Nature Festival urges attendees to “dress appropriately” after being mistaken for nudist event

A UK wildlife festival has clarified that it is not a nudist gathering after confusion led some people to believe it was a naturist event.

Cumbria Nature Festival shared the message on Facebook after receiving enquiries that suggested attendees had misunderstood the event’s purpose, prompting organisers to step in before things got awkward.

Festival offers to refund any mistakenly purchased tickets

In a Facebook post addressing the confusion, Cumbria Nature Festival made it clear the event is focused on wildlife and conservation, not nudism.

“After a recent enquiry we need to clarify – Cumbria Nature Festival is primarily aimed at NATURALISTS… not NATURISTS,” it said, adding, “Whilst we aim to be as inclusive as possible, and certainly do not judge anyone, we are aiming the event at wildlife enthusiasts.”

“Please do dress appropriately. And if anyone else has booked in error, please contact us immediately for a full refund,” the post continued.

The mix-up stems from the similarity between the words “naturalist” and “naturist,” with the former referring to people interested in wildlife and the latter associated with nudist communities.

Sam Griffin, a member of the festival’s organizing committee, told the BBC that the clarification came from a “misunderstanding,” adding, “we haven’t ultimately had to refund anyone so we’re hopeful our offering has been sufficient to retain their interest, despite imposing a dress code”.

Cumbria Nature Festival runs from May 8 to 10.