Concept Events is proud to have played an important role in the success of Bedford’s Original Culture Festival (OCF). This vibrant celebration of music and community spirit has quickly become a highlight of our town’s cultural calendar, and we’re honoured to be part of its journey.
The Festival’s Origins
The Original Culture Festival was born from the vision of Rowan Forrester, known locally as DJ Rhino. Rowan was a passionate DJ and promoter who dreamed of creating an event that would showcase Bedford’s rich musical culture. Tragically, Rowan passed away from Covid-19 just two weeks before the inaugural festival in August 2021.
In the wake of this loss, Rowan’s fiancée Fiona Connolly and his good friend Josie Mule decided to push ahead with the event as a tribute to him. The first OCF took place at the Sharnbrook Hotel, where we at Concept Event Solutions provided the infrastructure.
Growing the Festival
Following the success of the first event, Fiona and Josie took over Rowan’s directorship and applied for a license to hold the festival at Priory Country Park. This is where our involvement deepened. As Haydn Hammond, our director, explains:
“We saw the vision they had and became very passionate about the tribute to Rowan. Together, we have worked tirelessly to bring the festival to life.”
Expanding to a Two-Day Event
After the success of OCF 2022, we discussed with Fiona and Josie how to take the festival further. We decided to expand to a two-day event for 2024, adding a soulful, relaxed day for the whole family on Sunday. This was inspired by the popular Lazy Sunday event that used to take place in Bedford.
The 2024 Festival
This year’s OCF, held on August 17 and 18, was our most ambitious yet. Here’s what we achieved:
- Saturday: An adults-only event featuring a range of music from reggae to garage, house to RnB, jungle to hip hop. The lineup included local DJs, out-of-town sound systems, Bedford’s own DJ Spoony, members of So Solid Crew, reggae artist Dawn Penn, and UK rap star Mostack.
- Sunday: The new ‘Soulful Sessions’ family event, featuring local and headlining artists, bands, DJs, and performers across two stages. Acts included Sophia Soul, Funk Odyssey, Donna Samuels, FightClub, Clayton Stevens, with headlining performances by Omar and Jazzie B.
Both days were a massive success. The Sunday event, in particular, was described by many as having an amazing vibe, with lots of friendliness, fun, dancing, and singing.
Our Role
At Concept Event Solutions, we’ve been integral to the festival’s growth:
- We provided the infrastructure for the first event at Sharnbrook Hotel.
- We worked closely with Fiona and Josie to plan and execute the move to Priory Country Park in 2022.
- For the 2024 event, we were responsible for the overall organisation and promotion of the Sunday Soulful Sessions, as well as providing the infrastructure for both days.
Looking to the Future
We’re committed to continuing our partnership with the Original Culture Festival. As Haydn Hammond states:
“We cannot wait to build Original Culture Festival up to be an event Bedford can be proud of, in loving memory of a great man.”
While we take pride in our role, we also want to acknowledge the contributions of others. Special thanks go to Leon Thompson from Onyxx events, who served as Music Director for the festival.
As we look ahead, we’re excited about the potential of the Original Culture Festival to become a cornerstone event for Bedford. We’re honored to be part of this journey, celebrating local culture and keeping Rowan Forrester’s vision alive.
Stay tuned for updates on OCF 2025. We’re already working to make it another unforgettable celebration of Bedford’s vibrant culture!
