When do wristbands go on sale for Asylum XV?

Wristbands for Asylum XV (AXV) will go on general sale at 8PM (UK time) on Thursday 27 February 2025. A link to the ticketing site will be added closer to the date.

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What is 'The Asylum'?

Weekend at the Asylum (commonly referred to as 'The Asylum') is a Steampunk Festival which in 2025 will take place in the Historic Quarter of Lincoln, UK, from Friday 22 to Monday 26 August.

 

The event is organised by The Ministry of Steampunk.

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The first Weekend at the Asylum was held in 2009 and it really was a weekend at the asylum as it was held at The Lawn, a former psychiatric hospital. That is where the name came from. The event has been held annually since, apart from two years during the covid pandemic.

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The event in 2025 will be the fifteenth Asylum - hence Asylum XV, shortened in some of the event publicity to 'AXV'.

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You can find out more about the event on this website and on the Facebook page 'Welcome to the Asylum'.

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Do I need to buy a wristband to attend the event?​​

​​It is possible to enjoy elements of The Asylum without buying a wristband, but for the full experience including a number of perks available only to wristband holders, you will need to buy a day or weekend wristband.

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In 2025 a wristband will give you access to the Castle Grounds, both castle marquees, the seating area around the bandstand and the Heritage Centre. It will also give you access to Westgate Academy, Bailgate Methodist's Hall and the County Assembly Rooms including the Oval Room, the Ballroom and the Edwardian Suite.

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In 2024 wristband holders were given a discount by a number of local businesses displaying a spoof 'Blue Plaque' in their window. We hope to run a similar scheme in 2025. 

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You can order wristbands in advance. On purchase you will be emailed a QR code which is then scanned in either at The Advance Guard evening event on Thursday (see below) or at Event Control in Castle Square, daytime, between Friday morning and Monday afternoon. You will be fitted with a wristband. You cannot collect wristbands for other people; each person must collect their own wristband. 

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Subject to availability, single day wristbands can also be purchased at Event Control during the weekend. 

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Instead of buying a wristband you can access the castle grounds (but not the Heritage Centre, one of the castle marquees or the seating area by the bandstand) by buying a castle admission ticket. A castle admission ticket will not give you access to Westgate Academy or the County Assembly Rooms. None of the money from castle admission tickets is paid to the Ministry of Steampunk or goes towards any of the steampunk content in the castle. 

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Just by coming along to the area around the castle, the cathedral, along Bailgate and Westgate you can enjoy some of the amazing sights and sounds of the event and you can access a selection of market stalls in public areas. Likewise you can line the streets on Monday to watch the 'Grand Promenade' go by.

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But if you want to support the event, the only way to do so is to buy a daytime wristband or evening tickets.

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What about evening events?

​Evening events take place every night of the event from Thursday through to Monday.

 

The events vary from year to year, but the first evening event on Thursday night is called 'The Advanced Guard' for people who can't wait for the main event to start on the Friday morning. The last evening event on Monday evening is called the 'Dead Dog Party' and it is aimed at those who have had such a brilliant time that they don't want to go home.

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To attend any of the evening events you need to buy a ticket for that particular event. You will be emailed a QR code which you need to show at the door when you attend the event. 

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More news about the evening events for Asylum XV will follow in due course.

 

We aim to put evening tickets on sale in late March 2025.  

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How do I order and collect medals and other merch?

For each Weekend at the Asylum we produce a collectable medal. They can be pre-ordered and then collected at the same time as your wristband. If there are any medals left when the event begins they are sold at event control; they usually sell out quickly. ​We also produce a collectable patch.

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In 2024 we also created the first Ministry of Steampunk Charity Pin. All proceeds went to charity. We plan to do the same again for Asylum XV. 

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Where can I stay during The Asylum?

​​​​Weekend at the Asylum is  the biggest event of the year in the city of Lincoln. The city has a limited number of hotels and the rooms do get booked up quite early on.

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The Ministry of Steampunk has come to arrangements with the Bishop Grosseteste University and Lincoln University, both of whom are offering a considerable number of student rooms for use during the event. The university room prices are generally significantly cheaper than local hotel rooms. 

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We have also negotiated a campsite at the International Bomber Command Centre (IBCC). Pitches at the IBCC are not yet on sale. 

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Although The Asylum has taken place in Lincoln for a number of years the location of Asylum XVI in 2026 has not yet been decided and it may not be in Lincoln. We strongly advise against making any accommodation bookings for 2026 which cannot be cancelled without financial penalty.  

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Do I need to dress up to attend The Asylum?

One of the most obvious things about The Asylum is that it attracts thousands of amazingly costumed Steampunks who come from all over the world. But you do not need to be dressed up to come along and enjoy the event, although there is a real risk that you will find yourself buying a hat and maybe a pair of goggles before you go home. Everyone is welcome, whether in costume or not. 

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What actually happens at The Asylum?

The Asylum is a convention for Steampunks who come together to share their creativity and have fun. During the event there are more than a hundred features you can experience, from musical and dance performances, to races, competitions, panels, talks, dancing lessons, tea parties, tea duelling, teapot racing and so much more. There are markets in the streets and in the castle. There is a uniform parade in the castle on Sunday morning and the Grand Promenade in the streets on Monday morning. 

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You will find descriptions of some of the regular features under the 'Features' tab above. 

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Because there is so much to fit into the timetable there can be up to eight different features happening in different locations at the same time, so it really is impossible to see everything that is going on.

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In the weeks running up to the event the Ministry of Steampunk release the full event timetable which you can download as a PDF so you can see what is on each day, what each feature involves, where and at what time it will be taking place .

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Can you tell me about parking?

Weekend at the Asylum is a very busy event and it attracts thousands of people to the city. The car parks get very busy. You can find out more about parking on the Visit Lincoln website at www.visitlincoln.com.

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Are the streets and roads flat and are there any hills I should know about? 

The Historic Quarter of Lincoln is separated from the lower part of the city by a partly pedestrianised road called Steep Hill. It is called Steep Hill for a very good reason; it is extremely steep. There are some slightly longer routes from the lower city up to the area around the castle which are not so steep. Again, maps and advice from local people (about buses which make the journey, for example) are likely to be covered on Facebook closer to the event. 

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Castle Square (the area immediately outside the East Gate of the castle) is cobbled, as are parts of Bailgate. There is an 'almost' cobble free route to the castle across a diagonal path near the Tourist Information Centre. Some of the pavements in the area are somewhat uneven too. 

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Many people strongly recommend wearing sturdy and comfortable shoes, not just because of the cobbles but also because after several days on your feet, seeing even a fraction of what there is to see can leave you with very tired feet. 

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Is the event suitable for Wheelchairs?

All of our venues are accessible and this is something we take very seriously.

 

It is not a good idea to tackle Steep Hill in a wheelchair. 

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Even with the limited parking and the cobbles, plenty of wheelchair users come to The Asylum and they generally report good experiences. A new Facebook group has been set up for 2025, the Steampunk Accessibility Squadron.

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I have heard the event gets very busy. Are there quiet places I can go?

The event does get very busy yes, particularly in the streets around the castle and also around the Bandstand. But there are plenty of quieter areas where you can get away from the noise and bustle. 

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There is a big grassy slope in the castle and it is usually possible to find a quiet spot there. The back entrance (West Gate) is usually quieter than the front (East Gate). There are a number of places that only wristband holders can access including The County Assembly Rooms and it is often possible to find somewhere quieter there. Also the Heritage Centre in the castle (where we have a talks venue) has some quiet spaces. Another generally very quiet space is inside the cathedral which is quite close to the castle. 

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A significant number of people with autism and/or anxiety and/or ADHD (for example) attend the event and their experiences are generally positive. Again, this is something which is commonly discussed on the Facebook page closer to the event. 

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Are there places to eat and drink?

Yes. The city has many nice places to eat, including pubs, restaurants and coffee shops near to the castle. We will also have street food vendors inside the Castle and at Westgate Academy and there will be wristband holder tea rooms in the Castle and the County Assembly Rooms. With the massive influx of people at Asylum, some of the regular places do get quite busy.

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Do I need to bring cash with me?

Most shops and many of the event traders will take card payments, but it is a good idea to bring some cash along. 

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There are very few cashpoint machines in this part of the city, and because the event is so busy it is not unheard of for them to run out of money.

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Is the event safe?

Yes. We have been told that the crime rate in Lincoln actually drops during The Asylum. The historic quarter become very busy, but it is a generally joyful and peaceful place. 

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Are there ways I can get involved?

Yes. There are a number of pages on the 'Get Involved' tab above, so if you would like to trade, to perform, to volunteer or take part in some other way please do fill in the relevant form and a member of the MoS will get back to you. 

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The core team of the Ministry are very few in number and we welcome people who are willing to give up some of their time over the event to volunteer with tasks such as checking tickets and handing out wristbands.

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Once volunteers who have completed their agreed duties over the weekend we are happy to reimburse their wristband money if they wish. 

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In 2024 for the first time we created some limited edition 'unobtainium-14' pins which were given out to volunteers and others who helped us create the event by running features. If you see someone wearing an unobtainium-14 pin you will know they made a real difference to Asylum XIV. This year we hope to secure a shipment of unobtainium-15 pins. They will never be sold, only ever given as a 'thank you' to those who have earned them.  

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Are there any special plans for 2025?

Yes very much so. Steampunk is always evolving and we think of new ideas every year. Since this will be the fifteenth Weekend at the Asylum we are determined to make the event the biggest and best celebration of Steampunk the world has ever seen.

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Firstly, we are flying over the two biggest Steampunk bands in the world from the USA - Abney Park and Steam Powered Giraffe. This will be a very special opportunity for fans to see both bands perform at the same event. 

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We know that many people visit Weekend at the Asylum from other countries and for AXV we will be holding an international symposium in the County Assembly Rooms, probably on the Sunday afternoon. 

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Further information about Asylum XV will be revealed over the forthcoming months, both here on the website and on our Facebook page.