Australians are among 500 revellers flocking to an outdoor ‘kinky sex festival’ in remote woodland in the English countryside.
Festival-goers to Flamefest are encouraged to ‘explore pain, experience pleasure and fulfil their fantasies’ at the ‘mystical site’ in Kent, southeast of London.
Event manager Helen Smedley said some participants flew in all the way from Australia for the three-day celebration of hedonism that runs until Sunday.
More than 500 revellers including Australians attended Flamefest for a three-day festival which promises an outdoor S&M dungeon and ‘adult play area’ (promotional picture)
An outdoor S&M dungeon and ‘supervised adult play area’ is the centrepiece, and the only spot where revellers can express their inner desires.
They will have the help of dominatrixes and a treasure trove of ‘fetish play equipment’, with ‘a few exhibitionists eager to show off their talents’.
For those a bit new to to the scene or looking to try something new, the festival also runs ‘kink education sessions’ alongside yoga, art classes and erotic writing.
The rest of Flamefest is a relatively standard bohemian festival with chill-out, funk, rock, trip hop, and eclectic vibes during the day and loud DJs by night.
London-based dominatrix Vea Luz on her was to the festival by train
One of the many sex-themed stalls set up at the event which runs through this weekend
Festival-goers can even relax in hot tubs for an extra £5 ($8) for half an hour, on top of the £110 ($178) tickets for those pitching their own tent, or £300 ($485) for a ‘luxury boutique tent’.
Organisers say the ‘philosophy’ of the festival is to ‘bring communities together, particularly the kinksters, the ravers and those on the “conscious” scene’.
Ms Smedley insisted members of the public would not witness ‘outdoor sex’ as revellers would have ‘safe places’ to go.
‘It will involve music, workshops, getting at one with nature. We’ve got guests coming from all over Kent. We’ve had someone fly in from Romania and Australia,’ she said.
Organisers of the event insisted ‘nothing happens in view’ but that people ‘go off to their tents to meet like minded people’
Early-bird festival-goers set up their tents on the first day of the event
‘We allow people the safe place to have sex, we’re monitors, just to make sure everyone’s safe.
‘There’s nothing that happens in view, on site. People go off to their tents to meet like minded people.’
She added: ‘It is a very, very small and private event really. We have strict rules on sex and nudity outside one tent which is completely blacked out.
‘We are really concerned about the residents and making sure this passes with as little difficulties for them as possible.’
The Dress Up Dolls, some of many performers who will entertain punters at the festival
Ms Smedley said extra security was called in after the event’s publicity sparked fears of gatecrashers, and she was working with local police
Photography is banned inside the festival and revellers are encouraged to don ‘festival wear and fetish wear… but bear in mind that nudity is only permitted in the adult play marquee.’
Ms Smedley said extra security was called in after the event’s publicity sparked fears of gatecrashers, and she was working with local police.
The website adds: ‘Sex, nudity and BDSM (bondage, dominance and submission, sadomasochism) activities are STRICTLY confined to the adult play marquee and your tent.’
The ‘kink rave festival’ in Royal Tunbridge Wells is expected to attract around 500 people
The festival grounds starts to take shape as early arriving participants set up their tents
But locals expressed their disgust at the festival and claimed they didn’t know about the secret location until it was too late to complain.
Local councillor Dianne Hill said she received numerous complaints from residents since the festival’s location was announced this week.
‘I’m no prude but this is the wrong place for this sort of thing. These people are coming for an orgy and it’s going to create hell on the roads as the woods can only be got to along a single track road,’ she said.
‘It’s a residential area. A big worry is they say there will be coaches coming down – where are they going to park?
‘People are obviously going to be concerned about the noise.’