Jobs and Volunteering at Camp Bestival Dorset 2025 with Hotbox Events!

How to apply to work at Camp Bestival Dorset

You can apply now to join us as a volunteer or paid steward at Camp Bestival Dorset using our online application!

Messenger

If there is anything you would like to ask or you would just like to chat with us about joining us at Camp Bestival Dorset, the easiest way is to...

Connect with us on Messenger

Socials

You can connect with us @hotboxevents on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn

Connecting with other staff and volunteers

If you would like to chat with others who have worked with us at Camp Bestival Dorset before, head to our Facebook Group and Forum

On Facebook and in our Forum you will find new and returning staff and volunteers chatting about what it is like to work at Camp Bestival Dorset, arranging to share lifts to Camp Bestival Dorset, asking and answering questions about volunteering at Camp Bestival Dorset and making friends before the festival!

Watch festival volunteering interviews

If you've not joined us at Camp Bestival Dorset before and would like to see what it's like to join our festival team before applying - make sure you checkout our festival staff and volunteer interviews!

In the festival staff and volunteer interviews, you'll hear from staff and volunteers who have joined us talking about how they found their shifts, how they were treated by the Hotbox Events team, what it was like volunteering for the first time on their own, taking on more responsibility year on year and progressing from a festival volunteer to staff role, and even how the experience and confidence gained has helped with their career progression away from music festivals!

Photos of festival teams

Another way to see what working at Camp Bestival Dorset is like is to check out some of our Camp Bestival Dorset photos!

In our Camp Bestival Dorset photo galleries, you will find thousands of photos covering our festival volunteering history over the past twenty years!

Going Solo to Camp Bestival Dorset

If you are thinking about joining us at Camp Bestival Dorset but not sure about going solo, please don't worry! Every year more than half of those who work with us at Camp Bestival Dorset do so on their own the first time and then return year on year to meet up with friends they have made whilst working!

Questions about volunteering at Camp Bestival Dorset

If you have specific questions about volunteering at Camp Bestival Dorset try our festival FAQs!

Our festival FAQs are regularly updated and packed full of answers to the questions we are usually asked, plus lots of handy hints and tips about volunteering at Camp Bestival Dorset.

Festival Newsletter

We usually send an email newsletter about once a month, if you would like to keep up to date you can subscribe!

Camp Bestival Dorset application deadline

There isn't a specific deadline for Camp Bestival Dorset applications, we keep the application open until all of the volunteer and paid steward positions available at Camp Bestival Dorset have gone!

We confirm positions within 24 hours of a deposit being paid, often within the hour, so if you apply and pay your deposit now, you'll receive a confirmation that you have a place at Camp Bestival Dorset today!

Why there is a refundable deposit to work or volunteer at Camp Bestival Dorset?

The refundable deposit is your way of showing commitment to working or volunteering at Camp Bestival Dorset.

You only need to pay 1 deposit a year to join us at as many festivals as you like!

Your deposit is returned to you within 30 days of the festival.

For more info about deposits please head to the deposits section of our FAQs!

How much is the refundable deposit?

If this is your first time joining us at a festival, the refundable staff and volunteer deposit required for Camp Bestival Dorset is £95.

If you've joined us at a festival before the refundable staff and volunteer deposit is discounted by almost 50% to £45.

There are no admin fees charged on deposits, so you receive your entire deposit back as long as you complete all of your shifts!

What's the difference between working at Camp Bestival Dorset as a volunteer or a paid steward?

Our Camp Bestival Dorset volunteers and paid stewards work in different areas of the festival site, in different roles and with a different number of shifts. Whether you choose to volunteer or work as a paid steward will depend on what you want to get out of your experience at Camp Bestival Dorset!

What you'll do when volunteering at Camp Bestival Dorset

Our Camp Bestival Dorset volunteers will be found in the arena in the heart of the action! Our volunteers work 2 x 8 hour shifts over the course of the festival and we guarantee at least two festival evenings off - so volunteering is a great option if you still want lots of time off to enjoy the festival!

We've listed the most common tasks the Camp Bestival Dorset volunteers help with below:

Assisting Camp Bestival Dorset festival goers with directions.
Answering questions about Camp Bestival Dorset performances and line-ups.
Supporting the fancy dress parade and competition on Camp Bestival Dorset's Fancy Dress Saturday.
Escorting Camp Bestival Dorset's VIP guests through the arena to the meet and greets.
Helping unique Camp Bestival Dorset events take place, like the World Record attempt for the World's Largest Disco Dance!
Offering to take photographs of Camp Bestival Dorset attendees in iconic Camp Bestival Dorset locations like the giant Camp Bestival letters.
Reporting any problems such as a build up of litter or faulty facilities in the arena.
Working alongside Camp Bestival Dorset's Fire Safety, Medical and Security teams.
Patrolling the arena, keeping an eye on crowds and looking for any festival goers that may need assistance.
Making sure the Camp Bestival Dorset festival goers have the best possible time in the arena!

What you'll do when working as a paid steward at Camp Bestival Dorset

Our Camp Bestival Dorset paid stewards will be found across the festival site in a variety of areas. Our paid stewards work 3 - 4 x 8 hour shifts over the course of the festival and are paid £12.89 per hour including holiday pay (for those on PAYE).

It'd be tricky to list everything we get up to but some of the most common roles include the below:

Working at the gates of the event, wristbanding the festival goers as they arrive at Camp Bestival Dorset.
Manning the pedestrian and vehicle crossings across the festival site.
Assisting the Camp Bestival Dorset festival goers with information and directions to car parks, taxi points and campsites.
Helping to set up the exclusion zone around the castle for the pyrotechnic display on Sunday night.
Ensuring the event's ingress and egress go smoothly.
Working alongside Camp Bestival Dorset’s Security and Ticketmaster teams.
As the first Camp Bestival Dorset staff the festival goers meet when they arrive at the festival, providing a warm and friendly welcome to the event!

The things we provide at Camp Bestival Dorset

When you join the Hotbox Events team at Camp Bestival Dorset we'll make sure you have all you need to complete your shifts and have a safe and enjoyable week with us!

The below are the bits we always provide, and once you're onsite we're always on-hand should you need something else!

We send a festival crew info pack a few weeks before Camp Bestival Dorset which thoroughly details your role, responsibilities, and provides information about the festival and the festival site.
Secure Camp Bestival Dorset crew parking within walking distance of (but often next to!) your own private campsite!
A private and secure Camp Bestival Dorset volunteer camping area within the main festival crew area. In here you'll also find the Hotbox festival office so we're always close-by if you need anything!
A Camp Bestival Dorset volunteer marquee with chairs, tables, charging points, hot water, free tea, coffee, and biscuits!
Access to Camp Bestival Dorset crew toilets and hot showers!
Dedicated and discounted Camp Bestival Dorset crew catering, often right inside the crew campsite, offering some of the tastiest festival meals you're ever likely to find!
A Camp Bestival Dorset crew pass when you arrive at the festival which allows you to move about onsite.
A thorough onsite briefing from us and other Camp Bestival Dorset teams where you can also ask any questions you have.
At the beginning of each shift all the bits you'll need including a Camp Bestival Dorset tabard, a radio if the position requires one, and any PPE.

The bits you need to check when applying to join us

There are a few bits below you'll need to make sure of when applying to work or volunteer at Camp Bestival Dorset.

Be 18 or over on the date you need to arrive at Camp Bestival Dorset.
Be available to arrive at the Camp Bestival Dorset site in good time for your onsite briefing (no later than 4 hours before your briefing) on Wednesday 30th July 2025 (Event Sign-in Date). You're welcome to arrive at Camp Bestival Dorset from 10am on Wednesday 30th.
Be available for a briefing at Camp Bestival Dorset at 19:00 on Wednesday 30th .
If applying to volunteer, be available for two 8 hour shifts at any time between 08:00 Thursday 31st and 16:00 Monday 4th.
If applying to work as a paid steward, be available for three/four 8 hour shifts at any time between 08:00 Thursday 24th and 16:00 Monday 4th.
Arrive at the Hotbox Events festival office one hour prior to your shift to be signed in and have your zone and/or position allocated; you will then need to allow between 5 and 30 minutes to make your way to your zone. This time is outside of your allocated 8 hour shifts in a similar way that travelling to your place of work or study is outside of paid work or classroom hours.
Wear a Camp Bestival Dorset tabard when completing your shifts.
Produce documents to prove your right to work and volunteer in the UK.
Provide a refundable security deposit.

Proving your right to work and volunteer in the UK

To work or volunteer at Camp Bestival Dorset with Hotbox Events you must have the right to work and volunteer in the UK. Under the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act of 2006 Hotbox Events is required by law to check your right to work and volunteer in the UK.

For further information please read the Borders and Immigration section in our festival FAQs.

How Camp Bestival Dorset shifts are planned

We work very hard to make sure everyone who joins us at Camp Bestival Dorset has an amazing experience and this of course includes your shift pattern!

Camp Bestival Dorset shifts are chosen by way of shift preferences that you can select. We open shift selection a few weeks before Camp Bestival Dorset and let you know when you can login to choose your shift preferences via email, our news, and socials. There are usually between 20-30 shift patterns to choose between and we make sure everyone gets the highest shift preference possible!

You can find more information about Camp Bestival Dorset shifts below but if you have any questions please don't hesitate to get in touch!

If joining us as a volunteer at Camp Bestival Dorset, you'll complete two eight hour shifts, so a total of sixteen hours volunteering throughout the course of the festival.
If joining us as a paid steward at Camp Bestival Dorset, you'll complete three – four eight hour shifts, so a total of twenty-four or thirty-two hours working throughout the course of the festival.
Shift patterns are allocated before Camp Bestival Dorset, then individual positions at the beginning of each shift. If you have a preference when it comes to location your supervisor will do their best to accommodate your request.
You need to arrive at the Hotbox Events festival office one hour prior to your shift to be signed in and have your position allocated. You then need to allow between 5 and 30 mins to make your way to your position. This time is outside of your three 8-hour shifts in a similar way that travelling to your place of work or study is outside of paid work or classroom hours.
You don't need to return to the office after your shift as your zone supervisor will sign you out in the zone, take your tabard and any equipment allocated to you, so you are free to head off straight away as soon as your shift ends!
The first Camp Bestival Dorset shift for paid stewards and volunteers starts at 08:00 on the Thursday before the festival weekend.
The final Camp Bestival Dorset volunteer shift for paid stewards and volunteers finishes at 16:00 on the Monday after the festival weekend.
There are no night shifts at Camp Bestival Dorset.
Our standard Camp Bestival Dorset shift times are Early 08:00 to 16:00 and Late 16:00 to 00:00.
You can ask to swap any shift you are allocated with your Camp Bestival Dorset supervisor who will do their best to accommodate your request, however you cannot swap between paid steward and volunteer shifts.
Everyone volunteering with us at Camp Bestival Dorset gets at least two of the main festival afternoons or evenings off.
We try to be as fair as possible when allocating shifts and will always allocate the best possible shift pattern based on shift preferences and deposit payment date, so we recommend paying your deposit as early as possible to have the best chance of securing your preferred shift pattern!
If you'd like to find out more about how Camp Bestival Dorset shifts are planned, please head to the festival shifts section of our FAQs!

The festival volunteering community

If you'd like to hear and see more from those who have volunteered with us in the past please head to our festival community!

On our festival community pages you can get an idea of what it's like to join the Hotbox Events team at Camp Bestival Dorset by browsing our festival photo galleries, hear from staff and volunteers who have joined us by watching some staff and volunteer interviews, chat with returning and new staff and volunteers in our festival forum, and read feedback from staff and volunteers who have joined us on our feedback page!