The Forbidden Forest Story: Scaling a Raw Underground Movement into a Global Brand

In this episode of Provocateurs, we sit down with Joe Quinn, an industry veteran who transitioned from a resident DJ at Gatecrasher to the founder of Forbidden Forest and his latest venture, Ultra Warehouse . Joe shares the raw, "blind risk" origins of starting a festival with strangers and growing it by 2,000 people per show until it reached a massive scale . We go behind the scenes of the festival world, discussing the high-stakes financial risks that led to his exit from Forbidden Forest and why he believes building a community-led brand is more valuable than booking expensive headline DJs . From carrying £200,000 in a duffel bag to launching a projection-mapped festival in a 15th-century Slovenian castle, Joe provides a masterclass in event logistics, business intuition, and staying grounded in a wild industry . Key Takeaways The "Pallet Stage" Era: Starting Forbidden Forest in a forest at Donington Park with stages built literally out of pallets and raw energy . The Del Boy Mistakes: Lessons learned from buying 1,000 Soviet Arctic military jackets with upside-down logos and running out of booze within three hours of opening . Financial Chaos: The nerve-wracking story of transporting over £200,000 in cash in a duffel bag after the security truck broke down . Why Brands Beat Talent: Joe’s philosophy on why the customer experience and atmospheric trust are more important for longevity than a Beatport Top 10 lineup . The Warehouse Revolution: Turning a dilapidated recycling center into Ultra Warehouse, a destination venue that is revitalizing Derby’s nightlife scene . International Expansion: Details on his new, intimate 5,000-capacity festival in Slovenia featuring "no phones" and projection-mapped castle walls. Timestamps [00:01:45] Transitioning from DJing to "blind risk" event organizing. [00:04:45] The 120k ceiling: Why artist budgets stayed the same while the crowd doubled . [00:08:35] The Duffel Bag Story: Dealing with 200k in cash and a broken security truck . [00:13:45] The pressure of post-COVID risk and the decision to sell Forbidden Forest . [00:19:10] Why Derby ravers are traveling to London and how to keep them local . [00:27:50] Slovenia: Finding 15th-century castles and emerald green lakes for the next rave. [00:35:10] The "eclectic mix" of characters and the 10k DJ set myth. [00:41:50] Dutch Mastery: Why the Netherlands does raves better than the UK . [00:52:50] The lost art of the "warm-up" DJ. Joe Quinn Links https://uk.linkedin.com/in/joe-quinn-466403152 https://www.instagram.com/joequinn_ff/ Forbidden Forest https://www.instagram.com/forbiddenforestuk/ https://www.forbidden-forest.co.uk/ Ultra Warehouse https://www.instagram.com/ultra.warehouse/ https://www.ultrawarehouse.net/ Social Links ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@provocateurspodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/sarah.moxom/ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPmCQvMWLaLTayKshPyGOEg/⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/⁠