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Camping

Our UK Camping forum has all the information you need on finding the right equipment for your tent or caravan.

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Original poster

best quiet, small, folky and child friendly festival?

97 replies

elliott · 27/07/2009 21:02

I have this idea that I'd like to go to a festival some day with the dcs - but it needs to be a kind of middle aged quiet affair with interesting acoustic music and fun for the dcs. Any ideas?

OP posts:

Remotew · 30/07/2009 21:44

I have campervan envy too. Wish I had one for tommorrow. One day I'm going to buy one.

frekkles · 31/07/2009 11:18

i took my 12 week old to Wickerman festival last weekend. Bloody hell that was hard work, I'm now pretty much decided that next summer he will be holidaying at grannies a few weekends of the summer whilst I go festivalling with his daddy and get drunk! He can come with us when he's 2 or 3 !

I've been to Shambala, Latitude and Beautiful Days, and I'd say for kids Beautiful Days is best, followed by Shambala and then Latitude. All three are brillliant festivals though, you'll have an ace time at any of them. Shambala is my fave.

Original poster

elliott · 31/07/2009 12:27

aah frekkles, that's my shortlist from below! What do you think makes them better or worse for kids? which is smallest?

OP posts:

mollyroger · 01/08/2009 16:25

shambala looks great - is on my list for next year How bis is it?

Beautiful days is around 10,000

frekkles · 01/08/2009 16:48

i'm not sure of the exact mubers, but they felt a similar size to me. Maybe Latitude biggest, then Beautiful Days then Shambala.

Beautiful Day's kids area looked amazing, and is well repected. Shambala didn't seem to have a specific kids area, although the whole place is a creative play park, and there's various tents doing various stuff everywhere. It's amazing. Latitude I didn't notice anything specific for kids, altho there were loads of kids there and a quick look at their website suggest they have a kids arena. I didn't notice it, but that's maybe cause i was camped backstage and working in the main arena, didn't really explore the public campsite, so it might of been over there.

All 3 festivals are brilliant, you'd have a fab time at all of them! Maybe you could chose of the basis of the adult line ups? Shambala has no big names, is more random. Beautiful days and Latitude have more big name acts. Latitude is ore commercial, and has the campsite seperated from the arena which isn't a vibe i like that much

ooooh i love festivals

Gert2a · 10/08/2009 19:18

Beautiful Days, Beautiful Days, Beautiful Days! Next week, next week next week! Can't wait, can't wait, can't wait! Would highly recommend it (it's well worth the long drive we make from West Yorkshire). This year taking our 4 month old, who could have been conceived there last year! Woo hoo!

Dent is fantastic too.

Original poster

elliott · 01/03/2010 22:15

I'm reviving this thread to see if anyone has any more ideas for this year or reviews from last year's.
Though I think it was a pretty good shortlist I got!

on my list of possibles for this year (a bit restricted by the holidays we 've got) include Dent/sedbergh, blissfields and maybe Trowbridge?

how was solfest?? (that would be pretty convienient for us).

OP posts:

brightwell · 02/03/2010 18:26

Last year we went to Cornbury, very wet (again) & very expensive, but had a great line up, Sharleen Spitari, Scouting for Girls oops can't remember who else But I had a good time. I'm waiting for this years line up to be announced. Also went to Shrewsbury Folk Festival (again) it was great, nice friendly & relaxed atmosphere. Different venues & varied music. I've already booked this years tickets.

4madboys · 02/03/2010 18:36

we are going to cornbury this year, we got our tickets on their earlybird offer so it was a really good deal, my boys are really excited esp as ds2 will have his bday whilst we are there

mollyroger · 02/03/2010 18:38

I really fancy Mayfest in Uttoxeter in, erm, may! But it clashes with a party i have to attend

Batteryhuman · 03/03/2010 20:03

Wychwood is very family friendly.

KeithTalent · 11/03/2010 22:06

Is anyone going to Truck or Wood?

troutpout · 17/03/2010 10:48

i am going here in August...
it's new this year

EachPeachPearMum · 05/05/2010 22:21

That looks nice troutpout... shame there's no tickets left though

bilblio · 06/05/2010 21:29

Oh no! I really wanted to go there, I was just trying to talk a new friend into coming with me.

We could still do day tickets though it's not too far away for us.

troutpout: you'll have to give us a full run down on what camping there is like and I'll be more organised next year.

DP is very anti festivals, I'm trying to talk him into to Shepley for the Saturday night and hopefully convince him that folk festivals aren't evil (at least I hope they're not, I've never been to a festival either.)
When DD gets a bit older hopefully she'll be keen to come along and keep me company.

Supercute · 22/11/2010 09:16

We would recommend Shed Festival. Their first year in 2010, rave reviews. Also in the North of England just off A1(M). A fair amount of folk and acoustic music. Very kid and family friendly.

Supercute · 22/11/2010 09:17

Last post meant to be www.deershedfestival.com doh!

tigerbear · 22/11/2010 09:33

Chester Folk Festival!
I've been twice - FIL and MIL founded this festival about 20 years ago (proud emoticon). It's very small - couple of hundred people at most - so no chance of anyone wandering off and getting lost. Very family orientated indeed - all of the tents are pitched around a lovely play area for the DC's so they can all be up and about playing early. Toddlers to teens all seem to play happily together and there's also a fantastic circus skills tent with a very dedicated and enthusistic team teaching them everything from stilt walking to unicycling, as well as a Punch & Judy. All for free!
There's nothing pretentious at all about this festival - small number of stalls, food stalls and a cake stall. Lovely! It's on the last May Bank holiday...

VivaLeBeaver · 28/11/2010 13:24

I went to Wychwood last year. Was very kiddy friendly, loads of crafts, etc. Only downaside is I hardly got to see any bands as was too busy doing fucking mosaics.

Alikersh · 06/01/2011 13:08

We went to Farmer Phil's Festival last year and are probably going again this year. You can camp on the fields from the Tuesday before the fest until the Monday afterwards, kids under 12 are free, there's a family field far enough away from the music and it's pretty small, only about 2,000 or so.
You can park your cars next to you tents/caravans and it's not expensive either. Only issue is it's quite hard to find if your don't know the area.

Alikersh · 06/01/2011 13:10

Just to add, saw that you have Dent down on this years shortlist - my dh have family in Dent so we get up there when we can - it's always good!

Janet2011 · 14/03/2011 12:35

VivaLeBeaver - I'm with you on the workshops. Luckily I managed to leave the kids with my hubby for a while so that I could sneak off and see the bands. There were a few times during the weekend where there was so much going on that we wished we could be in two or three or four places at once. It's a nice problem to have though I suppose!

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