10 great kid-friendly festivals this summer – plus tips for surviving a festival with your family!

How about a spontaneous family adventure at a festival this summer hols? Here’s a guide to the best festivals for kids in the UK…

A weekend at a festival can make for a fantastic family adventure – camping, dancing, sharing interesting food, and plenty of entertainment for parents and little ones alike. It’s a chance to let your hair down and loosen the usual rules.. .But of course when you have kids in tow you don’t want anything too wild. 

Here are some of the best festivals this summer that are really geared towards families – where you can have loads of fun but still feel safe. We’ve listed them in date order, and at the time of publishing all of the festivals listed still had tickets available. Kids even go free to some of them.

1) Latitude (Suffolk – 18-21 July 2019)

Last year Latitude won the Best Family Festival at the UK Festival Awards – there’s absolutely loads for kids to do with three dedicated areas: a Kids Area packed with activities and crafts, an In Betweeners section aimed at teens and an Enchanted Garden complete with funfair. Music headliners include George Ezra and Underworld. Tickets and info here.

2) Deer Shed (North Yorkshire – 26-28 July 2019)

The Festivals for All website described last year’s Deer Shed as “the ultimate family festival, one that is friendly, relaxed, spacious, with a massively eclectic musical line-up and so much entertainment for the kids that you’ll never hear ‘I’m bored’.”  See why and buy tickets here.

3) Camp Bestival (Dorset – 25-28 July 2019)

Camp Bestival (the junior version of the more grown-up Bestival) is absolutely kid-tastic, a totally family-focused event with a limitless choice of activities and fun. The line-up includes lots of familiar faces from kids’ TV, including Mr Tumble, Wallace & Gromit, Mister Maker and PJ Masks (for the parents there’s also Nile Rogers, Human League and Jess Glynne). Tickets and info here.

4) Port Eliot Festival (Cornwall – 25-28 July 2019)

A very upmarket festival with lots of literature, art and crafts. Highlights for kids include an Alice in Wonderland treasure hunt, model making with Aardman Animation, a young writers’ competition hosted by Charlie Higson and even bedtime stories read by Russell Brand! Sadly it’s the last Port Eliot Festival for the forseeable future, so grab the chance while you can. Tickets and info.

5) WOMAD (Wiltshire – 25-28 July)

WOMAD keeps the traditional spirit of freedom alive while still being safe for kids (under 13s go free). Specialising in world music, there’s also a dedicated ‘World of Children’ space where children can spend the whole day creating and exploring. Info and tickets here.

6) CarFest NORTH (Cheshire – 26-28 July) and CarFest SOUTH (Hampshire – 23-25 August 2019

Founded by Chris Evans, these weekenders raise money for BBC Children in Need and are aimed squarely at families. There’s a kids’ theatre, a Farm Olympics, Vintage Village, music from Jools Holland and The Jacksons – plus lots of car-themed fun. More info and tickets here.

7) Standon Calling (Hertfordshire – 25-28 July 2019)

Lots of kid-centred entertainment at this boutique festival  including comedy from Dick & Dom and a show called How to Train Your Dinosaur. Rag’n’Bone Man and Nile Rogers headline the music. More info here.

8) The Great Wonderfest (Isle of Wight – 1-4 August 2019)

Dick & Dom again – but this time they’ve created their own new festival aimed specifically at kids. Highlights include a Peppa Pig show, Robot Wars and a huge get-together for scouts, guides, cubs and brownies. Find out more about this very exciting-looking event here.

9) Boomtown (Hampshire – 7-11 August 2019)

Described as “one huge playground for all generations’, at centre of this unique festival-city is Kidztown: “a melting pot of music and theatre, mischief and mayhem, adventure, creativity and outright silliness.” Join the fun here.

10) Curious Arts Festival (East Sussex – 23-26 August 2019)

Fancy something a bit different? Set in the stunning estate of Pippingford Park, which has views of Winne-the-Pooh’s 100 Acre Wood, this boutique festival has literary leanings, with children’s activities including writing workshops with Paula Rawsthorne and a House of Fairy Tales to explore. Info and tickets here.

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Five tips for surviving a festival with kids

Camping with kids is challenging enough, but a festival is all that plus more. Here are some insider tips for surviving

1) Bring a trolley

This has two key purposes: (1) getting your stuff from the car to the camping area (usually an epic trip); and (2) carting exhausted children around from field to field. Family-friendly festivals are full of dads pushing customised, lavishly-decorated trolleys, so feel to get creative and pimp your ride.

2) Bring a big flag

Or some other distinctive, highly visible marker so you can all find your tent when you straggle back – and in case you get separated.

3) Bring ear defenders for small children

This will allow you to enjoy the music acts you want to see. Quite often little ones fall asleep mid-afternoon at a festival, so if you can pop some noise-cancelling headphones on them you can actually all move close enough so you can enjoy Nile Rogers while they nap.

4)Take it easy on the drink…

When you get into the festival spirit it’s very easy to, well, get stuck into the festival spirits. But remember that sadly nobody else is going to take responsibility for your kids if you have too many artisan gin-and-tonics. And being woken up by excited kids at 5.30am in a tent when you have a hangover isn’t much fun either.

5) …But otherwise, let your hair down!

Festivals are supposed to be holidays from real life. Let go of the usual rules about bedtimes and sensible eating and embrace the relaxed vibe. Trying to keep order will mean you won’t enjoy the experience – and it’s not going to happen anyway. Have a fantastic festival adventure!

Find more family fun inspiration on our blog.

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