Tribfest – the world’s biggest tribute band music festival has been running for 18 years – and it is still going strong

He decided there and then he would put on a festival dedicated solely to tribute acts and hastily scribbled a few ideas on the back of the proverbial ‘cig packet’.

The idea gained momentum and so, in 2007 a few hundred music lovers gathered in a rain-sodden field in Driffield and the magic of Tribfest was born.

It’s still going strong and each year gets better. Now around 4,000 people of all ages make a pilgrimage to Sledmere House in East Yorkshire every August to spend four days listening to some of the world’s best tribute acts.

It’s not all been plain sailing for Ed and his small but immensely loyal team of staff and volunteers.

Covid hit Tribfest hard - as it did the entire music industry. The festival was cancelled in 2020 and Ed was given just five weeks notice that 2021’s event could go ahead.

He pulled out all the stops. Although much of the infrastructure was in place, held over from the previous year, sourcing supplies was incredibly difficult and prices for everything had more than doubled.

Ed said: “Covid knocked us back financially by 10 years. We couldn’t put our prices up enough to cover the extra costs so we took the hit.

“After Covid, the prices never really came down so, as we are a budget festival, we have really struggled.”

Putting on Tribfest in 2024 was a massive challenge - reports that 42 festivals have gone to the wall this year alone give some indication of how difficult the climate is.

Ed said: “We are lucky to have such a loyal fan base who come back year after year. And, unlike a lot of other festivals we offer discounted tickets for a couple of weeks which helps us with planning our expenditure during the year.

“Around 50 per cent of ticket sales come through this way which is important as we don’t get any help from anyone - we are purely a ticket-led festival.”

Tribfest is very family-friendly and Ed makes sure that the experience at the festival is a positive one for all ages.

Toilets are a thorny issue at other festivals. Guidelines are one toilet per 100 ticket holders which would equate to 40 for Tribfest - Ed ordered 110 this year. Not only that they had water, soap and paper towels and were emptied and cleaned out several times a day.

The bar is another bone of contention. Ed said: “We have a token system so there are no queues for the bar. We keep our prices low and run the bar ourselves.

“To be honest, without the profit we make from the bar there would probably be no Tribfest which is why we are so strict about people bringing their own drinks into the festival site."

This year around 50 world-class tribute bands performed across the Main Stage and in the Big Top, and more than100 other acts were appearing on the various other stages dotted around the site.

They ranged from Abba tribute Revival who are Tribfest regulars to Glory Days, a tribute to Bruce Springsteeen invited back for his second visit, and Tasha Leaper as Madonna making her debut.

When asked why they come back year after year, Revival’s ‘Anni-Frid’ said: “The atmosphere is just brilliant. And, also the whole concept of the tribute festival, there’s nothing else like it.

“Where else can you see tributes to the Beatles and Abba and all the best bands that have ever lived?.”

Tom Brooksby, has been portraying Bruce Springsteen on stage for 28 years. The now retired headmaster said: “Last year we finished and said we’d love to come back again and I was really pleased to get the call.

“The festival has a nice ambience and a great atmosphere - people are just happy to be here.

It’s great to play on the stage in front of this kind of crowd. From the minute you’re up there they are waving their arms and clapping and singing along.”

Tasha Leaper is a phenomenal Madonna and has been impersonating her for 18 years all over the world. She was a professional dancer and has choreographed her show to appreciate Madonna's individual style.

She said: “Everything about Tribfest, for us for the first time, was a great experience.

“I especially liked it when the children joined me on stage for 'Like A Prayer', seeing all their excited faces taking it all in.

“Mine was the same!! We really hope to be asked back.”

Ed is now 64 and is looking to the future. His 32-year-old daughter Dempsey has been at his right hand for the last few years and his wife Jo, an educational social worker is taking early retirement next year and will join the ‘family business’.

A new three-year deal with Sledmere House has just been sealed.

Ed said: ““If you’d told me aged 20 that at 64 I’d be standing on a stage singing Paul Heaton songs to thousands of people at my own festival I’d never have believed it.

“Tribfest has given me a great life. Ultimately it's getting more difficult but we are constantly striving to make Tribfest the best it can possibly be.

"It’s an honour to bring this amazing event to East Yorkshire every August".

“I'll probably take a step back in the next few years and let Dempsey have more responsibility but I’ll always be around to help out.”

Tribfest 2025 takes place from Friday August 15 to Sunday August 17. Weekend ticket holders can also pay extra for an early entry ticket for Thursday.

All weekend tickets include free camping and free parking and there are options to bring your motorhomes/caravans etc (you will need to purchase additional tickets for this).

Check out the Tribfest website where early bird tickets are now on sale for a limited time only.

https://www.tribfest.co.uk/