Family Friendly Festivals
Looking for fab family festivals in the UK in 2019? Have a look at our list of some of the best child friendly and family music festivals.
Deer Shed Festival 10
Topcliffe, Thirsk, North Yorkshire
26th – 29th July 2019
If you watch a Pixar movie with your children, everyone has a great time. Not just the kids – everybody. Deer Shed strives for this Holy Grail every year. There are no specific “kids’ areas” – they’re not zoo animals! The whole site is accessible to everyone, big enough to feel you’re part of a special community, small and safe enough to let the kids explore, and there is always a something programmed to suit the varying tastes within the family. The music line-up (featuring Goldfrapp and many more) is as thrilling and contemporary as you will find at any UK festival in 2018 – share that thrill with your kids and feel perfectly safe at the same time. And if music isn’t your thing, take your pick from the masses of comedy, theatre, spoken word, science, cinema, sports, arts and crafts activities on offer across the weekend!
Valley Fest
Chew Valley Lake, Somerset
Dates for 2019 to be released.
A small family-friendly festival offering a little pocket of joy overlooking the beautiful Chew Valley lake in Somerset. The UK’s only organic festival, Valley Fest actually takes place on a working organic farm. There are loads of activities for the kids to do to including meeting farm animals, fun eating competitions, silly games and even picking veg! Plus tonnes of great music, delicious feasts and a tractor load of good times.
Latitude
Henham Park, Southwold, Suffolk
18th to the 21st of July 2019
From their website:
With activities and entertainment for Kids, Teens and Families now spread across three exciting areas, it’s no wonder Latitude has previously won Best Family Festival and ‘Best Family Day Out’.
Green Man Festival
Brecon Beacons, Wales
15th – 18th August 2019
Camp Bestival
Lulworth Castle, Dorset
25th-28th July 2019
From their website:
In its first year Camp Bestival was awarded Best New Festival in 2008 at the UK Festival Awards and has since won Best Family Festival four times at the awards in 2014, 2013, 2010 & 2009.
The Big Feastival
Alex James’ Farm, The Cotswolds
24th – 26th August 2018 – waiting for an update for 2019
From their website:
Roll up! Roll up! This is where the family fun really starts! Here at The Big Feastival, it’s not just about the grown-ups – we want all of our little feastival-goers to have a ball and we’ve created the Little Dude’s Den to prove it! From face painting to storytelling, dancing to jam sessions, bubbles to arts and crafts, there’ll be something to put a smile on everyone’s face. Have a look at this great review by Birds and Lillies.
Beautiful Days
Escot Park, Devon
17th-19th August, 2018 – waiting for an update for 2019
From their website:
The Children’s Area at Beautiful Days is co-ordinated by Majical Youth Theatre and has been for over a decade. There are loads of activities, hands-on workshops and entertainment all weekend long for children of all ages. We have crafts, theatre, dressing-up, circus, rides, story-telling, music and craft workshops, comedy, face painting and more.
After being shortlisted for the last five years in a row previously for family festivals, Beautiful Days won Best Family Festival at the 2011 UK Festival Awards and was shortlisted again for the same award in 2012, 2013,2014 & 2015!
Wilderness
Cornbury Park, Oxfordshire
1st – 4th August 2019
From their website:
Wilderness as a whole is very family friendly. All of the daytime programming lends itself to kids and adults alike. However we do have a specific area dedicated specially to those younger ones, teeming with activities to keep your little ones (and you) entertained throughout the day; workshops, games, circus skills and lots more!
Elderflower Fields
Pippingford Park, East Sussex
24th – 27th May 2019
From their website:
Elderflower Fields is a three day, green field camping festival, designed especially for families with children. A wild weekend adventure, packed full of music, sports, nature and the arts, all set in the heart of the beautiful Sussex countryside.
Nozstock, The Hidden Valley
Herefordshire, West Midlands
18th-21st July 2019
From their website:
Here at Nozstock we embrace the whole family festivals experience – this means you will find great activities and entertainment for all. Our children’s space is a friendly welcoming environment for both parents and littles alike. All are welcome to get creative, be amazed by wondrous stories, sculptures and entertainment, or roll your sleeves up for some physical fun. Because we know that engaged minds and fingers mean happy kids, your little ones will leave with a whole heap of things they have made and magic moments that they will never forget. All events and activities are free of charge in the kids area, as we strongly believe families shouldn’t foot the bill for festival fun.
Curious Arts Festival
Pylewell Park, Hampshire
19th-21st July 2019
From their website:
There will be a massive choice of children’s activities on offer in 2017 to engross and exhaust little ones of all ages. Returning to Curious will be the Institute of Imagination with their interactive imagination pods which will complement our own magical and innovative programme of events. The children’s programme for next year already includes Breath of Life Puppetry workshops and Tales from Tall Trees events and a Jabberwocky Hunt.
Shambala
Northamptonshire
23rd – 26th August 2018 – waiting for 2019 dates
From their website:
We are proud to be the winners of the Festival Kidz ‘Festival of the Year Award’ in 2013! This is what they said: “Quite simply, Shambala had it all. There were exciting kids’ activities throughout the site, the entertainment was amazing and the extra facilities laid on for children were fantastic – there was even a creche!”
Oh, and we won the Green Parent Festival of the year award in 2013 too!
Kendal Calling
Lowther Deer Park, Lake District
25th-28th July 2019
From their website:
There will be workshops, games, creative performance, madcap mayhem, chill out zones and carnival-themed arts and crafts – from musical instrument making to carnival masks and flashing lanterns to sewing tutus, headbands and bracelets, kazoo and other musical instrument making.
Doune the Rabbit Hole
Stirling, Scotland
13th-15th July 2018 – waiting to see 2019 dates
From their website:
Doune the Rabbit Hole is truly family friendly. Kids under 12 can come for free(as long as they bring an adult) and in conjunction with Kidding Around Collective, throughout the weekend we offer a huge range of activities for kids of all ages from games to crafts(and the always popular Jelly Slide). We also have a special Family Camping area which is positioned away from the late night revellers so you can all get some sleep in before the inevitable early rise! We’re very proud to have been named in various publications as among the best of the family-friendly festivals in the UK.
The Good Life Experience Festival
Hawarden, Flintshire
14th – 16th September 2018 – waiting to see 2019 dates
Cornbury Music Festival
The Great Tew Park, Oxfordshire
13th-15th July 2018 – waiting to see 2019 dates
From their website:
Lots of activities for children including: Ukulele for Kids, Disco Party & Games, Baby Bops, Toddle Bops, Punch & Judy, Pirate Puppet Pantomime, Samba Drumming Show, Kids Yoga, Instant Songs, Drop in Drum Workshop. Have a look at this great review from Travel Loving Family.
Shrewsbury Folk Festival
Shrewsbury, Shropshire
25th-28th August 2018 – waiting to see 2019 dates
From their website:
What can we say about our Pandemonium!, our children’s festival? Kids love it (and so do the parents) and we have great fun creating an amazing weekend of music, dance, song, drama and crafts for children aged from birth to 10. Pandemonium! grows and changes every year with a different theme and new activities and workshops to enjoy.
Upton Sunshine Festival
Upton upon Severn, Worcestershire
23rd- 25th August 2019
From their website:
We’re delighted to be joined by ‘Simply The Best Events’ yet again for 2017. After 2 brilliant years we will be joined by them in 2017 with even more fantastic equipment. With daily wristbands available it’s affordable fun for all the family.
Geronimo Festival
Arley Hall, Cheshire
24th – 27th May 2019
From their website:
Geronimo is a family festival aimed at children under 13 and their families. The festival is focused on quality family time and imaginative play. The aim of the festival is to encourage families to play, learn and create magical memories together. Please note that all children aged under 2 are completely free and do not require a ticket!
Here is our review of Geronimo at Arley Hall in 2018.
Stainsby Festival
Stainsby, Derbyshire
20th July – 22nd July 2018 waiting to see 2019 dates
From their website:
Stainsby has everything: great folk and world music in traditional marquees, crafts stalls, childrens entertainment, music workshops of every kind, a singers competition, storytelling, theatre, poetry, film, philosophy and walkabout events throughout the weekend with camping thrown in.
Just So Festival – Kids Festival
Rode Hall, Cheshire
16th, 17th, 18th August 2019
‘A Family Weekend Adventure Beyond Your Wildest Dreams’
From their website:
Now in its 8th year, Just So is an annual, intimate, weekend-long festival – an imaginative outdoor family adventure like no other and the best family festival in the UK. With a love of stories and childhood escapades at its heart, Just So Festival enables families to step out of their day to day lives and into a wonderland of world class literature, arts, theatre, dance, music, comedy and creative pursuits together. Underpinned by the Tribal Tournament, the most bonkers competition in the land, it takes audiences (from bumps to great grandparents) on a unique expedition of mischief and mayhem, to lands full of magical midnight feasts, curious creatures, raucous pillow fights, hidden retreats, top notch food, drink and boutique camping options and breathtaking beauty. Child friendly festivals.
Y Not? Festival
Derbyshire
25th-28th July 2019
From their website:
We make a huge effort to ensure the festival is accessible and fun for people of all ages. We have a dedicated quiet family camping area situated a few minutes walk from both the main arena and car park. There are showers and toilets in family camping. Throughout each day there is loads happening onsite suitable for people of all ages. We have workshops, a range of activities and performances of most types that you can imagine. Some examples from previous years are: mask and costume making, child-friendly cabaret, sports days, carnivals, hoola hooping and circus skills among many others.
Looking for Family Friendly Festivals in Yorkshire? I have a whole post for that!
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