Three-day outdoor festival / Sutton Lawn, Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire
Ashfield Show 2026: Main Stage and T-Shaped Catwalk
Ashfield Show needed more than a standard festival stage. HeathTech delivered the 8m x 6m trailer stage at full deck height, then added an 8m catwalk and a 4m x 3m end platform to create a strong T-shaped performance space. The same team designed, rigged and operated the lighting and stage effects throughout the three-day programme.
Project overview
A stage plan built around the event and its site.
The main stage had to accommodate live bands, solo performers and dance groups across three show days at Sutton Lawn. With a large park audience and a varied running order, the organiser wanted a stage that gave conventional band setups enough depth while bringing solo and dance performances closer to the crowd.
The 8m x 6m stage provided the main covered performance area. Its catwalk and end platform created a second focal point in front of the stage, while the full deck height improved sightlines across the showground. JnS Sound and Lighting supplied the wider technical equipment, with HeathTech working alongside that team on the stage, lighting and effects plan.
- Event
- Three-day outdoor festival
- Location
- Sutton Lawn, Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire
- Client
- Ashfield District Council
- Project date
- 7-9 August 2026
- Audience
- Approximately 8,000
- Hire period
- One setup day and three show days
- Stage configuration
- 8m x 6m trailer stage at full deck height, with an 8m catwalk and 4m x 3m end platform forming a T-shaped extension
Site and access
Working with the conditions on the ground.
The stage position was reached across grass and down a sloping section of Sutton Lawn, so vehicle movement and the final working footprint had to be considered before the build began. Previous experience at the 2025 show had also identified two practical issues: exposed conditions in high winds and shallow stone beneath parts of the grass, which made the larger anchors for the video structures difficult to place.
Delivery and setup
A practical route from arrival to show-ready.
Delivery began at approximately 10am on the setup day. The trailer stage, catwalk and end platform were positioned first, giving the technical teams a fixed layout to work from. Lighting was installed while the roof was lowered, including 47 fixtures and additional rear scaffold bars, before the roof was raised to show height. The combined stage and lighting setup took around four hours.
For the return project, the anchoring plan allowed for more, smaller ground anchors and long marquee pegs where the underlying stone restricted the larger anchor positions. HeathTech remained on site for all three show days to operate the lighting and effects, then completed the stage load-out after the final Sunday performance.
