We are devastated to have to announce the death of Stu Housley, one of Big Love’s two founders and the festival’s joint director.
Stu had worked tirelessly over the last nine years to build Big Love from a small weekend gathering into the celebration of music and art it is today.
He never paid himself a penny, and was motivated by his love of music, bringing people together and putting on a damn good party.
Stu loved the technical challenges of hosting a festival, and could turn his hand to almost anything, whether it was sound systems, lighting, plumbing, power or mechanics. Whatever the problem, he could always come up with a solution. He had a great imagination too, and was always planning ambitious ways to make Big Love even more fun or spectacular.
What really stood out about Stu, even more than his technical ability, was his kindness and generosity. He always went far out of his way to help anyone he knew in need, giving his time, advice and practical skills without hesitation.
This kind and caring nature meant he had an incredible array of friends, of all ages and backgrounds, and bringing them together gave him so much pleasure.
Stu was taken ill in May, and spent a lot of the last couple of months in hospital. It was so difficult hosting the festival without him to guide things this year, but thankfully he made it up to the festival on Saturday to see if our work was up to his standard! So many wonderful people had pulled together to ensure this year’s Big Love was the best yet, and we know Stu was delighted with how it came together. We could never have achieved it without his hard work and planning.
Some of the Big Love team were honoured to be able to attend the wedding of Stu and his fiancé Jo just after the festival.
Sadly Stu passed away earlier this week, from a rare and aggressive cancer.
Stu truly was irreplaceable, at the core of the festival, so it’s hard to contemplate continuing Big Love without him. However, after discussing things with him and his wife, we know he wanted the festival to continue and flourish. For that reason, after careful consideration, we have decided to go ahead with the launch of tickets for Big Love 2026 this week.
We are heartbroken that Stu won’t be there to celebrate ten years of Big Love next year, but we know that his wife and young daughter will be, to enjoy the fruits of his hard work. We can’t think of a better tribute to Stu than to bring thousands of people together to share their love of music, arts and friendship.
Stu’s passing has left a massive hole in our hearts, but he’s left an incredible legacy.
Big Love x
Update 6th August: we have now launched a fundraiser for Stu’s wife and daughter. Please donate if you can.