KNOW BEFORE YOU GO: SoulFest 2023

We're very excited to welcome you to the Topsfield Fairgrounds next week for the 25th annual SoulFest! There have been several bumps in the road to get here, that with each passing day are being smoothed out, making way for you! We move onsite this Monday to start the stage build and prepare the grounds with the help of our set-up volunteers, before vendors, partners, and the rest of our volunteers show up on Wednesday. 

We've weathered quite the storm to host this festival and want to thank you for your patience and support - we know there have been lots of changes and not enough communication. We anticipate a really special time together, because we believe the battles fought to make this happen won’t be in vain. So many wonderful artists, speakers, and ministries, are en route for this celebration of Music • Love • Action around the GOOD NEWS of God’s love. Get ready! 

Speaking of weather, the forecast ahead includes some rain, but not to worry, this year's location includes 3 indoor stages to keep us dry and the music playing! A few other things to note in preparation for the festival: Tickets will be available at the door, but we could sell out, so it’s better to get them now! Our festival capacity is set to 4,500 per day. Don’t forget parking is included with your admission and it’s important to pay attention to the chair policy as this is a much different venue from previous years. Check out our FAQs and if you want a seat at the main stage – it’s an upgrade to your ticket, otherwise it’s standing room only. (And yes, you can bring a clip-on bleacher seat – just no chairs in the arena). There are lots of picnic tables around the grounds and seats at other stages. 

If you pre-purchased upgrades, you will receive them as you scan in at the gate. You will receive a reminder email with your PDF in a couple of days in case you have misplaced yours (and we can look up your order onsite).

We’re excited to finally share the Soul University content and have the SoulFest App ready for you to download and start building your own schedule for each day!

Curious about vendors, exhibitors, and food trucks that will be onsite? See the list here.

We’ve updated the schedule, because our dear friend and annual SoulFest staple, Paul Colman has to stay in Australia during SoulFest to care for his parents, but we already have him booked for 2024. ICYMI, read the previous news post to learn why Matt Maher won’t be at SoulFest 2023 either, but you can plan to see him at SoulFest 2024. (We’re glad Sanctus Real could join us to fill an open spot!) We’re excited to share more details with you about SoulFest 2024’s confirmed location and lineup next week when we’re all together! Please come prepared to give and receive grace as we experience together, the fruit of this labor of LOVE – in Topsfield, MA, starting next Thursday - Saturday!

Lineup and Festival Updates

SoulFest Sends Matt Maher to Lisbon for Global Ecumenical Event

SoulFest is sending Matt Maher to Lisbon, Portugal in place of his initially scheduled headline appearance on August 4, 2023. 

Matt received an invite to lead worship in Lisbon at The Change, an ecumenical gathering of over 65,000 people endorsed by the Vatican as an official event of World Youth Day. To show our support of global ecumenism SoulFest is releasing Matt from his slot this year taking the heart of our SoulFest community on his trip to Lisbon.  

Matt will be joining us next year at SoulFest! We feel it is very important that he pursues this opportunity, but we’ll miss him and want to make sure we get to see him very soon.

“In 2002, as an independent songwriter and worship leader, I received an invitation to play at a festival in New Hampshire with some other friends. I was blown away that, as a Catholic, I would be given that opportunity alongside other artists that I looked up to so much. That festival was SoulFest.

Since 2002, SoulFest has consistently invested in artists and in the body of Christ by creating a platform in a weekend festival format where not only can people be entertained and worship God, they can learn about important issues and ways in which we can engage the world around us.

I’m such a big fan of Dan and Vanessa and the entire SoulFest team, and am so grateful for this opportunity to attend World Youth Day. 10 years ago I went to World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro and sang “Lord, I Need You” at a very powerful vigil service, and I know that there will be many powerful moments this year at World Youth Day in Lisbon and look forward to being a part of it, thanks to the generosity of SoulFest.” -Matt Maher

To accommodate for this change, we're moving Cory Asbury to the Friday night headlining slot, Katy Nichole moves up to second-to-close and Sanctus Real is joining SoulFest for the first time in several years! (SoulFest tickets are all-day, festival tickets, which means that if the lineup changes we do not offer refunds. These are unique circumstances; we're excited to support Matt in this endeavor and look forward to having him back with us for SoulFest 2024. Contact us with questions at boxoffice@thesoulfest.com

Sanctus Real Joins the Friday Lineup

We're excited that Sanctus Real could make a stop at SoulFest in the midst of their summer schedule! They'll perform on the Revival Stage in the Arena, plus share their story with us in the HEART OF THE ARTIST INTERVIEW hosted by Justin McRoberts. Check out the schedule here.

Arena Updates + More!

We have decided to only sell tickets for all-stage access and not to sell a festival pass with limited access. As information evolved, we were trying to flex our capacity so that we could accommodate our regular attendance. Under these circumstances, that requires way more staffing and time to manage well. Plus, we would have had to limit access to our steadfast volunteers, vendors, partners, and more. That didn't feel like us. We recognize the indoor stage and its standing room (or upgrade seating) only experience is not for everyone, but this is what we must do for the 2023 festival with the limited time of planning in a transition time.

We have great expectations for this festival - the lineup, you, our partners, and the ministry that is about to occur through everyone involved - and even greater expectations for the 2024 festival as we are planning ahead with a year to make things happen. More to come on that - shared onsite at SoulFest first!

This means that everyone can enter the arena and we will stop selling tickets to the festival once this capacity limit is hit. We will not have an overflow video wall outside the arena as everyone will be able to enjoy the concert from within the building. Chairs are still permitted into the festival, but not inside the Arena. Your ticket is good for all 4 stages, the workshops, the marketplace, plus other games, activities, and inflatables. For more details, please visit our FAQs, Kids Zone, and Experience Pages. We're still taking volunteers and closing vendor applications. Camping is still available - learn more down below, along with some great speaker content coming from our Ministry Partners.

Stay tuned for updates in the next week for Soul University, the official release of the SoulFest App (with food vendor and marketplace info), and more fun to come! Did someone say rock-paper-scissor train or square dance?!

Thank you for rolling through these changes with us and please keep this event and all involved in your prayers. We've been praying for you too!

Sincerely,

Vanessa A.

New Sound Concerts, GM.

SoulFest Safety Protocol

Updated March. 23rd, 2022

We look forward to gathering with you this August, in the fresh mountain air, for 3 days of inspiring music, speaking, and fellowship! Last Summer, for SoulFest ‘21, we were able to gather without state-mandated guidelines. We intend to do the same, but it must be stated that this is subject to change with the state mandates for masks and social distancing. Either way, SoulFest will not require proof of vaccine nor negative Covid-19 test results.

We will honor state mandates and our host Gunstock Mountain Resort’s policies for their buildings, should things change. Masks are welcome, but not required. If you have Covid-19 leading up to the festival, we advise you to stay home - please contact us for a course of action boxoffice@thesoulfest.com. We had a successful event in 2021 without implementing restrictions to entry and look forward to the same this summer.

If you’re curious about concerts we are promoting in New England, those are dependent on the buildings we were able to book for the artist’s availability (click NSC Concerts button below for specifics). Stay tuned to our emails and socials for updates.

The "Why Wait Sale" is back!

We love a good Black Friday Sale like anyone else, but we also know it can be hard to choose where your dollars go when all the sales are stacked at the same time.

That’s why we’re bringing back the “Why Wait Sale”, starting November 5th. You won’t want to wait because quantities are limited, (only 350 discounted tickets per tier) from now until ticket sell out! Single-day tickets are already discounted so we don’t put them on sale; the savings is in the multi-day tickets.

You can save 25% on select upgrades!

Direct Access Passes / Pit Passes / Premium Seating
Only 50 available per day, per upgrade!

PASTORS GO FREE!

As a gesture of gratitude for our regional pastors and their ministry in New England, we’ve set up the Pastors Go Free program. Applicable to one pastor per church, we offer free admission for all 3 days and a guest ticket at 50% off. We simply ask that the pastors share SoulFest with their congregations, whether through small groups, in the main service, on their website, in email / socials, etc. We will provide flyers, posters, and digital assets like graphics for web/email and a slide / video for projection.

If you are a pastor who’d like to participate or you know of a pastor that might, below you’ll find the form to get started. Offer expires July 1, 2022.

Fill out the Pastors Go Free FORM.

Tiered Ticketing Launch

Starting December 1st we’re launching a tiered ticketing model with three price levels for Multi-day & Single-day Tickets until SoulFest 2021.

To get the best price, buy early while there are still tickets available in your desired price level. 


Currently Multi-day tickets are $115 until we switch to the new ticketing model.

December 1st, 500 tickets will become available at $125. Once we’ve sold through those tickets, a new limited quantity batch of tickets will release at $145, then the last batch before the event will open at $165. Tickets will be $185 at the festival.

What about Single-day Tickets you ask? They will be tiered at the same quantities as Multi-day Tickets, starting at $55, increasing by $5 at each tier, ending at $75 at the door.

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But wait, that’s not it!

Since we’re announcing this sale before the stand Black Friday Sale season, we know you might be expecting a sale. Well, we don’t want to disappoint. Before we launch the new tiered ticked model, we’ll throw one last sale, but we’ll make it a tiered model too, so you get used to the concept.

Black Friday obviously happens right after Thanksgiving, but we decided to kick it off early, with the WHY WAIT SALE?!

From now until ticket sell out, we have small quantities of deeply discounted Multi-day tickets. And just like our new ticketing model, the sooner you buy, the more you save! Single-day tickets are already discounted so we don’t put them on sale; the savings is in the multi-day event.

Just so you can enjoy more savings on the actual BLACK FRIDAY - we’ll offer 50% off of select upgrades, including limited quantities of pit passes, direct access, and premium seating.

If SoulFest apparel is what you’re looking to snag a deal on, just hold tight! CYBER MONDAY is your sale day. Enjoy up to 50% your SoulFest swag. Enjoy 25% off the 2020 collection and 50% off all previous collections.

8 WAYS TO MAKE THE SOULFEST VIRTUAL CELEBRATION MORE LIKE SOULFEST!

1. Wear your favorite SoulFest gear & make sure to hit up our online shop for the LIMITED 2020 SoulFest line HERE!

2. Bring out the camping chairs, tarps/blankets or even set up camp in your backyard!

3. Score an inexpensive projector for big screen experience! We just bought THIS one with over 3k reviews for under $100 and it’ll be here tomorrow!

4. Reminise about Gunstock Activities while taking a turn around your pool in a kayak (substitute a pool float & noodles if a kayak is not readily available)!

5. Make fair food! Pizza, THIS fried dough recipe, or burgers & dogs on the grill like you’re back at the SoulFest campsite!

6. Invite a small group of friends & family over or video chat to watch the show together!

7. Have a campfire & roast marshmallows (bonus points for using free pallets)!

8. Take lots of photos and make sure to tag @thesoulfest on IG, tag your favorite vendors and tag your crew!