Shambala Becomes UK’s First Employee Owned Festival

eoa member Kambe Events – the company behind independent festival Shambala – has become the UK’s first festival to transition to employee ownership. 

As the employee owned sector grows and more businesses adopt the model, it’s becoming increasingly harder to achieve a first-of-its-kind transition. 

But in a landmark transition, Kambe Events – the company behind Shambala – has become the UK’s first-ever festival to become employee owned.

The move offers a new paradigm for the UK’s festival sector at a time when many are being acquired by major live entertainment conglomerates. 

Shambala have shown there’s an alternative path for the sector. By becoming employee owned, the festival is reinforcing its commitment to independence, sustainability, and ethical stewardship.

Remaining Independent

The move sees the festival’s original co-founders step away from ownership after twenty-five years, ceding the business to the team members who’ve helped build it over more than two decades. 

The transition will see Shambala owned by an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT), helping ensure the festival will remain independent, and that its team will share in future successes. 

“Shambala stands for independence and, in an increasingly commercialised festival scene, we simply could not sell to venture capitalists or the big promotion companies,” said Co-Founder and MD, Chris Johnson.

“While exploring alternative paths, we fell in love with the employee ownership model.” 

While recent years have seen a rise in community ownership of independent venues and a growing number of employee owned retailers, this transition represents a first for the UK festival industry - setting a new precedent for how live events businesses can evolve, while keeping their core values very much intact.

“It is patently clear that the current capitalist model is fundamentally broken,” adds Dan Raffety, Head of Music and another of the festival’s Co-Founders, who has led Kambe’s transition to EO. 

“As a society we must explore alternative models of ownership as a way through which the massive power and potential of capitalism can be focused on serving humanity and the planet at large.”

“Employee ownership is just the next, natural step in Kambe’s adventures towards a utopia - the next phase in our constant evolution towards justice and a better world.”

Creating the EOT Board

Shambala has created a robust EOT Board which includes Tom Berry as EOT Chair. Tom brings extensive experience as a Chair, Trustee, and Non-Executive Director 

"Employee ownership is the very best long-term option for people-focused businesses looking to protect their culture and reward their people,” he said.

“The Kambe founders want a lasting legacy and employee ownership means everyone wins. I'm incredibly proud to be the team's first EOT Chair."

Tom was recruited by Kambe using the eoa’s exclusive Independent Trustee search tool. 

"The eoa site is a wealth of information and guidance for organisations looking to make the move into employee ownership,” said Tom. 

“I have also found the Independent Trustee Search Tool to be a brilliant way to find new positions that match my passion for EO. 

“The role descriptions and briefs are always clear and it's fantastic to have all the brightest and best of employee owned businesses in one place."