25 August 2025 | West Sussex, UK [Vanesa Pizzuto]
Big Church Festival (BCF) was bursting at the seams this year! With tickets selling out weeks in advance, a crowd of 35,000 Christians from across the UK and beyond gathered to sing and worship together from 22–25 August at Wiston Estate in West Sussex.
BCF, formerly known as Big Church Day Out, began in 2009 as a one-day event organised by Tim Jupp, a founding member of the band Delirious?. The festival has grown steadily, especially since its return in 2022 following pandemic cancellations. This summer marked its biggest milestone yet: organisers added an extra day and shifted the event from May to the August bank holiday.
A conservative estimate suggests that around 700 Seventh-day Adventists attended BCF 2025, drawn by a stellar line-up of artists. Headliners included the legendary Israel Houghton, Grammy Award-winner Jonathan McReynolds, and acclaimed American worship leaders such as Pat Barrett, the writer of Good Good Father, and Josh Garrels.
BCF is a non-profit event, reliant on sponsors and volunteers to make it possible. This year, more than 950 volunteers, the largest team in its history, helped set up eight stages, café tents, and the festival’s infrastructure. Compassion UK, a Christian child development charity, served as the main sponsor. Attendees were encouraged to sponsor a child during the event, and by its close, more than 700 children had been sponsored.
Why Bother to Camp?
What makes people leave the comfort of their homes to camp in the fields, tolerating hour-long queues for the showers and the ever-present stench of portable toilets? It is not just the amazing music, though of course that helps. It is not only that BCF offers something for everyone, from festival games like bumper cars and ferris wheels to a brand-new children’s programme, though that helps too. What makes BCF unique is the worship experience.
For many, BCF is the one time in the year when they can experience Christianity as a highly visible, powerful force in the UK. When Phil Wickham and Brandon Lake led the congregation in an a cappella rendition of How Great Thou Art during their closing performance, the atmosphere was electric. The field seemed ignited with a holy presence as 35,000 voices rose in unison, “Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to Thee; how great Thou art!”
“It was my first time attending a festival, and we camped all weekend,” shared Corina Popa, a Stanborough Park Church member. “I am impressed with the size and the diversity, with the relaxed atmosphere and… the fact that we can be together and sing to God… I grew up in a communist country, so you kept your faith inside, and you guarded it well, because everything was against you. So, to come and see thousands of people singing, it just makes me cry… we are not just a few, but many!”
Perhaps British singer Philippa Hanna summarised it best during her last performance at the Garden Stage, “My highlight was hearing your voices. The sound of the body of Christ singing together is the most beautiful sound.”
Gen Z & the Quiet Revival
This year, for the first time, BCF welcomed a significant number of Gen Z attendees (12–27-year-olds). It is perhaps no coincidence that a representative from the Bible Society, Dr Andrew Ollerton, used the main stage to speak about the “Quiet Revival” currently unfolding in the UK.
According to the Bible Society’s 2025 report, church attendance in the UK is on the rise, particularly among young people and young men, even as the overall number of people identifying as Christian continues to decline. “The most dramatic church growth is among young adults, particularly young men,” the report notes, adding that among Gen Z, “more men than women go to church.”
Although some researchers and commentators have expressed doubts about these findings and methodology, the sight of a new generation worshipping together at BCF was undeniably encouraging.
“It is a rare opportunity to be surrounded by so many like-minded people with the same mission and core beliefs,” commented Sara Stickland, a Gen Z attendee from St Albans Church. “Leaving with a fire inside that is not quickly or easily put out — a fire for God and for sharing the gospel — is why this event is so special to me… The connection I feel to God each and every time I am there is why I keep going back for more.”
A Night of Fireworks and Faith
Despite the noticeable absence of Rend Collective and their panda heads, the final performance of BCF was still powerful. Phil Wickham and Brandon Lake led the campers in a moving worship session that concluded with the expected — yet still beautiful — altar call and firework display. As in previous years, this was a sacred moment when many attendees, including some who were not Christians, chose to begin a journey of faith and discovery.
Although BCF is attended primarily by Christians, it is also an opportunity to invite friends who are not yet believers. For those guests, the closing altar call can become a life-changing experience, as they respond to the message they have witnessed throughout the weekend.
“I find the Big Church Festival is much more than a music event — it is a spiritual gathering designed to refresh faith, inspire worship, and bring people closer to God and God’s community,” reflected Pastor Steve Hulbert, who often helps coordinate group tickets for Adventist attendees. “Whether through the collective worship on the main stage, quiet prayer in the chapel, or creative expression in the smaller venues, it creates a sacred space where God’s presence is both celebrated and sought. It’s refreshing for me every year, and I’ve been going for more than 10 years.”
BCF will return on the August bank holiday in 2026 (28–30 August). The line-up already announced includes For King & Country, CeCe Winans, Lecrae, Elle Limebear, and Steph Schleuter, among others.
[Photos: Vanesa Pizzuto]
