NASS Festival 2023

4:00pm 06 Jul - 11:00pm 09 Jul, 2023

Event Ended

Plan for NASS Festival 2023

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Shepton Mallet, United Kingdom

NASS Festival 2023: Fusing music and street art with boarding and BMXing and watching the pros compete

Combining BMX, skateboarding, and the sickest graffiti you’ve ever seen NASS doesn’t just do music, (although they knock that out of the park too). With several skateboard and BMX competitions that dish out cash prizes equalling $50,000 you can expect a range of talent from some of the world’s most professional competitors to the best amateurs around. 

And it doesn’t stop there, NASS doesn’t just want you to watch the action, they want you to get involved in it. For this year’s festival they plan on building a public ‘plaza’ skatepark and BMX dirt jumps right in the heart of the action, so you can test out your skills too. Who knows, maybe you will be back next year to compete for the dollar. 

The 4-day festival sees action sport enthusiasts from across the globe and boasts a 14ft vert ramp which is currently the largest in Europe. Not only that, the legendary NASS vert was designed exactly to hero, Tony Hawk’s liking. Oh, and BMX god Matt Hoffman gives it the thumbs up too. 

Also seen at NASS is the daring Ring Of Fire and a savage dirt trail. This festival brings an intense amount of energy, enough 360s your eyes will spin, blunt slides, ollies, every grind going, car jumps, kickflips, and every kind of flip really. With up to 15,000 capacity, NASS is a freestyle promised land.

There are 7 spots that crack out the beats including the mountain dew hut, the main stages, rave arenas, and Nass’s very own pub – The Truck & bearing.

In previous years the featured artists included Sigma, Dizzee Rascal, Run DMC, Jax Jones, and many more. If you’re looking for action sports, days of live music, a ton of alcohol, and grinding as it’s meant to be, then NASS is the festival you want to go to.

‘From mosh pits to kickflips, NASS Festival highlights punk and rock, drum and bass, and dubstep.’

Your experience at NASS Festival

Nass Festival allows festival-goers to immerse themselves in everything that the program offers. While there, you can get hands-on with street art workshops, DJ and MC workshops, public skatepark, open competitions, public BMX park. 

Take your neat skills and flair to the open competitions, check out the fab skills from other amateurs and pros. You might end up on the podium with a swell prize for your efforts! Prizes are often cash and sometimes great merchandise from skate and BMX brands.

Everybody is on the same level at this event, curious to see what new tricks they could mess around with and try for themselves. Admire the talent, sit right up beside the half-pipe and be inspired by the amazing competitions that you can watch all day long. Hanging out has never been so much fun. Overhearing rival athletes having a positive chat is amazing, the vibe at this festival couldn’t be more chill. 

This event feels ‘street’, admire and pick up the latest hardware, streetwear design clothing and shoes, hip food and craft beer, all located in the very center of the festival.  If it ain’t street trendy, then it’s not here. The carnival seeks out the biggest and best rides for the adrenaline junkie and it lights up at night as the fairground fun continues.

Enjoy ah-mazing music on all stages, the largest outdoor stages they could find! Whether your jam is Dubstep, House, Jungle, Reggae, Hip hop grime, the duff-duff will have you bop-bopping all night. Just follow the sounds of the drum and bass beats.

Find your people by staying in the campervan field, native out of the way camping, VIP camping or glamping. If the music and sports action are where you are at, then there are three epic camping locations called Syndicate, Creation or Locarno close to the main arena. 

Walking out the gate on day 4 you will surely be making plans with your gal pals or bros to head back the next year. 

Best views at NASS Festival

The Pro Park is a must-see, because you are literally watching the next pro skate Olympians (yep it’s official) and BMXers from all around the world. Views are epic as the course is sunken and you can look down from the sides. Amateurs also get a chance to bring their own kit and have a go in some open competitions, and man, some of them are just as good as the pros. 

Ravers have the best spot in ‘Fatty’s Yard’, where you can have a break from the festival trail and get busy busting a move. They play reggae, funk, drum & bass, jungle and lots of other genres so it’s always time to party with your peeps and get the funking music going. Organizers brought back this stage because it was so popular.

The big stages are great, but The Hanger is sick. The large warehouse space beckons the best DJ’s. Rave with friends and sing along together in the odd silent disco. Day and night, it’s on fire in here!

What to wear

Your best-branded gear. Because if there’s anywhere that you need to show off your loyalty it’s here. Casual and summer clothes are a must, but bring a jacket in case it turns. 

What to pack

Waterproof tent if camping
You can bring your own alcohol if you have ID and are over 18yrs
BMX and / or skateboard
Art Supplies
Face paints – you need to look as street as the festival! 

NASS Tickets

Single day tickets start from around £40 being much cheaper than paying on the door (door cost is £60) providing there’s space. Tickets for the full festival start from £148 with parking passes available for as low as £15. Children are welcome to come along with under 7 years costing just £2 and 8-15 years from £81 for the full weekend.

NASS Festival 2023 Schedule 

The four-day action sport and music festival takes place Thursday to Sunday.

Thursday – July 6:

Gates open at 4 pm. It’s time to set up camp, settle in, cruise the merchandise early and get on the beers while checking out the music on stage and in The Hanger.

Friday – July 7:

Check out the Pro Park, public plaza, merch, rave in the yard, and then head out to the music stages for afternoons in the sun listening to the tunes. Check out the skate jumps through the Ring of Fire while passing through to the carnival and main stages.

Saturday – July 8:

Check out the carnival by day or night. The Action sports area is revving up with comps on all day and people generally showing off their tricks. Watch them scoot around all over the park. Meet a YouTuber and buy some skate socks.  

Enjoy great food and hit the big stage for the main acts. Then try to find your tent after!

Sunday – July 9: 

Seek out the hangover cure then get going for another crazy day of BMX and skate action, be a part of the street art fun, enter a competition yourself or relax in the carnival teacups. Meditate in a silent disco before the hanger closes. Give up on the tent and go home, reared up to come back with your mates next year!

Top Tips

Go VIP: The VIP experience is totally worth it! The space is not as busy, the toilets and bathrooms are nice and clean.  Excellent catered food is a bonus, with an epic cooked breakfast put on for you and the rich kids and discounts you won’t find at the food stalls outside the VIP section. 

BYO cups: Bring your own reusable cups as the festival is trying to become more sustainable each year. 

Build a tent circle: Pitch your tents in a circle, makes a great social setting for pre and post drinks while catching up with your crew.

NASS Festival History

NASS Festival has been around since 1996. Celebrating its 10th year in 2006 it was moved to Birmingham. Merging music and Extreme and Street Sports, including displays and competitions from skateboarders, snowboarders and BMX bikes, and presenting bike and board sports platforms along with live music entertainment. Held at the National Exhibition Centre, the show had a children’s play area and funfair.

In 2007 it moved to its current location at Bath and West Showgrounds, a much larger site where the festival had an opportunity to grow. Grow it did! In 2016 the festival also held the International BMX Freestyle Federation (iBMXFF) World Championships.  

It was the first time the championships had been held in the UK in 30 years. 15,000 people arrived to watch over 400 athletes compete and 100 artists came to put on the music show.

This momentous occasion resulted in the erection of elaborate platforms and courses for the pros to use, and in the following years the number of pro athletes, spectators and headline acts skyrocketed. 

In the past they have also featured inline skating and motocross when rising in popularity. NASS has elite action sports performers such as Tony Hawk and Matt Hoffman and up-and-coming performers such as BMXers Mark Webb, Daniel Sandoval and Big Daddy; Skaters like Austen Seaholm and Chris Oliver; and inliners Brian Aragon and Jeff Stockwell.

It’s been a slow burn for the NASS festival, growing each year and spreading out further across the Shepton Mallet site, 2021 is set to be the biggest year yet for many action sport and music lovers.  

Things to do in Shepton Mallet

Home to the legendary Glastonbury festival things aren’t always as mad in Shepton Mallet but there is still enough going on to keep you occupied.

Check out the stunning architecture in the area at Bishop’s Palace And Gardens and at Wells Cathedral or, dive underground and explore the caves. Shepton Mallet is big on community and you will find regular farmers markets, craft fairs, and walking trails. If you’re looking for something a little more livelier, Bristol City is only a 44-minute drive and Bath is only a 35-minute drive. Both are easily accessible with public transport leaving Shepton Mallet regularly.

What to eat in Shepton Mallet

Shepton Mallet is a quiet area when festival time is over, but it has the usual haunts you’d expect in a British town. Takeaways, pubs and taverns serve up the local cuisine in casual settings. 

Pubs like The Sheppy serve up a cracking roast Sunday lunch, complete with the Yorkshire pud. The Natterjack has a lovely chicken and avocado goats cheese salad as well as British fish and chips.  You can also find some ‘posh’ Italian joints and everything from thatched inns to hipster coffee shops. 

How to get there

From overseas, you can fly into London Heathrow, Gatwick, Bristol or Birmingham. Then you can hire a car or take a train to Shepton Mallet. You can take a train every 4 hours to Shepton Mallet from London’s Paddington Station, the duration is 1.5 hours.

There is a coach service that picks up from several cities in the UK including London, Southampton, Swindon, Plymouth, Exeter, Bristol, Reading, and others, more information on the coach service will be available closer to the time.

Where to stay at NASS

Although Shepton Mallet is a fairly small area you still have several options in regards to accommodation. Drowning in countryside camping is always a good shout in Shepton Mallet but there is still a range of small B&Bs, hotels, farmhouse rentals, and self-catered apartments to choose from.

You can stay in a picturesque stone cottage like the Old Stables Bed & Breakfast or the Maplestone right in the heart of Shepton Mallet if that takes your fancy! The cottages are filled with loads of character. Exposed beams and whitewashed walls greet you to the cozy bedrooms. 

Visitors can walk to the edge of the Mendip Hills and the garden also has a pretty green garden to enjoy. The BBQ area is the perfect setting for some pre-festival drinkies and there’s a country kitchen complete with butlers sink. 

How to get around

The festival is held at the Royal Bath & West Showground on the A371 between Shepton Mallet and Castle Carry. Driving will be pretty straightforward as NASS is a large event and arranges road signage on all major roads around the area. There are many scenic cycling paths around the area and it’s easy to hire a bike, with path access to the showgrounds venue. 

Do you like BMX, skateboarding and music? Read more about Simple Session in Estonia and FISE Montpellier in France.

Photo credits: NASS Festival

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