There are concerts and activities to suit everyone from toddlers to teens this summer - so get outside, get dancing and crafting, using our guide to find the best festival for your family.
Music festivals were originally for adults to let their hair down – you may have earned your stripes at Glastonbury or the Isle of Wight. But it turns out that gadding about in a field is also fun for children – the dressing up, the intriguing sounds, the togetherness, the endless fun and the parades of exciting people.
It didn’t take long for festivals to start providing special programmes for children, and today there are dedicated family events that construct magical worlds for them, if only for a weekend. Festivals are places where children can indulge their imaginations and grow creatively. Like any camping trip though, it pays to be prepared, so have a good think about what to pack in advance.
Under-5s
Best for hands-on fun
WOMAD
Charlton Park, Wiltshire
The Sunday carnival is a highlight of this genuinely laid-back world music festival. Little ones will love getting mucky in the World of Children arena, painting and sticking themed crafts that they can wave during the parade. Large puppets inhabit the arena too, plus the African drumming will get them dancing in seconds.
28-31 July, adult weekend camping from £205, womad.co.uk
Best for babies
Wide skies and butterflies
Raynham Estate, Norfolk
This brand-new festival offers live jazz for the tiniest of revellers, along with other multi-sensory fun. Held on a country house estate, the festival is making a big effort to be inclusive. Alongside the line-up of big-name bands are activities such as workshops, crafting and bedtime stories read by drag queens.
5-7 Aug, adult weekend camping from £198, wideskiesfestival.co.uk
Primary years
Best large festival
Camp Bestival
Lulworth, Dorset and Weston Park, Shropshire
Camp Bestival can’t be beaten for its variety of children’s entertainment. It has two sites this summer, Dorset in July and Shropshire in August. Both are a fair size, so some walking is required. But children will love the shows with familiar television stars, the circus skills arena, the fairground and mud playground.
28-31 July and 18-21 Aug, adult weekend camping from £227, campbestival.net
Best for indie vibes in the Highlands
Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival
Belladrum, Highland
The Belladrum Tartan Heart festival, held in the Scottish Highlands near Inverness, is known for its stunning location, family-friendly atmosphere, and wide-ranging line up. There aren’t many other places where you could pogo to 70s punk legends Stiff Little Fingers, belt out anthemic choruses from The Fratellis, and soak up the bagpipes and baritones of Scottish trad/pop fusion Tide Lines. The best bit: kids under 13 go free.
28-30 July, adult weekend camping £182, tartanheartfestival.co.uk
Best for sports
Deer Shed
Baldersby Park, North Yorkshire
With a dedicated sports field that includes tracks for scooters and skateboards, as well as a Feral Farm area for little ones to play among the hay, Deer Shed is loved by children. Parents, meanwhile, can look forward to an expertly curated line-up of indie musicians. The comedy is a top draw, too.
29-31 July, adult weekend camping £180, deershedfestival.com
Best for woodwork
Wilderness
Cornbury Park, Oxfordshire
At The Greencrafts Village, children can get stuck into green woodwork, pottery or flower-crown making – all run on an off-grid basis. Elsewhere, horse riding, archery and family theatre are all planned. The lake is suitable for wild swimming, too, so don’t forget to pack swimsuits for a paddle.
4-7 Aug, adult weekend camping from £230, wildernessfestival.com
Best for arts
Just So
Rode Hall Estate, Cheshire
Aimed squarely at families, the focus at Just So is less on music and more about performance art and games. Expect theatre, comedy, books, live spectacles, a midnight feast, a camp bake-off and interactive family fun, with opportunities to dress up and be silly. Songs and stories ring out from the campfire at bedtime.
19-21 Aug, adult weekend camping from £177, justsofestival.org.uk
Best for foodies
Big Feastival
Kingham, Cotswolds
Sample a range of foodie treats at this music festival combined with a large farmers market. Set on Alex James’ farm, children’s entertainment on the big stage includes stars from CBeebies. The big top, meanwhile, hosts arts and crafts workshops and there is an allotment for learning about growing food and gardening.
26-28 Aug, adult weekend camping from £223, thebigfeastival.com
Teens
Best for stargazers
Bluedot
Jodrell Bank Observatory, Cheshire
Astound older children with tales of space travel and science experiments at this festival beneath the Lovell Telescope. Daytime activities include talks from people like Tim Peake, along with hands-on activities such as Jedi lightsaber training and telescope tours. These meld into evening electronica as the night sky appears.
21-24 July, adult weekend camping from £205, discoverthebluedot.com
Best for streetwise kids
Latitude
Henham Park, Suffolk
Known for its spoken word and comedy, Latitude attracts plenty of sixth formers. The young adults area is set in the woods and has workshops that will appeal to teens interested in music, the media or fashion, with guidance offered on upcycling and T-shirt design, writing and DJ skills.
21-24 July, adult weekend camping from £254, latitudefestival.com
Best on the beach
Boardmasters
Trebelsue Farm, Cornwall
There is a party feel to Boardmasters that teenagers will appreciate, even those who don’t come for surfing classes or to watch pro surf competitions on Fistral Beach. Expect big stages and crowd-pleasing headliners. Smaller children will be entertained with circus skills, arts and crafts and family yoga. Day tickets are available, so book a BnB and make it a long weekend.
10-14 Aug, adult weekend camping from £255, boardmasters.com
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