A day to remember: Why Saturday’s DanFest is more than just a music festival 

This Saturday, a day of music is coming to Reading’s The Butler pub – it’s a day of celebration, of good food, great bands and all for a terrific cause. And it honours the memory of a much-loved 25-year-old. 

Dan Pennicott passed away four years ago, leaving a devastating gap in his family. But rather than crumble, friends and relatives rallied round to turn a tragedy into something positive: DanFest. 

Now in its third year, it returns to the Chatham Street pub on Saturday, 16 May. So far, it has raised more than £12,000 for epilepsy charities, including Epilepsy Action, with every entry fee, raffle ticket, and donation helping this vital work. 

Visitors can expect a day of live music on two stages, some stand-up comedy, raffle prizes “that people genuinely want to win”, reiki and massage sessions, a finger buffet, a well-stocked bar, and “a genuinely warm, feel-good atmosphere from start to finish”. 

Dan’s Mum, Tessa Connolly, says the day is more than entertainment: it’s about connection, community, and turning something difficult into something positive and uplifting. 

She describes Dan as a music lover and a true people person who had a bright future ahead of him. DanFest was created to celebrate his life, his energy, and the joy he brought to others. Alongside that, the family and Dan’s friends are passionate about raising awareness of epilepsy, a cause very close to Dan and to us.

“He had had epilepsy since he was a little boy. In his teenage years, it developed into full-blown seizures,” she says. “He died in August 2022. He had a young family and was supposed to get married that November. It was traumatic.”

Around the same time, Tessa says, a friend of the family also died, and the band he was in started planning a fundraiser for both Dan and their friend. 

“Dan’s friends said his funeral was massive; he had such an amazing following and friends, and we should do something for him. Dan was a very big people person; he really loved music and had a lot ahead of him. The first year it was just too hard, so I built it up in 2023, and the first DanFest was in May 2024 – so this year is our fourth one,” she continues. 

“The first event had around 250 people attend, it was a big celebration of Dan, and it was hugely successful. We said, ‘You know what? We should make this into something because he would love it’. So we have. Everything is based on the essence of him.”

Organising DanFest gave Tessa a chance to focus, but she admits it is an emotional time for her as it brings back fond memories of her lad with a passion for people and a lust for life. 

“People say they want it to be about celebrating Dan and remembering him by raising money. The first year, I thought I’d come out with a couple of grand for charity, but we made £6,500. The company I was working for gave me another grand, so we did £7,500 in the first year, and about £4,500 in the second year.”

The difference is due to moving from a sponsorship-led model to one where every penny comes from donations, including the raffle. 

“We have good value prizes, it’s a great raffle with things you do want to win: concert tickets, Nirvana Spa, cocktail making classes – all sorts of stuff. There is a silent auction, which people love as they can make bids remotely, which is great for people who can’t make DanFest,” Tessa says.

The event is held at The Butler, just off the Oxford Road and close to Broad St. Mall, from 3.30pm on Saturday, 16 May. The Chatham Street pub has two stages; bands will play on the Left Wing stage, while the bar area will have an acoustic stage. The music programme has been masterminded by Nicole Allen, “a local superstar,” Tessa says.

Add in the comedy and the massages, plus the food and plenty of games and other surprises, and it’s a big day out for a bargain price of £16.40, which raises thousands for Epilepsy Action in the process. 

Tessa says the team are working hard behind the scenes to ensure Saturday goes without a hitch, and they are supported by The Butler’s landlord, Steve Stanton. 

“Each year and each event we have done, it just gets a little bit easier to do and gets better and better, because we’ve got that experience,” Tessa says. “Behind the scenes, we have jokes about it being like it is only a little festival, but it is mighty – and I am very proud of us as a team pulling together for something like this. It really does make a difference. Our hearts are very much in it.”

For Tessa, the festival is as much about education as it is about celebration. She shares that awareness is a major reason they continue. “I am angry that I am having to do it; I am upset that I am having to do it; I would rather have him partying with me, but it makes a big difference (for epilepsy charities). Awareness is huge.”

The festival remains family-friendly and open to all, regardless of whether they knew Dan personally. “We are there to remember Dan, to raise awareness and keep that awareness going,” Tessa says. “It began as a tribute to him, but it has become a bit of a tradition from a music community and for a cause that really matters.”

The hundreds that will attend on Saturday will surely agree, once more keeping Dan’s memory alive while helping the work of Epilepsy Action. That’s a winner.