After 26 years of independence, the festival puts its future in the hands of its team.
We are beyond proud to be able to finally announce our landmark transition to employee ownership, becoming the first festival in the UK to adopt this model.
This move sees our original co-founders step away from ownership, ceding the business to the team who work so hard year round to create the show.
The transition to being owned by an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT) ensures Shambala will remain independent and that our team will share in future successes.
“All of us at Shambala have an emotional stake in what we have built over 26 years; now everyone has an ownership stake. We would be nothing without our people, and they deserve to carry on the Shambala legacy as beneficiaries.” – Chris Johnson – MD & Co-Founder
This bold step comes at a time when many independent festivals are being acquired by major live entertainment conglomerates, marking a significant alternative path for the sector. By choosing employee ownership, we are reinforcing our commitment to independence, sustainability and ethical stewardship.
Shambala stands for independence and, in an increasingly commercialised festival scene, we simply could not sell to venture capitalists or the big promotion companies. While exploring alternative paths, we fell in love with the Employee Ownership model.
Recent years have seen a rise in community ownership of independent venues and a growing number of employee-owned retailers, but this transition represents a first for the UK festival industry – setting a new precedent for how live events businesses can evolve, while keeping their core values very much intact.
“It is patently clear that the current capitalist model is fundamentally broken. As a society we must explore alternative models of ownership as a way through which the massive power and potential of capitalism can be focused on serving humanity and the planet at large. Employee Ownership is just the next, natural step in Kambe’s adventures towards a utopia – the next phase in our constant evolution towards justice and a better world.” – Dan Raffety – Head of Music & Co-Founder
The move continues a long-standing tradition of thought-leadership and innovation for Shambala. Over our 26-year history, the festival has been at the forefront of industry change, particularly in areas like sustainability and ethical operations. This latest development adds to a legacy defined by forward-thinking decisions and a willingness to challenge the status quo.
By placing ownership in the hands of its employees, we are ensuring that Shambala’s founding ethos – creativity, sustainability, independence and community – remains protected for years to come.
As the live events landscape continues to evolve, Shambala’s transition signals a powerful new direction – one that prioritises people, purpose and independence. In an industry increasingly defined by consolidation, this move stands as a clear statement: there is another way.