Planning and on the day

  • Help source equipment such as gazebos, tables and chairs from local schemes, and assist with transport and storage.

    • Organised, behind‑the‑scenes role

    • Support provided and existing suppliers used

    When: Planning, on the day and post‑event

  • Help create and manage Ella Street Festival merchandise from idea to delivery.

    • Arrange or coordinate artwork for merchandise (e.g. t-shirts, tote bags, prints)

    • Set up and manage online pre-orders

    • Arrange production with suppliers

    • Oversee payments and distribution to buyers

    Great role for someone creative and organised. Can be shared between two people and is mostly pre-event planning, with light involvement on the day.

    When: Planning, on the day, and post-eventption

Ready to Get Involved?

You can volunteer for more than one role, share a role with someone else, or help just for an hour or two. If you want to be part of the team, please fill in the form below and we’ll be in contact