Who needs to leave the country when the very best family-friendly music, food and good vibes are coming to a field near you? From Doune to Dorset, we’ve rounded up the best of the best, so you can find a weekend of fun and escapism – no airport meltdowns required.
In It Together
When: 26-28 May
Where: Old Park Farm, Port Talbot.
What to expect: The diverse line-up of star-studded artists features impressive names from a wide array of genres - Anne Marie, The Kooks, James, James Bay, Jake Bugg, UB40, The Vamps, Kelis, Diversity, Melanie C, Vengaboys, Chase & Status, Groove Armada. The festival will feature over 80 free family activities across the weekend. With families and finances in mind, grandparents can even attend completely free with a family ticket costing £359 (2 adults, 2 children and up to 4 grandparents)
Tickets: Prices start from £169 for a weekend camping ticket or £359 for family ticket. Go to inittogetherfestival.com
**Elderflower Fields
**When: 26-29 May
Where: Spithurst Hub, Spithurst Road, Barcombe BN8 5EE
What to expect: A wild weekend of music, sport, art, performance and non-stop festival fun, billed as the perfect first family festival experience.
Tickets: Full weekend tickets with camping: adults £150, children over 4 £75, age 0-3 £8; elderflowerfields.co.uk
Wychwood Festival
When: 2-4 June 2023
Where: Cheltenham Racecourse, Evesham Road, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, GL50 4SH
What to expect: Returning for their 17th year, Travis, Heather Small and the Proclaimers will provide the soundtrack while the kids run free.
Tickets: Full weekend tickets with camping: adults £129.50, age 10-15 £64.50, under 10s free; wychwoodfestival.com
Timber
When: 7-9 July
Where: Hanging Hill Farm, Rawdon Road, Moira, Swadlincote, DE12 6DH
What to expect: An eco forest festival with a big focus on nature, for good wholesome (and occasionally feral) fun.
Tickets: Full weekend tickets with camping: adults £130.00, age 3-15 £45, under 3s free; timberfestival.org.uk
Kaleidoscope
When: 15 July
Where: Alexandra Palace, Alexandra Palace Way, London N22 7AY
What to expect: Hot Chip are headlining this one-day event in north London, with family-friendly entertainment and delicious street food.
Tickets: Adult £45, age 5-15 £23, under 5s free; kaleidoscope-festival.com
**Standon Calling
**When: 20-23 July
Where: Standon Lordship, Hertfordshire, SG11 1EF
What to expect: Self Esteem, Years & Years, The Human League and Bloc Party top the bill, the kids will love the swimming pool and costume parade, you'll love the nanny service. The festival is also dog friendly, so bring your four-legged friend.
Tickets: Full weekend tickets: adults £195, age 16-17 £185, age 13-15 £165, age 4-12 £30, under 4s £5; standon-calling.com
**Latitude
**When: 20-23 July
Where: Henham Park, Southwold, Beccles NR34 8AQ
What to expect: Pulp and George Ezra top the bill, alongside family-friendly comedy, live music, dance, theatre, puppetry, award-winning children’s authors and more.
Tickets: Full weekend tickets with camping: adults £286.45, teens £175.40, kids £15; latitudefestival.com
Bluedot festival
When: 20-23 July
Where: Jodrell Bank Observatory, Bomish Lane, Macclesfield SK11 9DW
What to expect: Composer Max Richter is among the artists appearing at this year’s science-focused event, which has a parade vibe and is bursting with immersive art and creativity.
Tickets: Full weekend tickets: adults £195, age 11-15 £95, age 4-10 £35, under 4s free; discoverthebluedot.com
Doune The Rabbit Hole
When: 21-23 July
Where: Cardross Estate, Port of Menteith, Stirlingshire, FK8 3JY
What to expect: Music, arts and culture for all ages in the Scottish countryside.
Tickets: Full weekend tickets with camping: adults £225, age 13-17 £100, age 4-12 £10, under 4s free; dounetherabbithole.co.uk
Deer Shed
When: 28-31 July
Where: Baldersby Park, Topcliffe, North Yorkshire YO7 3BZ
What to expect: A fun music line-up including Supergrass’s Gaz Coombes, but you’ll have to drag the kids away from the science tent, wild swimming and something called Feral Farm.
Tickets: Full weekend tickets with camping: adults £180, age 11-15 £77, age 6-10 £66, age 3-5 £33, under 3s free; deershedfestival.com
Camp Bestival Dorset
When: 27-30 July
Where: Lulworth Castle, East Lulworth, Wareham BH20 5QS
What to expect: Grace Jones, Melanie C and Sophie Ellis-Bextor appear at one of the UK’s best-loved and most successful festivals, combining action-packed adventures with a family camping holiday vibe.
Tickets: Full weekend tickets with camping: adults £190, age 13-17 £140, age 10-12 £115, age 5-9 £95, age 2-4 £75, babies free; dorset.campbestival.net
Wilderness
When: 3-6 August
Where: Cornbury Park, The Estate, Charlbury OX7 3HL
What to expect: You can dance your heart out to the Chemical Brothers and Fatboy Slim, while the kids unleash their creativity with workshops, crafting and even – drumroll – childcare yurts hosted by Mortimer Nannies.
Tickets: Full weekend tickets with camping: adults £275.40, age 13-17 £129.60, age 6-12 £44, age 0-5 £11; wildernessfestival.com
Green Man
When: 17-20 August
Where: Glanusk Estate, Brecon Beacons National Park, Crickhowell NP8 1LP
What to expect: Still the only major music festival owned by a woman, there is a Little Folk family space and the option to book a Settler’s Pass, allowing you to camp for a week and enjoy workshops and bike riding in the mystical Welsh countryside.
Tickets: Sold out the day they want on sale so beg, borrow or steal where you can – and get on the mailing list for next year; greenman.net
Camp Bestival Shropshire
When: 17-20 August
Where: Weston Park, Weston-under-Lizard, Shifnal TF11 8LE
What to expect: Primal Scream headline this sister festival to Camp Bestival Dorset, with spellbinding soft play, the world’s biggest bouncy castle, and live workshops with Cosmic Kids Yoga.
Tickets: Full weekend tickets with camping: adults £170, age 13-17 £135, age 10-12 £110, age 5-9 £90, age 2-4 £70, babies free; shropshire.campbestival.net
Just So Festival
When: 18-20 August
Where: Rode Hall Estate, Scholar Green, Cheshire, ST7 3QT
What to expect: Storytelling in all its forms - music, dance, theatre, comedy and creative pursuits – is at the heart of this joyfully mischievous family festival.
Tickets: Full weekend tickets with camping: adults £155, age 3-15 £58.85, under 3s free; justsofestival.org.uk
Camp Kindling
When: 18-21 August
Where: Heritage Pine Forest, Knock Mill Lane, West Kingsdown, Sevenoaks TN15 6FP
What to expect: Choose from over 100 (pre-booked for convenience) activities including hot air ballooning, campfire bread baking and a woodland choir. After dark, the camp transforms into a magical forest festival where kids and grown-ups can dance to a line-up of more than 50 music acts - with Grazia’s very own Mother Pukka doing a DJ set!
Tickets: From £215, with tiered pricing depending on age and how many activities you book; campkindling.co.uk
Big Feastival
When: 25-27 August
Where: on Alex James' Farm near Kingham, Oxfordshire, OX7 6UJ
What to expect: The main draw here is the food, which ranges from Michelin star chefs to award-winning street food, plus a wide range of family activities.
Tickets: Full weekend tickets with camping: adults £217.95, age 13-17 £132.30, 12 and under £55.80; thebigfeastival.com
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