Norfolk-based promoters SMS Event Production, which launched in March, is to stage new festival Wide Skies & Butterflies at the county’s Raynham Estate in August.

With a daily capacity of 12,500, the two-stage festival will run from 5-7 August with live music on the main stage and a mix of comedians, drag artists and late-night DJs playing a second stage in a big top within a walled garden.

SMS Event Production has signed a five-year agreement with ticketing services provider Event Genius that will see it become the festival’s sole ticketing, travel, access control and payments partner.

The event is being launched by SMS co-founders and directors Samira Williams, Mark Ward and Sam Booker. Tom Branston is the event director.  Collectively, they have worked on events such as the Isle of Wight Festival, BST Hyde Park and tours by acts including Madonna, The Rolling Stones and Coldplay.

Booker said, “Starting a festival from scratch gives us a clean slate to create long standing integrated partnerships. A five-year deal with Event Genius allows us to work together to shape the entire concept of the festival so that from the moment a customer buys a ticket to leaving the festival they have the best experience possible.”

Event Genius CCO Yonas Blay said, “We’ve put a lot of time and effort into developing a fully integrated end-to-end solution for festival fans and creators, and are therefore over the moon to be chosen by such a reputable team to be a key part of their new venture.”

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