Popular Cornish Christian festival Creation Fest has introduced an entry charge for the first time in its 24-year history.

Tickets to the family festival, held at the Royal Cornwall Showground, have traditionally been free for non-campers – but this year, day tickets for adults will cost £15.30, while entry to all four days will cost £61.20. However, entry remains free for non-believers exploring the Christian faith.

Creation Fest lead, Niall Dunne, told Premier Christian News that the free tickets will be given out on the basis of trust and goodwill. “We don't have a sort of ‘faith police’,” he said with a laugh. “This is a missional resource. This is an opportunity. So, you maybe you can come and pay for your ticket, but you might invite somebody who you're walking with, who you're on a journey with, and our commitment is that that person's ticket will be free.”

The festival aims to keep prices as low as possible to honour its “mission-led” principle. Dunne told Premier that rising costs have pushed organisers to introduce the charge: “We are the second biggest event at the Showground each year. The cost of that is considerable and gets higher every year. We have a huge bill for things like water and electricity.”

To event planners’ surprise, the fee has been met with a largely positive response. Dunne told Premier: “So many people I've spoken to have said, ‘Oh, that’s great – it's about time.’”

Niall Dunne takes over leading the festival this year from Sarah Yardley, who is moving to full-time leadership at Emmaus Road, Guildford, when current leaders Pete and Sammy Greig step down.

Dunne said the summer ahead will be exciting and hope-filled: “We are in a really interesting spiritual moment. I've been thinking a lot about the parable of the sower, and I think we're in a moment of fertile ground. I'm excited to see what God does with that… we are about the Church here at Creation Fest, we're about seeing people come to know Jesus. That's what I'm anticipating.”