FESTIVAL FAQs

Weekend and Day tickets are on sale via DICE.

Please bring your email confirmation and ID to collect your wristband from the box office.

Depending on availability, tickets will be available to purchase at the box office at Ancient House during the festival. Please note they will be more expensive on the door so make sure to buy yours in advance.

Wristbands need to be collected from the festival box office at Ancient House. The ticket purchaser will need to bring their e-tickets (printed out or on a mobile device), as well as some ID, to pick up their wristbands. The box office will be open on Friday 14th 10am-9pm and Saturday 15th 10am-9pm.

Please be aware your wristband does not guarantee entry due to small capacities at some venues, which may reach capacity for some performances. Please be aware there may be queues so make sure to get to a venue early to avoid disappointment!

Ancient House will also be home to our Talks Programme, which is free for the public, no wristband is required for entry.

Box Office & Wristband Collection
- The Ancient House, 30 Buttermarket, Ipswich IP1 1BT
- what3words: /// loops.magic.renew

If you have bought tickets via DICE and have bought tickets for other people, you have until 9AM on Friday 14th to assign them their tickets.

Ticket holders must be 14+ and 14-15s accompanied by an adult in indoor venues. at all times. Please note the venues that we use for Brighten The Corners Festival have different licensing restrictions. Due to licensing we have a no entry policy to 14-17s year olds in venues past midnight.

The Cornhill stage has no age restrictions.

Please be aware of strong language and adult themes at all the stages including The Cornhill.

Brighten The Corners is run by Sounds East CIC, a not for profit organisation set up by the team at Out Loud Music CIC. Brighten the Corners promotes gigs, operates venues and is the name of the annual town centre festival in Ipswich, Suffolk. BTC also runs training projects for young people wishing to gain event production experience and has over 80 active volunteers.

The Brighten The Corners team is made up of a small group of passionate people who love live music. We all share the same determination when it comes to making Ipswich a viable touring destination and rejuvenating the music scene in our town.

The journey all started with The Smokehouse opening in 2016, the community-loved 70-cap venue that boasts an intimate atmosphere and versatile space. Then came The Baths a few years later, the 300-cap fan-favourite venue. Now, we are opening our third venue - the beautiful St Stephen’s Church. We were granted funding to transform the historical church into a fully-equipped music venue - and a cafe during the daytime.

The festival is across five stages, including The Smokehouse, The Baths, St Stephen’s Church, the Corn Exchange, and the outdoor free stage on the Cornhill.

Corn Exchange: 850 cap
- King St, Ipswich IP1 1DH
- what3words: ///hill.note.bolt

The Baths: 300 cap
- 2 Civic Dr, Ipswich IP1 2QA
- what3words: ///grace.drums.grow

St. Stephen's Church: 200 cap
- St Stephens Ln, Ipswich IP1 1DP
- what3words: ///hush.rather.result

The Smokehouse: 70 cap
- South Street Studios, 6 South St, Ipswich IP1 3NU
- what3words: ///alive.clap.flops

Cornhill: outdoor stage
- Ipswich IP1 1DH
- what3words: ///jelly.soil.lungs

Ancient House is our box office and wristband collection hub, and will also have other activities on offer over the weekend. The opening times are 10am til 9pm on both days.

All of our venues are wheelchair accessible. Please note The Smokehouse is a smaller venue so please let us know if you will be attending this venue so we can try to make your experience as easy as possible. If you require a companion ticket, you can either do this via DICE or get in touch with us via info@brightenthecorners.co.uk

For wheelchair access to the Grand Hall at The Corn Exchange, there is lift access for public use through the Customer Service Centre entrance on Princes Street.

St. Stephen's Church has step free access from the front entrance. The Baths has ramp access at the entrance.

If you have any concerns please get in touch so we can aim to make your visit as easy as possible: info@brightenthecorners.co.uk

We’re thrilled to be in partnership with Adnams, offering a great selection of beers including our BTC lager! Once again Adnams will have a beer truck situated on the Cornhill where you can grab a drink in the sunshine.

There will be food vendors on the Cornhill and across the festival.

Ancient House will have its own can bar throughout the festival.

Stage times will be announced closer to the festival.

Professional camera equipment is not allowed in any of the venues, unless you have a press pass or have signed up to be a volunteer doing photography or videography across the weekend.

Coming soon.

We are a cashless festival.