Frequently Asked Questions

Buxton Wool Gathering is a two-day festival dedicated to wool, yarn, fibres, and related crafts. We're based at Buxton Pavilion Gardens in the Peak District and run every year in May. Our about us page explains more.

Buxton Wool Gathering will return on Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th May 2024. Doors open at 10am for prepaid tickets and 11am for on the day tickets. Doors close at 4pm.

We're also running a quiet hour on Sunday between 9am and 10am. Tickets for this will be limited. It's intended for people who struggle in crowds, for whatever reason, to enjoy the show without being surrounded by a large amount of people.

You can view our Exhibitors list, where we introduce each exhibitor and link to where you can find them online.

All exhibitors will accept cash payments and most accept card payments too. If you want to confirm with a particular exhibitor, you can get in touch with them using the contact details we have listed for them. There is no ATM at the venue but there are plenty in Buxton town centre, which is only a short walk away.

Yes, you can advertise at Buxton Wool Gathering. We provide an A5 brochure to visitors which lists the exhibitors and their contact information. You are able to advertise in this brochure whether you are an exhibitor or not, at the following costs:

• Quarter page: £25.00
• Half page: £50.00
• Full page: £100.00

If you wish to do so please get in touch through our contact form.

You can find out full details on how to apply on our exhibitor information page. This includes relevant dates and our top tips.

Buxton Wool Gathering is organised by Wool Gatherings Ltd. We're registered in England and our company number is 14112793.

You can use our contact form here. We're also on Facebook and have a chat function embedded on our website. You can message us on Instagram too. We try to respond to all queries within 24 hours.

Tickets are on sale here on our website. We don't charge a booking fee.

You can read full step-by-step instructions.

We also sell tickets on the day but they aren't available until 12pm. You can pay in cash or by card. If the venue gets busy we may pause or cancel the sale of on-the-door tickets to prevent overcrowding. If you want to have guaranteed entry, please do book an online ticket.

Tickets are £5.00 for an adult for a single day, or £8.00 for the weekend. We don't charge a booking fee.

Children under 16 do not need to pay, but do need to be accompanied by an adult. Carers also enter for free if they're with a ticket holder.

You'll be provided with a wristband which will allow you to come and go as you need without having to pay again.

When you book a ticket, we send email confirmation to you. On that email there'll be a barcode, and we scan that on the day when you enter. You can print that out or show it to us on your phone.

If you have any issues we can look you up by name.

You can read full step-by-step instructions.

We don't send out tickets by post.

You can! You can pay in cash or card at the door. However, tickets bought online get priority entry at 10am. On the day tickets are available from 12pm.

If the venue gets busy we may pause or cancel the sale of on-the-door tickets to prevent overcrowding. If you want to have guaranteed entry, please do book an online ticket.

We ask you select what day you want to use your ticket for when you book. This helps us plan for the number of visitors we can expect on each day.

If you've now realised you can't attend on your chosen day and need to change it, we can do that! Just get in touch. We can change it for any or all tickets bought in the same order.

When we scan your ticket when you enter the show, we provide you with a colour-coded wristband which lets us know which day you have checked in for. You won't be allowed entry if your wristband is not the correct colour for that day.

If you want to come on both days, you can buy a weekend ticket instead.

If you are accompanying a ticket holder as their carer, you don't need to pay for a ticket of your own. Just let us know when you enter. We won't ask you to provide any documentation.

The ticket price covers entry into Buxton Wool Gathering. We give you a wristband that lets you re-enter the event as often as you want. We also give you an exhibitor guide which includes a venue map and details of all the exhibitors.

If you need to change the day on your ticket, we can change that. Just get in touch! We can change the day for any or all tickets made in the same order.

If you've booked a ticket but can no longer attend, you can request a refund for your ticket for up to seven days before the event. Let us know through our contact form and we'll cancel your ticket and issue a refund to your account. If there's less than a week to go, we're unable to provide a refund.

Due to the costs we incur when we process a card payment, we'll deduct the fee we've paid to our card processor from the refund. That's usually less than 50p per ticket. Most other events don't provide refunds at all, but this approach allows us to continue to offer refunds without it becoming a significant cost to us.

You can also request an invoice showing the card processor's fees we've deducted.

If Buxton Wool Gathering is cancelled, we'll issue a refund to all tickets that have already been booked. 

We did this in 2020, when all in-person events were cancelled. We also had to do this in March 2023 when we rescheduled due to bad weather. In that case we gave people the option of receiving a refund or keeping their ticket for the new date.

If the event's cancelled, you'll receive a full refund, including the card processing fees we incurred.

We charge an entry fee to cover our costs. For example, we have to pay for the hire of the venue, insurance, and staffing.

We try to keep the price down and believe we are good value for money when you look at the entry price of many other wool festivals.

Once you've purchased your ticket you can re-enter as much as you like on the day.

Our travel page explains how to get to the venue by car or public transport.

Our travel page shows where you can park.

Buxton Pavilion Gardens are a beautiful Victorian jewel in the heart of the town, encompassing parkland and a series of venues including Buxton Opera House.

Buxton Wool Gathering is held in the Octagon Room. Originally a concert hall, this Grade II listed building is one of the largest eight-sided rooms in Europe.

The venue offers step-free access to the Octagon Room as well as accessible parking bays and accessible toilets. You can also access all of the food and drinks options step-free.

Food and drink are available from the café, restaurant, and coffee shop on site. Please note there is no cash machine on site. However, there are cash machines in Buxton town centre for you to use.

If you have any questions please contact the venue directly and they'll be happy to help.

Disability support dogs are welcome in Buxton Pavilion Gardens and you can bring them into Buxton Wool Gathering.

We can't allow other dogs inside, but there is plenty of space to walk them on the surrounding land. Your entry wristband will allow you to come and go, if you need to go outside to attend to your dog.

We understand this is disappointing but we do need to enforce this policy for the safety of dogs and humans alike.

Food and drink is available from the café, restaurant, and coffee shop on site. There are also plenty of places to eat in Buxton town centre, which is only a short walk away.

The venue offers step-free access to the Octagon Room which is all on one level. The exception is the stage area which has steps up to it, but we arrange the stands so that you can still view and interact with what's on the stage from the main floor.

The Pavilion Gardens has accessible parking bays and accessible toilets.

If you have any questions about any of this please contact the venue directly and they'll be happy to help. Their website contains more information.

There are no ATMs at Buxton Pavilion Gardens. There are plenty in the centre of Buxton which is only a short walk away from the venue.

Most exhibitors will accept card payments, but if you want to check ahead of time you can get in touch with them.

There's plenty of seating inside and out at the Pavilion Gardens! Fingers crossed with good weather you'll be able to sit outside and enjoy the gardens themselves. If not, you'll be able to find somewhere inside the venue to take a rest if you need one.