35 Amazing Family Friendly Festivals UK 2024

BySara Young

Which are the best family friendly festivals in the UK?

We love the festival season in the UK, as we’re big on great music, arts, activities and having festival fun!  We’ve taken each of our boys to festivals since they were babies. Cam was 8 months old when we visited Camp Bestival Dorset for the first time!  Pre-kids we’ve both had our fill of epic festivals such as Glastonbury Festival, Bestival, and Creamfields to name just a few.   We wanted to carry on enjoying the festival vibe and knew that we needed to pick from the the list of family friendly festivals UK.  

Over time we’ve tried a lot of festivals, including some of the great family friendly festivals UK that there are. So we’ve taken our experience, asked our festival-going friends and done our research to put together this post for you. We’ve come up with the 35 best ones that we hope that you love and enjoy with your whole family. You’ll find a quick guide list at the beginning and then we go into detail on each festival and what makes it so special. And, finally at the end we’ve answered some popular questions. Such as how old kids needs to be to go to a festival (the answer is any age!).

A woman is at a festival and wearing sunglasses and gems on her face in silver and has her baby over her shoulder facing away from the camera. Her boyfriend is next to her wearing sunglasses and baseball cap and holding their toddler son who has on a pink t-shirt and baseball cap. They are looking at the camera as they are having a photo taken as they love family friendly festivals in the UK where they are.

Quick Guide to Family Friendly Festivals UK 2024

Family Friendly Festivals UK May 2024

Family Friendly Festivals UK June 2024

Family Friendly Festivals UK July 2024

Family Friendly Festivals UK August 2024

Family Friendly Festivals UK May 2024

1. Elderflower Fields South

East Sussex | 24th -27th May 2024 | www.elderflowerfields.co.uk

Elderflower Fields started in 2012 and was specially designed as one of the best family-friendly festivals in the UK with kids in mind.  They’ve purposely kept it small, however, each year they add new and better activities and performers to their programme.  Because it’s a smaller festival, it has a great safe feel about it, like being within an extended family. Their aim is to give families with young kids a chance to try new sports, listen to new music, see new arts and of course get involved in nature and food.

2. The Big Retreat Festival

Pembrokeshire | 24th -27th May 2024 | https://www.thebigretreatfestival.com

The Big Retreat Festival runs over 4 days and your ticket includes over 300 feel-good experiences.  The experiences cover everything from wild swimming, cookery demos, yoga, fitness, talks, self care workshops, bushcraft, foraging, arts and craft and even gin and organic wine workshops!  What’s great is that as well as these amazing experiences, at the end of the day there is live music on the main stage to enjoy.  Or perhaps you fancy relaxing with a meditation or yoga class – the choice is yours as you get to take some time out from daily life. 

Family Friendly Festivals UK June 2024

3. Wychwood Festival

Cheltenham Racecourse | 31st May-2nd June 2024 | www.wychwoodfestival.com

Wychwood Festival has lots to offer families, from music, film and comedy performers alongside workshops for all ages from young kids to adults.  Outside of the main events, there are fun things to watch out for, such as walkabout circus performers and street theatre, plus it even has a special toddler’s area.  You’ll also discover it has a great Children’s Literature Festival inside the festival with storytelling shows, children’s authors and illustrators, and creative activities.  

This is a great festival if you’re looking for somewhere to chill as a family and have access to lots of fun things to do if you’re looking for more action.  No wonder it’s been nominated many times as “Best Family Festival” in the Festival Awards.

The headline acts of the line up include Sister Sledge, Ocean Colour Scene and Texas.

A baby boy is in a Hawaiian shirt and shorts sat on the grass looking off to the side as some bubbles re floating away

4. Isle of Wight Festival

Newport | 20th-23rd June 2024 | www.isleofwightfestival.com

We love the IOW Festival, it’s such a great atmosphere.  We took our eldest there when he was 8 months old.  Whilst it’s not got a specific focus on family activities, it does have a very cool family friendly festival atmosphere. It’s got plenty of space to be able to bring prams and trailers for kids.  It’s got a great kids zone in the middles of the site, and has some great fairground rides for kids of all ages.  There’s also some lovely kids friendly places to camp away from people partying.

Headliners this year are epic (we would be going but we’re camping in Norway in June!). They have The Prodigy, Pet Shop Boys, Green Day and Simple Minds as headline acts.

Family Friendly Festivals UK July 2024

5. Timber Festival

Derby | 5-7th July 2024 | www.timberfestival.org.uk

This fun festival looks to nature for inspiration.  A weekend full of art, dancing, music, talks and campfires in the middle of the National Forest.  You should expect everything you’ve come to want and need from a modern festival such as DJ sets, sunrise yoga and world-class talks. As well as finishing with a communal 20+ mile dinner bringing everyone together.  

There are also sunsets at the Timber Festival Stone Circle, as well as a fun “Human Flower Show” that encourages everyone to get dressed up with their best fauna and flora outfits.  A fantastic party for this beautiful woodland setting.

A man in sunglasses and baseball cap is side on and looking at his son who is in a grey t-shirt as he eats an ice cream. In the background is a music festival stage in the UK. They are there as it's family friendly.

6. The Brit Fest – NEW for 2024!

Altrincham | 5th-7th July 2024 |  www.thebritfest.co.uk

NEW for 2024 – The Brit Fest Cheshire is promoting an amazing new festival that covers all things British, including an amazing line-up of live music from artists all over Great Britain.  Its aim is to help promote emerging new artists into the festival scene.  As well as the music there will also be a wide range of food and drink options as well as interactive experiences such as street food, art installations and yoga.

The highlights of the lineup includes Heather Small, Bonnie Tyler Scouting for Girls.

7. Nozstock The Hidden Valley

Herefordshire | 18th-21st July 2024 | www.nozstock.com

They’ve got some great headliners, such as Andy C, Groove Armada and Boney M. Plus one of our favourite festival acts Mr B the Gentleman Rhymer is also there!

A baby in a blue babygrow with block spots on is looking at the camera and holding the hand of his older brother. His brother is looking at the camera and has on facepaints as a dinosaur and a t-shirt and coat.

8. Latitude

Suffolk | 25th-28th July 2024 | www.latitudefestival.com

It won’t come as a surprise for us to hear that you’ve heard of it before, that’s because Latitude Festival is one of the top family friendly festivals in the UK and has previously won Best Family Festival and ‘Best Family Day Out’. The reason it’s so popular with families is that it has some incredible entertainment and activities for young kids, teens, adults and families.  Younger children can have fun making pizzas, learn new woodland crafting skills or try fun science experiments.  And for teenagers, there’s a chance to join in on experiences that cover fashion, media, technology workshops and music as well as going back to nature and learning outdoor survival skills.

What Latitude Festival does really well is that it manages to combine large festival expectations with great headline acts alongside family-friendly kids’ activities and experiences for all ages.  Because of this it’s become a popular choice for parents who feel that their kids may have outgrown popular UK family friendly festivals such as Camp Bestival. The highlights of the lineup include London Grammar, Kasabian, Duran Duran and The Vaccines.

9. Bluedot

Cheshire | Taking a Break in 2024 | www.discoverthebluedot.com

Bluedot Festival was advertised to be at the end of July 2024, however, it has now been postponed for a year.  This is because the organisers say the site needs to recover and the festival will return in the summer of 2025.

A baby is fast asleep in their pram with ear defenders on and a blue quilt coat on them as a blanket.

10. Starry Village NEW for 2024!

Herefordshire | 25th–28th July 2024 | www.starryvillage.com

Starry Village is a village-style, family camping retreat, from the team that have given us Shambala Festival.  This festival is packed with activities, workshops, performances and live music. Their tiny size means you truly can relax whilst the kids roam free!

Starry Village is a colourful community where people of all ages and backgrounds come together to play, learn, bond and co-create a hopeful future. All families should have access to wild nature, intergenerational play, experiences with 21st century skills, and a chance to experiment with sustainable living.  And at Starry Village, they can.

Starry Village

On the music stages this year you can expect to see sea shanty madness of the Old Time Sailors, vibrant melodies from the Malawian Madalitso Band and from Nookee you get toe tapping rhythm and blues .  As well as great world music you’ll find The Woodland Tribe. They’re there to help keep kids busy building playgrounds and tree houses in the depths of the woods. There’s also bushcraft sessions and a forest school to enjoy.  We’ve heard that there is also a giant waterslide. So we’d better hope for good weather and don’t forget a change of clothes!  

For older children, there are DJ workshops and parkour sessions.  And, for the adults, you should expect lots of treats on hand and pampering possibilities. There’ll be beer and wine tasting, massages and hot sauna sessions.  You can take part in cooking and feasting one sustainable dinners on a fire with their on-site chefs. Maybe you’d just like to relax at the campfire with new friends, over a glass of something tasty.

A boy is stood with skate board and helmet at the top of a mini half pipe. There is a man in front of him who is helping him to learn. The boy is just 3 years old and is a Camp Bestival in the UK which is a family friendly festival.

11. Standon Calling

Hertfordshire | Taking a Break in 2024 | www.standon-calling.com

Standon Calling is one of the most popular family-friendly festivals based in Hertfordshire in the UK.  What makes its festival magic come to life is the immersive world of fun surrounding the fantastically handpicked musical bill. Few festivals offer an onsite swimming pool and riverside hot tubs, a famous dog show and a colourful costume parade.

Standon Calling is such a fun event. It provides the perfect family-friendly environment for experiencing all the joys of a festival.  With it a wealth of entertainment and activities for all ages to explore. 

12. Deer Shed Festival

Yorkshire | 26th-29th July 2024 | www.deershedfestival.com

The Deer Shed Festival has a strong family focus about it. They’ve thought of the little things, such as nothing for the kids to do when they’ve woken up early or stewards unable to point people in the right direction.  They know that getting the little things right can be just as vital as a great line-up of bands (which they definitely have!).

The festival has purposely carved out a solid (and well-deserved) reputation for putting on a fantastic show. And it also delivers an experience that is different from other family friendly festivals in the UK.

They’ve got some good headliners including Bombay Bicycle Club and The Coral.

13. Camp Bestival Dorset

Lulworth Castle | 25th-28th July 2024 | www.dorset.campbestival.net

This is hands down, in our opinion the best family friendly festivals the UK has to offer!  As parents we’ve both been to the full fat Bestival before. So it was only natural to do Camp Bestival Dorset when we had the boys.  We’ve been twice and will also be there this year!

It offers an amazing combination of fun kids activities with top headline music acts. During the day your kids can dance along to Mr Tumble and in the evening you can dance your socks off to Pete Tong.  There’s a circus workshops, a roller disco and a skate park – yes a full on skate park!  They even have a soft play for babies!

We love the eclectic mix of full on party atmosphere with family friendly vibes, we took both of our boys last year and it was great fun for the whole family.  Plus, they have a nanny service on site so that you can properly let your hair down. What more can you ask for! Headline acts this year include Pete Tong Ibiza Classic Orchestra, Paloma Faith, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Orbital and (some of our favourites) The Cuban Brothers.

There is a boy lying in a festival trailer side on asleep. In the background is the robot at Camp Bestival in the UK. The boy has been at the family friendly festival all day and fallen asleep.

14. Womad

Malmesbury | 25th-28th July | www.womad.co.uk

WOMAD, which stands for World of Music, Arts and Dance is an international arts festival. It is famous all over the world for the central aim of celebrating the world’s many forms of music, arts and dance.  Friends of ours have tempted us to go with them, but it clashes with Camp Bestival and we’re not quite ready to leave that behind.  

What’s great is that children under 13 years old are free to go, which we think is great as festivals can be expensive for families. As well as that, there’s also a special Children of WOMAD area with over 200 experiences for them to take part in and enjoy.  For families with kids our age, they have a special “Weenies” area dedicated to fun activities and tiny spaces to explore, especially for under 5s.

15. Rock Oyster Festival

Cornwall | 25th-28th July | www.rockoysterfestival.co.uk

Rock Oyster Festival in Cornwall is a fantastic combination of great food with a great line-up.  It’s been slowly building up a presence on the festival scene, and we’ve been  few times before we had kids.

It’s focus is on the Rock oysters that are grown locally so there’s plenty of opportunity to slurp a few back, if you’re a fan.  There are some great high profile chefs there that you can watch. Plus some excellent drinks companies such as local beers.  
At their Mini Big Top in their Jellyfish Field yours kids will find circus workshops, hula hooping and balance tricks, storytelling, seaweed pressing, arts ‘n crafts and play sessions to keep little hearts content.  

They’ve also got survival experts Under the Canopy with their den building, fire lighting, and combat club classes. And not to forget that outdoor activities are all the rage at Rock Oyster with SUP and surf adventures, sea kayaking and coasteering just a short ride away.

Family Friendly Festivals UK August 2024

16. Wickham Festival

Hampshire | 1st-4th August 2024 | www.wickhamfestival.co.uk

Wickham Festival is a 4-day music & arts festival held every August in a stunningly beautiful rural location near the historic village of Wickham in Hampshire. With live music on four stages plus a host of other entertainment, Wickham is rated by many as one of the safest, most relaxed and family-friendly festivals in the UK. 

They’ve been voted Best UK Festival, capacity under 15000 at the Live UK Music Business Awards and have won Best Festival category in the local Culture Guide Awards. Each year they introduce new ideas and keep what works.  For a smaller sized festival they still have some very cool acts including Suzie Quattro and the Levellers.

A man is holding a beer and looking at the camera with his baseball cap on. In his arms also looking at the camera is his baby son wearing a Hawaiian shirt. In the background is the main stage at Camp Bestival and the Cuban Brothers are playing. This is one of the many family friendly festivals in the UK.

17. Wilderness Festival

Oxfordshire | 1st-4th August 2024 | ww.wildernessfestival.com

This is one of the most beautiful family-friendly festivals in the UK that combines the arts with music and not to forget, some wild swimming in their lake!  For very little kids there is a softplay and nannies on standby for evening care.  For kids of all ages there are arts workshops, music and dance workshops, circus acts and clown doctoring.  Along with family theatre, workshops and performances. Where you can expect comedy, high(ish) drama, dancing and music, all served up with a healthy dollop of daftness and scoop of silliness.

The music line-up is an eclectic mix and has headliners such as Michael Kiwanuka, Faithless, Goldfrapp and Jessie Ware.

18. Kendal Calling

Lake District | 2nd-4th August 2024 | www.kendalcalling.co.uk

Beyond its impressive musical line up, Kendall Calling boasts a diverse range of activities and attractions for attendees of all ages. From comedy performances and art installations to immersive theatre experiences and wellness workshops, there’s something for everyone at Kendall Calling.

The festival’s inclusive atmosphere and family-friendly environment make it a popular choice for music lovers looking to escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life and immerse themselves in a weekend of music, arts, and adventure amidst the idyllic landscapes of the Lake District. Whether you’re camping under the stars with friends or exploring the many hidden gems scattered throughout the festival grounds, it offers an unforgettable experience that celebrates the magic of music and community.

Headliners and big names at this fun filled festival include Noel Gallaghers High Flying Birds, The Streets, Paolo Nutini and Katy B.

A woman is looking at the camera and has some dragon face paint on. Next to her is her son who also has dragon face paint on. They are in a marquee at Camp Bestival which is one of the best family friendly festivals in the UK.

19. Valley Festival

Somerset | 1st -4th August 2024 | www.valleyfest.co.uk

This festival is great for families of all ages especially those new to the festival scene.  Small but perfectly formed, Valley Fest has something for everyone.  This food and music festival takes place on Luke Hasell’s organic farm, it’s just 9 miles away from Bristol.  It showcases Bristol’s live music scene as well as its fresh and local foods producers. There you’ll be able to expect it all from cider to charcuterie, alongside street food and sit-down feasting.

Music wise they have some cool acts such as Tinie Tempah, Sister Sledge and Sophie Ellis-Bextor. There’s also health and wellbeing, plus an on-site spa!  And there is so much for kids to do! Valley Fest is nice and compact, so your kids are never far away. The Alchemist’s Playground, is a collaboration between them, Arcadia and the Woodland Tribe – a place for grown ups and kids to play.

20. Deva Fest

Cheshire | 8th-11th August | www.devafest.co.uk

Deva Fest is one of the most amazing family friendly festivals in the UK suitable for all ages.  And if you have a four-legged family member (we’re talking dog here!) then they are welcome too on a lead.

Along with all of the usual music artists you’d expect to see on a festival lineup, there’s also a free fairground!  Plus there’s loads of family fun at the Kids Kingdom which has a team of entertainers so that the family fun never ends.  With fun including impromptu raves, dodgeball, inflatables, family Olympics, NERF battles, storytelling and even a water slide if the sun is out.

What’s great is that children under 5 are free of charge!

Headliners this year include The Human League, Ocean Colour Scene, The Coral and Symphonic Ibiza.

21. Greenman Festival 

Brecon Beacons | 15th-18th August 2024 | www.greenman.net

The Green Man Festival is an independent music, arts and science festival held in the Brecon Beacons, Wales.  The festival site is divided into 10 areas, hosting literature, film, comedy, science, theatre, wellness and family acts.

There’s an entire area dedicated to having fun with your young kids, called Little Folk. Suitable for little ‘uns ranging from babies to 12-year-olds, you can take your tykes there for creative workshops, activities and adventures of the imagination.  It’s all free.

This year the Little Folk theme is Shapes, so of course you’ll need to be all dressed up in your festival finest in line with the theme ready to throw some shapes!

A boy is looking at the camera and has on some face gems because he's at a festival in the UK, Next to him you can see the edge of his mum also smiling at the camera.

22. Camp Bestival Shropshire

Weston Park | 17th-20th August 2024 | www.shropshire.campbestival.net

We’ve decided to give Camp Bestival in Shropshire a go this year as well as the Dorset one.  We love camping and the idea of comparing both appeals to us.

Camp Bestival Shropshire is very similar to their Dorset festival, however, you can expect some added water activities such as standup paddle boarding and wild swimming – perfect on a hot summers day!  They have the same fantastic things to do ranging from roller discos, to skate parks, parkour and circus workshops, it honestly has so much on offer!

It has similar epic headliners as Dorset, except Pete Tong is swapped out for Faithless.

23. Festival of Sport 

Packington Estate | Taking a break in 2024 | www.festivalofsportuk.com

A weekend packed with family sporting fun founded by rugby stars Will Greenwood and Austin Healey and supported by some fantastic sporting legends!  It’s pitched (excuse the pun) as the ultimate in sports festival for all the family that combines camping, entertainment, competitions alongside coaching from world-class sporting legends.  Best suited for children aged from 5 -17 years old.

24. Hardwick Festival

Sedgefield | 16th-18th August 2024 | www.hardwickfestival.co.uk

Hardwick Festival has a great selection of amazing experiences such as magic shows, Punch & Judy, ventriloquists, kids workshops, immersive discos, and a cool fun fair to top it all off. The rides are suitable for kids of all ages (including adult ones too!), you’ll discover inflatable slides alongside a merry go round for younger children all the way up to dodgems as well as thrilling fairground rides for teenagers and older. Urban Kaos bring back their ‘Club Groovy’ childrens’ disco party back too!

From a music perspective, you can expect anything and everything from choirs, to solo artists and DJs to much much more.  Its headliners this year include Becky Hill, Richard Ashcroft and Snow Patrol.

A baby in a Hawaiian shirt is looking grumpy as he is being held by the music artist Fat Boy Slim at Camp Bestival in the UK. It is a family friendly festival.

25. The Gloworm Festival

Nottinghamshire | 16th-18th August 2024 | www.glowormfestival.co.uk

What makes The Glow Worm festival so family friendly is that after you buy your ticket there aren’t any hidden costs to the experience of the festival. The only exception being the food, drinks, market stalls. The fun fare rides are free (until 5pm), the workshops are all free, and also the activities are free too.

There are lots of fun activities, workshops and games to pick from as well as a mini petting farm (yes, you read that right!). Your days will be fun filled with lots of entertainment at this cool family festival!

26. The Just So Festival

Cheshire | 16-18th August 2024 | www.justsofestival.org.uk

If you’re looking for a totally random and very magical family festival with activities such as live theatre, music, as well as pillow fights and also fancy dress then you can’t go wrong with Just So Festival. It is one of the best family friendly festivals in the UK.

“Step out of the everyday and immerse your family in an unforgettable weekend of mischief, mayhem, and magical moments creating memories to last a lifetime!”

Just So Festival

27. Camp Kindling

Kent | 16th-19th August 2024 | www.campkindling.co.uk

Camp Kindling is part of the Camp Wildfire brand, which is a Summer Camp especially for adults.  It is a family activity camp during the day and then a fun filled festival at night!  It’s been created to combine the experience of a festival with an action filled summer camp – bring it on!  Camp Kindling is an inspirational, adventure-packed weekend for all families no matter their size, shape, or age. 

For babies there is a creche or nanny service as well as a soft play, some sand pits and even a mud kitchen.  Most of the activities are aimed at 5 years old and over. You’ll need to book in for the activities before the festival starts. It runs a timetable between 8 am to 5 pm, with comedy, music and talks.

A man in sunglasses and a baseball cap is looking off to the side of the camera. On his shoulders in a pink t-shirt and baseball cap is his son. They are both looking at the main stage of Camp Bestival in the UK where Mr Tumble is on stage. It is one of the best family friendly festivals,

28. Into the Wild Festival

Sussex | 22nd-26th August | www.intothewildgathering.com

“Into the Wild is the UK’s number one nature festival. Helping to support rewilding and nature recovery. Rewilding people and landscapes for a wilder future for all being to thrive!”

Into the Wild also hosts one of the UK’s premier family friendly festivals, inspiring people of all ages to come Into the wild and have a brilliant life changing experience with  some of the best workshops, talks and activities of any festival experience. 

Enjoy over 200 fantastic workshops and activities, brilliant world music, wild crafts, speakers, an amazing kids area for every age, all included in the ticket price.

29. The Long Road Festival

Leicestershire | 23rd-25th August 2024 | www.thelongroad.com

30. Towersey Festival

Oxfordshire | 23rd-26th August 2024 | www.towerseyfestival.com

Towersey is an extremely well established festival and is in its 59th year, that’s longer than Glastonbury! It has a passionate fan base ranging over 4 generations creating a community of extended family and friends that come together annually to celebrate.  It has a great “All About Children” area with a specific programme aimed at children that are 5-11 year-olds

This area has an incredible list of activities that include lantern making (with a parade on the final night), storytelling as well as Fit Up circus giving two performances a day.  There’s a Creative Corner with a huge stretch tent with giant games, bubbles, puzzles and challenges.  Whilst the Nest offers different craft making sessions every 30 minutes each day from 10am-4pm such as bracelet making.  And if you have active kids like ours, then there is the woodland classroom that offers bushcraft, wild food foraging, forest trails and nature related activities. 

On the left is a boy in a pink t-shirt and blue trousers, he is also wearing ear defenders. Opposite him is a man with a t-shirt, trousers and baseball cap. They are both dancing to the band that is playing behind them in the marquee that they are in.

31. The Big Feastival

Cotswolds | 23rd-25th August 2024 | www.thebigfeastival.com

The Big Feastival has firmly established itself on the family friendly food and music festival scene and now has a huge fan base (our friend Beccie and her family love it!). It was originally set up 7 years ago by Alex James (ex-Blur bassist, now well known cheese maker) and Jamie Oliver.  

Of course, the festival is big on the food front with chefs from all over the country showcasing their dishes, and some even have Michelin stars.  However, they’ve not forgotten to put on lots of fun for the kids too.  You’ll find plenty of wild workshop and theatre shows, plus a circus school and even a chance to meet some furry and feathered friends at Adam Henson’s Cotswold Farm Park. Don’t miss discovering the Hidden Hollow for den building, bushcraft workshops and more.

This year the headliners includes Rick Astley, Mel C and Example.

32. Carfest

Hampshire | 23rd–25th August 2024 | www.carfest.org

CarFest is held annually in Hampshire just a few villages from where my mum lives.  In fact you’ll find my mum in the WI tent serving tea if you need one!.  It was started by radio DJ Chris Evans, who is big lover of cars and combines his passions of live music, cars, and food.  There you’ll find track events, car displays, as well as live music performances from a vast selection of musicians.  Plus loads of family and kids friendly activities and experiences. 

They’ve got some great age specific zones that kids can get involved in which is why we really rate this as a family friendly festival.  There’s the Sports Zone where they can try a new sport and the Pudsey’s Spot with the biggest names from CBBC and CBeebiest. 

And for the super adventurous kids (like ours!) there’s AdventureFest, with exciting activities such as getting up close and personal to creepy crawlies and learning adventure skills at their explorer workshops. There is also archery, rock climbing and even a donkey derby to keep them busy!

33. Victorious Festival

Southsea | 23rd-25th August 2024 | www.victoriousfestival.co.uk

Victorious Festival is our local big festival, just a short 25-minute drive from home on Southsea Beach which is one of the few sandy beaches in Hampshire.  We’ve been lots of times without kids and in 2023 we went with our boys too. It’s got to be hands down the best festival in Hampshire!

It’s focus is on the music side of entertainment, however, it also has a fun dedicated kids area with free bouncy castles, face painting and other games to try.  For older children there is a free zipline to ride as well as a climbing wall.  It’s less experiential and more fun fair, but it’s great if you have kids with you and want to listen to some amazing bands.  The only challenging part with kids is that there is no onsite camping, so once you’re there, you’re there for the day really. 

Every year that have an eclectic mix of headliners that appeal to music lovers of all genres.  Although weekend tickets are on sale, there are just as many people there who come on day tickets, this year’ll we’ll just be heading there on the Friday as we’re excited to see Fatboy Slim.  Other big names include Snow Patrol, Jess Glynne, Jamie T, Pixies and Biffy Clyro.

A family is crouching down in from of a 3D sign saying "Victorious" as they are at Victorious Festival in the UK. It is one of the best family friendly festivals.

34. Gone Wild

Devon | 23rd-25th August 2024 | www.devon.gonewildfestival.com

This is possibly one of the UK’s fastest growing family friendly festivals!

As you’d expect, it’s got lots of adventure activities to dive into. There are lots of family-friendly activities as well as fun shows to help keep you busy and entertained throughout this 4 day long festival, and what’s great is that they are part of price of the festival ticket! And, this year you should expect more activities, with higher capacity as well as a new special programme such as premium experiences available to buy too. 

You can get up close and personal with global explorers, challenge yourself next to famous athletes, and learn from conservationists. You’ll learn from their experiences and kick start you and your kids passion for adventure alongside environmental conservation. Ands of course, you’ll get to hear talks from Bear Grylls the man himself as he covers talks such as survival workshops.

This family festival offers a massive selection of outdoor fun such as circus shows, science workshops, a silent disco, an obstacle course, axe and knife throwing, raft building, and tree climbing.  It also has great main stage lineup of performers including Sam Ryder, Ocean Colour Scene and Ash.

35. Into the Trees Festival

East Sussex | 6th-8th September 2024 | www.into-the-trees.co.uk

FAQ’s About Family Friendly Festivals UK

How old does a child need to be to go to a festival?

Children of any age can attend attend family friendly festivals in the UK. We took our youngest when he was just 2 months old.

How can you prepare for staying at family friendly festivals in the UK?

If you’ve not taken your children camping before then it’s a good idea to take them for a weekend camping before you go to a festival. You can take kids of all ages camping from babies upwards. It’ll give you a chance to practice getting the tent up, setting up sleeping arrangements and help you to know what to take with you. You’ll want to make sure that you stay in the family camping area of the festival as they tend to be quieter.

Do we have to stay for the whole weekend at a festival?

Most festivals offer day tickets so that you don’t have to go for the whole weekend. When we went to Camp Bestival for the first time we just went for the day as we weren’t sure about going for the whole weekend.

Is it safe to take younger children to festivals?

Yes, in our opinion it is very safe to take younger children to family friendly festivals in the UK. Especially ones that are classed as family friendly. They’ll usually have various different designated spaces for kids, for example soft play space for babies where they can play away from the older children. They’ll also have safety protocols in place. For instance if a child does wander off and go missing they’ll be quick to go into action to find them. We’ve seen this happened first hand in Camp Bestival when a child went missing and returned later.

Final thoughts on family friendly festivals UK

We love going to family friendly festivals in the UK because as parents we’ve always loved festivals and want to give the fun experience to our boys. There are some fantastic ones to choose from depending on your interests. You might love Camp Bestival for is headline music acts and high energy kids entertainment, or prefer Gone Wild for it’s more outdoor activity focus. Or perhaps Carfest is more your thing if you and your family are into cars.

With so many to choose from, there really is a festival in the UK for the whole family to enjoy.

Sara Young is the author of Big Adventures With Little Feet, a family travel blog with the key aim to inspire parents to travel with their kids. She loves exploring the world with her sons and giving them big adventures, whether that’s hiking or skiing, sailing or surfing. She and her family spend the winters in Antigua in the Caribbean, where her boyfriend works as a yacht captain. They spend their summers travelling the world to find adventures.