We Have Ways of Making You Attend: WHW 2024

There is no getting around it: We Have Ways Fest is niche. In a summer of festivals, many would argue that having an event dedicated to history, let alone to the history of the Second World WarA global war that lasted from 1939 until 1945., is too specialist. Yet every year, and despite the changing of dates from one year to the next, people flock in their thousands to Blackpit Brewery on the edge of the Silverstone racing circuit to visit the festival. And every year the crowds grow. What is it about this festival that sets it above so many others?

Undoubtedly it has something to do with the massive following of the We Have Ways of Making You Talk podcast. Having begun as a punt in 2019 by historian James Holland and comedian Al Murray, in conjunction with Goalhanger Films, the podcast brings every aspect of the Second World War – from hardware to strategy – to the listener in a regular dose of entertainment and information. And the combination is a winning one: the pair have released above 1,300 episodes – over 800 of which are available without subscription – and had millions upon millions of downloads. Add to this the dedication of the 3,000-strong core membership, proudly known as the ‘Independent Company’, and we begin to see where some of the festival’s ticket sales come from.

But this hardcore of support still doesn’t explain why the event has increased in size so much over the last four years – taking over more fields, introducing more stalls, more performances, more exhibits.

The only conclusion one can reach is that, actually, the history of the Second World War is extremely popular. Perhaps this is obvious: after all, so many television programmes, films, and books both fiction and non-fiction, still gravitate around the events of 1939 to 1945. There is something about the war that captures the imagination. And looking around the site, it is obvious this is true. Children, elderly couples, teenagers and families were as much in evidence as the fully paid-up fans – distinguishable either by their military costumes or their garishly bright Hawaiian shirts, offerings for a competition to see who’s sporting the best/most awful, depending on perspective. And they are all enjoying themselves.

Of course, why would they not? We Have Ways Fest is stocked full of things to see and do. Over the course of the weekend, scores of speakers – including the likes of national treasures James May and Dermot O’Leary, alongside critically acclaimed experts such as Robert Lyman and Kate Vigurs – talked to packed-out tents on everything from the RNLI to the July ’44 Bomb Plot to kill Hitler. Some of the best performers from the history circuit – Foreign Field, Wizzo’s Rip-Roaring History, Adam Schuch-des Forges as Major Banger King – staged shows telling wonderful, inspiring, and gripping stories of little-known aspects and characters of the war. And displays across the site, dotted in between living historians eager to talk about any and all aspects of the war, offered everything from fully operative tanks to perfectly recreated Spitfires. Then there were the neck-craning demonstrations, of both British and American fighter planes barrelling across the sky in hair-raising, tear-jerking spectacles of bravery and skill; and the ever-popular night firing, with guns blazing as wartime radio chatter blared from speakers. And none of this is to mention the massive array of stalls purveying mouth-watering food and drink.

This, then, is the recipe for a great festival: brilliant speakers, inspiring performances, jaw-dropping demonstrations, passionate enthusiasts, great food, and some excellent local booze to wash it all down. We Have Ways Fest really does have a way of making people attend.

Dates for the 2025 We Have Ways Fest are still to be confirmed – but don’t worry, it will be going ahead! Check the We Have Ways website for all the latest information. If you’re interested in listening to the podcast, or becoming a member of the Independent Company, click here.