Uniting people via live music – and helping rising stars 


Si Blatchly – live music organiser

Fifty people are crammed together as their bright outfits sparkle under the stage lights. Horns blast, strings pluck, guitars ring out and drums pound, as the UK’s biggest folk band explodes with energy. “It was epic,” recalls Si Blatchly, who’s also known as Si Chai. “The crowd went absolutely ballistic. There was so much joy in the room and every single person on the stage was utterly beaming.”

Blatchly is recalling the moment The Conservatoire Folk Ensemble, made up of an ever-rotating number of students from the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, took to the Chai Wallahs stage for the first time. “Some of those kids had never even been to a festival before, let alone played in front of 2,000 people,” he says. “So, to see them absolutely smash it was such a massive rush. It gives me such a kick to see that. It’s such a beautiful thing to witness that I can get quite weepy sometimes.”

Blatchly has been involved with Chai Wallahs since 2004, when he came up with the idea of combining his two passions. “I wanted to introduce people to health products and things like natural incense, goji berries, wheatgrass and juices,” he recalls. “And I was also passionately into music, so I merged the two.”

Initially it was a stall that served up brews, juices and herbal shots, along with DJs spinning tunes, but by 2007 it had evolved into a touring live stage. Since then, Chai Wallahs has been a staple at festivals across the UK, such as Green Man, Kendal Calling, Secret Garden Party and Shambala, putting on the likes of Ezra Collective, Portico Quartet, Kae Tempest, Rag & Bone Man and literally thousands of other acts.

Chai Wallahs has always been a place of solace and discovery away from the hustle and bustle of busy main stages, he explains, in line with his aim to give a platform to up-and-coming artists – potential stars of tomorrow.

“We’ve always been about supporting unsupported artists,” says Blatchly. “But providing them with a really professional platform, amazing sound, great hospitality and a nice venue. So that new audiences can engage and hear that music the way it was meant to be heard and open people’s minds up to the fact that you don’t need to go and watch the headliner. There’s so much talent at this level.”

However, times are tough in the world of music festivals. The Association of Independent Festivals reports that the UK lost 78 of them in 2024 alone. Unprecedented strains on the live music sector, particularly on those operating at a smaller level, has made things especially challenging of late.

“The grassroots scene has been under a lot of pressure,” admits Blatchly. “A massive rise in infrastructure costs, the cost-of-living crisis and a whole string of other issues has basically rinsed any available money out of the industry. Some drastic steps were needed, so we thought: ‘Why don’t a bunch of us get together and pool all of our skills, experience and knowledge?”

The result is Grassroots Rising, a new Community Benefit Society (CBS) venture that’s billed as a ‘festival of festivals’ and is intended to put power back in the hands of the independents. A crowdfunding campaign will launch this August and, if successful, in June 2026 a group of independent festivals, venues and promoters will join forces to create a collaborative event over one weekend in Cambridgeshire.

This model will make it more affordable, and allow us to create a showcase for grassroots music. This is a true return to festival culture – a blueprint for the future

“If we all join together, our collective power and reach is huge,” says Blatchly. “The model will help reduce running and ticket costs, making it more affordable, and allow us to create a showcase for grassroots music. This is a true return to festival culture and that’s what we need to go back to, because the existing model doesn’t work for the vast majority. This can be a blueprint for the future.” 

Luke Potter, a singer songwriter who performs as Potter, has seen up close just how crucial these spaces can be for aspiring musicians. “What Chai Wallahs has achieved in the last 20 years is remarkable,” he says. “It’s saved my life on more than one occasion. Si supported my band for 10 years playing there and I still sing on that stage every year. It isn’t just a venue or a support platform for bands, it can literally be a lifesaver for people.”

Despite the ongoing difficulties that the industry faces, the infectious spirit, exuberance and magic that live music can produce is the thing that keeps Blatchly pushing forward. He remains passionately in search of moments that will create a buzz similar to seeing 50 smiling young musicians packed on to a stage.

“Music is a universal language,” he says. “You can express so much through it and it’s an amazing form of communication and education. But it can also provide so much joy that it can evolve your soul – which is really what it’s all about.”

Photography: Sam Bush