Electromagnetic Field is only a few months away and this is the first of several updates to help you prepare.
In this blog post (which we’re also sending as emails to the address you bought your tickets with), we’ll be updating you on things to do at EMF, and helping you with what to bring in order to have a great time. Closer to the date, we’ll also send summaries of conditions on the field, so that you know whether to pack warm or pack light and whether to break out the wellies. In each email, we’ll also be updating you on anything new that’s been posted to our blog.
Note: If you aren’t receiving emails, please check which email you registered your ticket with - that will be the email we’re contacting you on. If you’re still not getting emails, let us know at contact@emfcamp.org.
EMF’s Theme
Every EMF has a theme - this year, EMF goes to space!
Not just outer space, though – we want to celebrate discovery, engineering, exploration, and fascination with our home planet, too. From distant galaxies to our pale blue dot, neutron stars to the smallest microbacteria, we want you to get excited about what fascinates you out there.
If you know your way around a sewing machine or potting shed, or want to help the Design team in other ways, sign up here!
Ticket Refunds
We’ve seen extremely high demand for tickets this year, and while we’re happy to have such high demand, we also want to give as many people as possible the chance to come. If you’ve bought tickets that you won’t be able to use, we are offering full refunds. You can request a refund through our website.
Parking Tickets
If you’re planning to drive to EMF, make sure to purchase a vehicle ticket - we’re trying to keep cars to a minimum, so please take public transport or car-share if you can.
If you’re planning on bringing a campervan or other live-in vehicle, be aware that live-in vehicle tickets may not be available for much longer, so get them here while they’re hot.
Participating in EMF
Of course, EMF wouldn’t be what it is without you, giving great talks, making performances, putting up installations, and most importantly bringing yourselves!
Call for Participation
If you have a talk, installation, workshop, or performance you’d like to bring to EMF, our Call for Participation is now open!
We’ll close submissions to the CfP around a month before the event, but we’re already reviewing them. The sooner you submit, the better your chance of being accepted!
Need an Idea?
If you know you’d like to make something for EMF, but you’re stuck for inspiration on what to make, we’ve got a list of suggestions - at wildly varying levels of practicality and seriousness - available as a pastebin here. It’s not meant to be a requirements list: take it as literally or as laterally as you would like. Surprise us, and have fun!
Arcade
The EMF arcade is returning for 2026 and we’re welcoming submissions for games or playable objects. If you have a game that might work in our arcade, submit it here!
Volunteering
EMF is made possible by many volunteers, both before, during, and after the event. Learn more about volunteering at EMF.
You can chat with the EMF community on Matrix or IRC:
Villages
Villages are places for bringing together groups of people - you can register a village for your group of friends, for people with a shared interest, or anything else that brings you together with others. Some villages are also open to the public and run events, like the Maths Village, while others might be more private.
We’ll shortly be offering the opportunity to hire tents, chairs and tables for your village through the website.
Find out more about villages at EMF’s villages page, and browse the current list of villages here. Some of them may put their contact details there so that you can get in touch with them.
Register your Village
Anyone with an EMF ticket can register a village. Make sure to put a bit about yourself so that others can know what you’re about, including contact details if you want people to get in touch with you! During EMF, you’ll be able to update your page to tell people where you are.
If you have any other questions at all about the villages, please email villages@emfcamp.org, who’ll be happy to help you.
Areas
Many cool areas that you know from previous years and that are brand new are happening at this year’s EMF! Here are a few that we’re happy to announce, but there will no doubt be more coming out in our next emails.
The Greenhouse
We’ve already announced the Greenhouse on our blog, but here’s a little summary for those who missed it:
- Building on the success of 2024, the plant exchange is back - with a new name!
- You are invited to once again bring small cuttings, offshoots, seedlings, bulbs or spare seeds for everyone to browse at the Greenhouse - anyone can take home what they like.
- The Greenhouse will also provide an exhibition area where you can display small plant creations with a suitable space vibe.
Zine Library
Bring zines!
We’re going to have a zine library in one of the lounges. We’d love it if this could be filled with all kinds of zines made and enjoyed by EMF people. If you have one or more zines you’d like to donate, please bring them along and drop them off at the library during the festival. We’d also love to see a zine workshop in the CfP of you feel like you’d be up for it.
NullSector
The NullSector returns for another year of fun, music and dancing! The year is 2095, nine years since the first stirrings of rebellion. The rebels have taken over another Polybius Biotech facility, one they are opening up for a weekend of celebration.
Volunteering for NullSector
NullSector are looking for volunteers to assist with:
- Graphic Design
- Voice Recording
- Setup and Teardown
- Prebuild Help
If any of the above sound like something you’d like to help with, contact volunteer@emfcamp.org. Like in our volunteering section above, you need to already have a ticket to EMF to volunteer to help with NullSector.
DJs
If you would like to DJ in NullSector please make a submission via the Call for Participation.
Night Market
The NullSector Night Market is also coming back for another year! It will run from 6pm to 11pm on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. If you’re an independent seller looking to sell some of your goods at EMF, apply here by 18th May (but sooner is better!).
There will also be a day market for buying, trading, and selling hexpansions. If you would like to have a stall where you will be selling Hexpansions along with other products, then still feel free to apply above, but if you’re planning on only selling hexpansions, please hang back from applying above and stay tuned for more details about the day market in a future email.
The Badge
In 2024, the EMF badge was the Tildagon, a modular badge for which people contributed their own expansions! This year, we’re going to be releasing a new front board for the Tildagon - this will be available as an upgrade for 2024 badges, or as a complete badge.
As with last year, these will be available soon to pre-order on the EMF website. We’re trying to keep the price similar to last time, which was £13. We’ll also be selling spares like screens and batteries.
We’d like to say a special thanks to our first Palladium-tier sponsor, Nationwide.
We’d also like to thank our three Gold-tier sponsors:
and our Silver-tier sponsors:
In addition to our many sponsors above, the EMF badge is sponsored by Bosch Sensortec, which helps us make the EMF badge as affordable as possible for EMF attendees.
Supporting EMF
Do you like seeing weird and wonderful things at EMF? Got a few spare quid?
In addition to sponsorship, there are many ways to support EMF as an individual at the self-service sponsors page. Anything you give us will be used to fund projects that make the festival more fun for everyone.
Any other questions?
If you have any other questions, check out our contact page to know where to send your questions to.
We look forward to having you here!
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This is a prototype with prototype artwork - the final design will be revealed in the field.