Field Maneuvers 2024 will be the last in its "current form"

Field Maneuvers organisers have announced via social media that 2024 will mark the last edition of the Norfolk-based festival in its "current form".

After lots of deliberation, the FM team say felt that while they have "loved improving production values and adding new dimensions to the show", arranging the boutique festival had began to "take over their lives."

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In lieu of ending the festival full-stop, it has been decided that from 2025 onwards Field Maneuvers will return to its roots as a "smaller and more intimate" festival.

The downsizing of the festival means that the team can spend "less time worrying about marketing, ticket sales and paperwork, and more time on curation and enjoying the party." Indeed, Field Maneuvers set up a crowdfunder to save the festival altogether just under a year ago as no-shows at the 2022 edition led to £40,000 in losses.

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Fans of the boutique festival were given the chance to "Save FM" through donations and purchasing merchandise designed from the likes of Stewart Armstrong, Pointless Illustrations and AJAM. The target of £40,000 was met within 8 days of the deadline, ensuring that the boutique festival could go ahead for its 10 year anniversary.

2023's sold-out FM featured Batu, Ben Sims, DJ Bone, I. JORDAN & DJ Stingray 313 and was one of the highlights of the UK festival season. Nevertheless, the festival inspired by the free-party movement, which began as a physical realisation of its creators' dream party, had continued to outgrow itself. 2024 marks the end of FM taking over its organisers' lives, but not without a big blowout.

Tickets go on sale for the final chapter of Field Maneuvers this Friday, September 29, on their website

Tibor Heskett is Mixmag's Digital Intern, follow him on Twitter